Leaking Aluminium Joinery

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mattwnz

20164 posts

Uber Geek

#3250116 17-Jun-2024 18:09

From the photos I can't see any jamb flashing. If you go to page 142 of E2/AS1 you will see what I mean. Do you know if the metal cladding is on a cavity or not? Is this in an exposed location with no roof eaves?

https://www.building.govt.nz/assets/Uploads/building-code-compliance/e-moisture/e2-external-moisture/asvm/e2-external-moisture-3rd-edition-amendment-10.pdf

nzlowie

21 posts

Geek

#3250179 17-Jun-2024 20:36

Thanks again everyone, not really much more I can add, the 3rd picture is the side of the frame.
Has foam seal so can't see water getting in there. Anyway if water was to seep in it wouldn't have the velocity to go all the way into the internal wall. Would seep in and then run down. Will have a better look at the bottom edge, this is on the second story with a small deck so would have thought the deck attachment area would protect it from wind driven rain. Another issue is this is on the weather side of the house without an eve or any other protection.
It's like the water is coming through a joint int the lower part of the aluminium frame. I just can't see it getting in through the flashings. But hey, I know water can track where you don't think it could....

nzlowie

21 posts

Geek

#3250184 17-Jun-2024 20:57

Just pulled the carpet back and the weather seal is well bonded to the floor, maybe the aluminum to seal strip isn't perfect??

tweake

2391 posts

Uber Geek

#3250311 18-Jun-2024 09:56

is that floor on the left wet? the colors look wetter on the left than the right.

would have been better to pull up the other side. quite often the door side gets water damage from people leaving the door open and it rains.

how is the deck fitted to the house? any pic of that side?

duckDecoy

898 posts

Ultimate Geek

Subscriber

#3250346 18-Jun-2024 11:24

Try pouring hot water into the track, hot because if if leaks in you'll feel it being hot and know its from what you just did. We had a leak due to the "seal" failing at the mitered corners at either end of our sliding doors. It was meant to have a black substance (I cannot recall the name of it for the life of me, small joint?) permanently sealing up where the joinery corners meet. Ours was deficient and it leaked at both ends into the house. From memory this sealant was meant to be on the outside/underside of the joint, but as they were installed so the underside couldn't be accessed the window guys applied it internally into the corners.

If you fill it with hot water and nothing comes inside then I think this will eliminate water being in the track as being the problem.

mattwnz

20164 posts

Uber Geek

#3250418 18-Jun-2024 14:36

If the OSB flooring is coming apart then it looks like it has been doing this for some time. What happening with the sill on the outerside. It looks like water could be tracking underneath. It Also looks to be dry near the corner.. If you have a deck is there anything under this, and is it all a step down from the joinery height? Water tracks so where you think it is leaking from may not be where it is actually leaking from

tweake

2391 posts

Uber Geek

#3250423 18-Jun-2024 14:43

mattwnz:

If the OSB flooring is coming apart then it looks like it has been doing this for some time. What happening with the sill on the outerside. It looks like water could be tracking underneath. It Also looks to be dry near the corner.. If you have a deck is there anything under this, and is it all a step down from the joinery height? Water tracks so where you think it is leaking from may not be where it is actually leaking from

particle board (or chip board). osb is fairly rare and kinda expensive here. usually used for looks rather than construction. like so many other building products, the opposite of usa.

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mattwnz

20164 posts

Uber Geek

#3250433 18-Jun-2024 15:50

tweake:

mattwnz:

If the OSB flooring is coming apart then it looks like it has been doing this for some time. What happening with the sill on the outerside. It looks like water could be tracking underneath. It Also looks to be dry near the corner.. If you have a deck is there anything under this, and is it all a step down from the joinery height? Water tracks so where you think it is leaking from may not be where it is actually leaking from

particle board (or chip board). osb is fairly rare and kinda expensive here. usually used for looks rather than construction. like so many other building products, the opposite of usa.

Couldn't remember what they called it in NZ. I would use plywood personally for flooring, and particle board just turns in to weet bix when it gets wet for a long period of time.

mattwnz

20164 posts

Uber Geek

#3250530 18-Jun-2024 18:06

duckDecoy:

We had a leak due to the "seal" failing at the mitered corners at either end of our sliding doors. It was meant to have a black substance (I cannot recall the name of it for the life of me, small joint?) permanently sealing up where the joinery corners meet. Ours was deficient and it leaked at both ends into the house. From memory this sealant was meant to be on the outside/underside of the joint, but as they were installed so the underside couldn't be accessed the window guys applied it internally into the corners.

I have come across new alu joinery that has leaked external water in through the internal side of the mitred corners. I think it was from capillary action between the two cut surfaces, and there being water inside the profiles that hadn't fully drained outside after rainfall. I recall it was in the opening sashes. The installers came back and fixed it. But you could see white water marks on the inner surface along the diagonal cut corner, and if you held a tissue to the surface of the corner, water seeped into it. But it was very minor in terms of the amount of water leaking in.

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