Water coming in to house - desperate for advice!

[MarchionessOfMayhem]

We bought our current house a few years ago. Late 1960s build with a couple of extensions. During our first winter in the house we had water coming in to the kitchen (part extension) through the metal beam that combines the old part of the kitchen to the newer part. We called general tradesmen/builders that we knew and trusted who thought that it was coming in through the side wall above the garage through the bricks and/or the mortar. They believed that the extension had been done in the cheap and cavity trays hadn't been installed. We therefore paid for for all the mortar to be dug out and replaced and for cavity trays to be installed.

However the following winter the exact same leak happened again. This time we called a qualified builder who advised that he also thought the water was coming in through the side wall and when he looked he said that the cavity trays hadn't been installed correctly by the last people we'd used. He then organised for this to be corrected.

Following winter - leak yet again! So this time he said he thought it was the actual bricks (houses hadn't been built to the best standard) and he thought the bricks were soaking in the water like a sponge and eventually, when they were saturated the water was leaking in to the kitchen. During this time our neighbour two doors down had the same issue and their workman also agreed re the bricks. So this time we had the house sprayed with a water repellent that should last two years.

That was 18 months ago. The leak has returned yet again - not as bad as previously but it's still coming in. When we had the house sprayed we were told that the only sure way to stop it was to have the side and back of the house rendered, we are now looking in to this, however I'm reluctant to pay out a lot of money if this will continue to happen. So I'm hoping for some advice.

1. Is there a tradesman or surveyor who'd be able to tell us definitely where the problem is coming from? So far, everyone has had 'theories' but there has been no actual proof of the source.

1. Even if the water is coming in through the side of the house - why aren't the cavity trays stopping the water leaking in to the house? Surely, that's their job?

1. Does anyone have any other theory where it may be coming from or why it's happening? If it helps, it tends to happen when there is very heavy rain and bad winds.

Thanks so much - I'm really desperate to get to the bottom of this.

Given the remedial work and spraying the bricks with sealant appears to have had some effect, I'm inclined to think the last builder was right. Have your neighbours had any problems this winter do you know? Surely the only other solution - providing the roof, rainwater goods and pointing are all sound is to have the outer brick skin replaced, which will be a bigger, more expensive job than rendering the wall. Modern render can be coloured and done in different textures, etc.

wowfudge thanks for your reply. Sorry to be a pain what's the didgferwnce between having the outer brick skin replaced and rendering? Do you not think rendering will be enough to stop the rain coming in? Thanks again.

Assuming you have cavity walls, which is standard construction for a house of the age of yours, there are two brick skins built parallel to each other with a gap (cavity) in between them. Replacing the outer brick skin (assuming this is even possible) would mean literally taking down the outer wall of bricks where you have the problem with rainwater coming in and rebuilding it with new bricks which aren't porous. It may be possible, but will be a big, expensive job, especially as there is an extension attached to it. Rendering will coat the problem bricks and make them impermeable. A much easier job and a lot cheaper.

Are you 100% sure the water is coming in from the outside?

When we moved in the bay window in our lounge had a soaking wet wall under the window. There was much discusion amongst the experts as to where the water was coming from, all centred around rising damp and a breached damp proof course. The wall was soaking and the water ran down and literally made a puddle on the carpet.

My dh did some research, and began to wonder if it was condensation related. He fitted ventilation strips to all our windows, and extractor fans in the kitchen utility (where we dry the washing) and both bathrooms.

We eventually had additional insulation put in the lounge as it was the coldest room.
The thing about condensation is that the damp air finds the coldest part of the house, wall or ceiling and that is where it condenses.

Once the house was warm, it was loads better and it has almost all gone.

So, are you sure it is coming in fomr the outside, or is that part of the ceiling/wall the coldest spot in the house?

Rendering is applying cement to the bricks and looks like this.

It doesn't have to be this colour, but you can see that the side wall is unrendered brick. The render needs to stop before the damp proof course or you'll potentially have even more problems.

No one will be able to categorically tell u what is wrong...all of the above points are valid and could be reasons for the damp...

The smallest pin prick in brickwork guttering roof condensation alongside a particular direction of the wind or rain at a particular time of year can cause a leak...

Hubby has just spent a month up and down ladder to get to the bottom of ours...it took him three years in the old house to locate the problem...if it is seasonal and not running in bucket loads you might need to just live with it....most houses have an element of damp somewhere...

I second the advice about checking it's not condensation. We've persistently had problems with one corner of our bedroom (built above the garage) where water runs down and it's because that's the coldest point in the upstairs. We've added a permanent ventilation system, insulated the back walls of the bedroom, the garage ceiling underneath and added a second radiator on that wall and it looks like we've cracked the problem...

Thanks everyone.

Steppemum we can't be 100% sure but it tends to happen during heavy rain coupled with strong winds so it seems that coming from outside is most likely.

wowfudge thanks for more information - rendering if definitely what we had in mind and what's been advised by the previous builders.

nightshade it has been by the bucket load and it completely ruins our kitchen so unfortunately not something we can live with long term. Each time the plastering around the beam has to be removed and replaced and then redecorated so lots of cost involved inside as well as the work outside. 😩

Could you share a picture of the outside wall in question? what's above the metal beam and extension? Is it a 2 storey extension?

sounds like it is driving in. Is there a join/strip of flashing etc where it is driving in?

parkview094 I don't have a photo I can try and get one though. Not two storey, the extension was to the back of the garage/side of the kitchen to extend the kitchen. The beam is where the old part of the kitchen meets the new. Above it is the flat roof/original upper wall above the garage.

steppemum There is flashing which has been replaced twice, so unlikely to be coming in there.

Is the flashing correctly mortared into one of the mortar joints between courses of bricks?

Is the flashing correctly mortared into one of the mortar joints between courses of bricks?

Can you try and recreate it with a power washer? Water can travel a heck of a long way inside a house before it leaks out. If you can recreate a rain and wind scenario with a power washer you can spray different parts of the house and see what regenerates the leak inside

wowflash yes flashing is mortared correctly, checked by several different people and apparently it's been done well.

SeatoSki I've often wondered the same myself, however it tends to happen after there has been long periods of rain/wind suggesting it takes a while to seep through, i.e. Once the bricks are saturated and then another bad wind/rain day is just the straw that breaks the camels back so I don't think it would work, or at least that's what several workmen have told me. I still may consider it though.

Hiya

Did you ever get to the bottom of this, my friend has the same problem :(

Any advise
Thanks

@Babybop67 yes we did. We decided to get the house rendered in case it was a problem with the bricks. In the process the plasterer took down fascia board and over one window (near where the water was coming in) two rows of bricks had been removed to insert insulation and had never been replaced. Had them bricked up and never had a problem since.