Rain leaking through an aluminium door

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bachbk1611

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#298741 12-Jul-2022 11:42

Hi all,

When it is raining with a strong wind, the rain leaks through the bottom of my rear aluminium door. There was a small rubber section under the bottom of the door (marked in red in the picture), but it did not stop the rain from getting in. I am thinking of using a U-shaped rubber (https://www.mitre10.co.nz/shop/energy-seals-rubber-u-shaped-edge-4mm-x-10mm-x-5m-black/p/334654) or a P-shaped one (https://www.mitre10.co.nz/shop/stormguard-draught-excluder-p-section-rubber-seal-5m-white/p/212569?fbclid=IwAR1NqysL2H23Eu8yYNq-jHA-e9B9IBZgCOnnzMAcDCNPvdfp229ElshdCOw) to stop the leaking, but not sure whether it is going to be helpful. Any recommendation or thought would be highly appreciated. Thank you very much.

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Hammered
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#2941089 12-Jul-2022 11:51

How about something like https://www.mitre10.co.nz/shop/raven-door-bottom-automatic-weather-seal-1220mm-anodised-silver/p/212139

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bachbk1611

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#2941090 12-Jul-2022 11:56

Stu: How about something like https://www.mitre10.co.nz/shop/raven-door-bottom-automatic-weather-seal-1220mm-anodised-silver/p/212139

Yeah, I have a look at that. However, the door is inward with a higher frame outside, so it might not work when closing the door.

eracode

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#2941091 12-Jul-2022 11:58

Where are you thinking of putting the new rubber seal - just along the bottom where the red marking is? The door could also be leaking at the sides and running down the side of the aluminium and leaking out the bottom. You may need the new seal all the way around the door.

Sometimes I just sit and think. Other times I just sit.

Stu

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#2941092 12-Jul-2022 11:59

They do work on inward opening doors, but just remembered it's only wooden framed doors (at least I think that's correct)

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timmmay

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#2941093 12-Jul-2022 12:05

My uPvc doors are designed to have water go into the channel below the door but then be drained out the front. Is yours similar? Are the drains blocked?

bachbk1611

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#2941094 12-Jul-2022 12:06

eracode:

Where are you thinking of putting the new rubber seal - just along the bottom where the red marking is? The door could also be leaking at the sides and running down inside the aluminium and leaking out the bottom. You may need the new seal all the way around the door.

Yeah, I would put the new rubber seal along the bottom. I can see the sides are dry so the issue is at the bottom (I guess).

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eracode

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#2941095 12-Jul-2022 12:08

Stu: They do work on inward opening doors, but just remembered it's only wooden framed doors (at least I think that's correct)

The page you linked says 'for timber doors'.

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bachbk1611

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#2941096 12-Jul-2022 12:10

timmmay:

My uPvc doors are designed to have water go into the channel below the door but then be drained out the front. Is yours similar? Are the drains blocked?

Mine is aluminium and I do not see any drain channel. :-/

eracode

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#2941098 12-Jul-2022 12:13

bachbk1611:

timmmay:

My uPvc doors are designed to have water go into the channel below the door but then be drained out the front. Is yours similar? Are the drains blocked?

Mine is aluminium and I do not see any drain channel. :-/

The drains would normally be holes or slots in the aluminium sill under the door when it's closed - near the corners. Or slots in the vertical part of the sill in front of the door, so that the water can run to the outside - but there's nothing like that in your photo.

aluminium door drain holes OR slots

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eracode

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#2941109 12-Jul-2022 12:39

bachbk1611:

eracode:

Where are you thinking of putting the new rubber seal - just along the bottom where the red marking is? The door could also be leaking at the sides and running down inside the aluminium and leaking out the bottom. You may need the new seal all the way around the door.

Yeah, I would put the new rubber seal along the bottom. I can see the sides are dry so the issue is at the bottom (I guess).

You could drill some holes in the lower part of the exterior vertical part of the sill so that that any water on the inside of the sill could run to the outside.

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bachbk1611

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#2941117 12-Jul-2022 13:13

Hah, I found 4 holes and they were blocked by tons of dust. I have just cleaned them. Hopefully, they are gonna be fine now. Thanks all for your recommendations.

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tweake

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#2941128 12-Jul-2022 13:46

bachbk1611:

timmmay:

My uPvc doors are designed to have water go into the channel below the door but then be drained out the front. Is yours similar? Are the drains blocked?

Mine is aluminium and I do not see any drain channel. :-/

thats pretty typical of 70-80's era frames. its from the era of the flawed idea that you keep water out instead of letting it drain out.

on mine someone has drilled drain holes in the bottom. but that can have the problem of draining onto unprotected wood. it also depends on whats under it, if that allows it to drain out or not.

rscole86

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#2941139 12-Jul-2022 14:11

Now would be a good time to check the rest of your aluminium windows and doors to make sure they're not blocked.

mattwnz

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#2941169 12-Jul-2022 15:48

My understanding is that the seal isn't designed to be 100% water tight. Otherwise it would be properly flashed, and lapping over teh top of the piece below it. There are also often gaps at the corners of these rubber seals and the seals can shrink back leaving gaps. My understanding is that this type of joinery is instead designed to drain any water that gets through, with holes at the bottom of joinery. One newer windows, sometimes these holes come out through the front of the profile and have little plastic covers with flaps. So household maintenance includes keeping drainage holes clear of debris

tweake

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#2941181 12-Jul-2022 16:04

mattwnz:

My understanding is that the seal isn't designed to be 100% water tight. Otherwise it would be properly flashed, and lapping over teh top of the piece below it. There are also often gaps at the corners of these rubber seals and the seals can shrink back leaving gaps. My understanding is that this type of joinery is instead designed to drain any water that gets through, with holes at the bottom of joinery. One newer windows, sometimes these holes come out through the front of the profile and have little plastic covers with flaps. So household maintenance includes keeping drainage holes clear of debris

my understanding of it is that the early ones relied solely on the seal to be water tight. thats why there is no drain holes. it was the later ones that introduced drainage.

some also had no flashing and used a rubber gasket between the frame and the cladding.

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