New House

[John McKenna]

Originally Posted by badair

John,

The origin of that leak is stated to be from the 3rd floor where in the imgage does it bypass floors below?

Look at the image... the dark (cool) area is the moisture and it
goes down below the 3rd and 2nd story (bypass) before it showed up
below. My FLIR instructor talked to us about this photo.

Bypass = "to go around or avoid"...

[relliott]

I just threw this together, sorry if it is sloppy.

[relliott]

This is what I mean by bypass and thanks for the input,bubber and John.
Glad Barry got it while I sweated for 15 minutes on this diagram.

[Ron C. Bibler]

Good side view Robert. I got it.

P.S. Its ( Bibler ) not ( bubbler )

It's ok Been called other things over the years.

Best

Ron Bibler

"Water will do what it will do"

[relliott]

Ha Ha sorry I thought you were using Bubber a few months ago.
And you can call me Bob.
Damn forum keeps me at Robert from original formal signup.

[Ron C. Bibler]

Kind-a-fits this post. L.O.L

Best

Ron

[William R. DeVries, CMHI]

Originally Posted by relliott

Out of curiosity John.
When you document places like that, you really can't push it to a recommended contractor as they may not see the problem to correct.

So do you also tell them how to repair and where it is coming from?

Sure you can assume window, but what if it is from the window above that and the IR does not catch that fact.?

there would have been a moisture trail from the upper window or place of entrance

[William R. DeVries, CMHI]

Originally Posted by mgault

When pics are included in the report, detailed explanations become unnecessary...

A builder worth his salt will investigate and correct quick enough, and the ones who aren't, you can't convince with 1000 words...

Sometimes with a pic you need even more correct or exacting termonology, as some people have no idea what they are looking at unless exactly described, terminology is always imperative

[ldapkus]

Originally Posted by relliott

Linus if you have any real plumbing experiance , you know that a water leak can travel in the wall and not show itself till several floors below, and not always directly below.

If you do not understand that, you have no understanding of plumbing.

What is so hard to figure.

My question was a sincere question and I am sory if everytime someone just does not get it ,they attack the question.

Calm down Bob. I think you need a drink.

[relliott]

John,
I made the illustration so you could understand that the water can follow somthing such as the conduit in this case and by pass the upper window.

The exit at the (lets say window lintel) would be what your flir and a visual observer would see.

The water is not going to be seen by you or your camera if it is th same or close to the same temp and sticking to an internal trail not effecting the outside wall covering.

Both you and your camera would figure the problem is at the lower window flashing.

(Linus this is not members only section , so thanks for the intelligent replies)

Gotta run as I just had a call for a last minute foreclosure inspection.

[Brian A. MacNeish]

Originally Posted by wdevries

there would have been a moisture trail from the upper window or place of entrance

Not necessarily! In 1989, I was called from NB to Halifax to work with a water intrusion specialist flown in from Toronto. This was a large luxury condo project directly on the waterfront with no protection from horizontal wind driven rains. In its first 2-3 years, areas of brick veneer had been opened up numerous times to correct leakage problems. This last measure was to find the last 5-6 leaks that local masons and the developer could not find.

Things we found:

1) Water from 1 story up can enter the floor you're working on. In this case, the water traveled between the loosely installed tarpaper and sheathing for over a storey before it got into insulation and then eventually entered at the concrete floor slab/bottom plate/baseboard. With a brick veneer exterior, the first part of the leakage path would not be found with IR

2) Water can move 5 inches up over flashings

3) With horizontal, high wind driven rain that occurs infrequently, opening up a wall/ceiling to look for moisture can be frustrating. Since the condition doesn't occur with every rain, the area has now dried out and there may be only a minor stain and no mould growth. IR will not find this unless scanned immediately after an occurrence.

[William J. Decker]

John;

Questions:

1) What type of exterior wall covering?

2) Housewrap?

3) Moisture meter readings (WE?)

4) Any visual signs on the wall (please post picture)?

Thanks;

[John McKenna]

Originally Posted by wdecker

John;

Questions:

1) What type of exterior wall covering?

2) Housewrap?

3) Moisture meter readings (WE?)

4) Any visual signs on the wall (please post picture)?

Thanks;

1- Hardi Board
2- I could not see the house wrap.
3- Yes... confirmed with moisture meter.
4- No visual signs of moisture.

Moisture started in ceiling (right under large gap in wall-roof flashing).

[relliott]

Good catch John.