Leak in bay window with copper roof

[Hubert A. Miles, Jr]

Around here the hoods go all the way back to the sheathing and have a return up the wall so the moisture barrier can overlap them.

Most of the time.

Yeah, and I wonder if that was done when the copper roof was redone. I have no way of knowing. He wants me to write up a report. So here is a list of items I am going to note:

flashing installation - recommend step flashing on the angled hip portions
lack of or blocked weep holes in the brick veneer

Questions for builder:

how was the vapor barrier installed?
was flashing installed over or under the vapor barrier?

Any others?

I am afraid that he will have to remove the sheetrock ceiling portion of the bay window and leave it exposed until the next rain comes in to physically see where the water is coming from.

[David A. Andersen]

I have chased water leaks up three stories from the source, across the building to the other side (between floors). Anything is possible.

There has been a lot of blind work going on and could make things worse.

I think I would get IR in there after it rains.


This inspection was the wall, not the copper roof.
http://www.midtninspections.com/syst..._IR_Report.pdf

[Hubert A. Miles, Jr]

Ok guys here is what I am going to tell him:

I have a few working theories but I would like to gather some more information and refrain from writing the report until I can get in the home while it is actively raining with an infrared camera. The theories I have thus far are:

1) The installation of the copper roof flashing. Improperly flashed windows are one of the main sources of leakage. This does not mean it is the source or the only source, just the most likely.

2) The moisture could be coming in from the exterior caulking around the window frame or a potential crack in the above brick around either the picture window or the oval window, running down the vapor barrier and then entering the bay window ceiling unimpeded. Under this scenrio, the water would free flow down the vapor barrier directly into the bay window without showing any signs of moisture in the attic or second floor because the vapor barrier is working as it is designed to do. Even a hairline crack can allow large quantities of water into the house during sustained rains.

Do you know when the two windows were caulked last? I know the ledge on the picture window was redone recently, was the window caulked at that time? Has the brick work around the oval window ever been evaluated? Has the oval window been caulked recently?

3) The moisture could be getting behind the brick veneer through the flashing on the shingled corners at the bottom of the gable roof. If you look at the picture and notice the angle, water flows from both ends towards the center of the home and down to the vicinity of the bay window. If the flashing here is not correct, or if there is a space or crack here water could flow directly down the vapor barrier behind the brick veneer to the bay window.

When the new roof was installed, were these two corners looked at by the roofer?

4) Some other unknown source not detected yet.

[Carl Brown]

Why wait till it rains again take control and use a water hose start at the bottom and ever so slowly work your way up the wall.

Do not stand on the ground shooting the water up fasten the hose and sprayer to an extending pole.

Pictures and all day on site. Maybe

[Frank Albert]

Among other things, the water can get in at both ends of those 'fake' seams. The drip edge is probably 'flat' on a nailed, instead of the deck, and water will get in.