The recent bad weather has highlighted the fact that I'll need to fit uPVC fascia boards (capping to cover the existing woodn fascias?) to the front porch, replace the gutter & downpipe & renew the ageing wooden, leaking shiplap gable ends with a uPVC alternative. For an average DIY type is this a simple job & are there some diy sites that can show me the basics. Is it best to shop around at my local plastics & building suppliers or is there a cheap online supplier? The porch is at the front of the house & is 2.4m long x 1.5m wide & is 2.6m high where the highest point of the sloping roof (slate covered) joins the house wall. The exterior door is at one of the gable ends, & the 3 sides have plastic double glazed windows that sit on approx 3ft high brick walls. Been having shedloads of water ingress over the past few days (not surprising in N Wales!) fron the plastic cill channels that house the window units - I think it's coming in above the window frames from under the fascia boards somewhere & following the frame down to the channel. Anyone know if these cill units (which is a single moulded unit that runs along 3 sides of the brick wall), that the bottom of the window sits in, usually have a sealed/capped end where it meets a door frame or joins into the house wall? Noticed water dripping from here lately I'll post pics up if it'll help with my crap descriptions
the cill should have a plastic stick on end cap, it only superglues on and wouldn't affect water ingress, post pocs and i'll be able to help you more, i used to fabricate and fit upvc windows etc ..
Thanks Mikedub! This is the corner where the window joins the wall: I've been getting water dripping from the end of the 'channel' that the frame unit sits in. The end (where the paper is) was open & water was dripping down. I've temporarily sealed it with a plastic card & loads of silicone. Is this normally capped off? It was the same on the other face of the porch where the window meets the door frame (also uPVC). Water was dripping down You can see the cill on the outside, but the inside edge (where the arrow is pointing), is that part of the cill unit? (If I look down between this & the frame itself I can see water glistening. It looks wet in my dads house too & he has no leaks, so is it supposed to be like that?) If so, when installing is it normal to run a bead on the inside & outside edges of the frame before dropping it into the cill unit? Reason I ask is that when I was looking at the outside, where the cill to window frame meet: There was a bit of old silicone here (windows were installed 10yrs plus ago) which came out easily. If there was a gap here would water get into the channel above? My worry is if the ends of the channel are sealed both ends with a plastic card & silicone, will the channel gradually fill up & overflow, if the waters getting in elsewhere? I'm thinking the waters getting in above the frames & running down somehow, but I just need to get it straight in my head first! Sorry for the long rambling, but any help willl be most appreciated! Was it the outside end cap you meant Mike? That was intially loose a few months ago but I siliconed it in place
That outer sill looks like it is flat/slopping the wrong way in that pic....is it??? It sounds to me like the window isnt sealed up properly from the outside.... If its not sealed at the wall end, to the wall then you will get water in eventually... at the end where it meets the door, i'd take the plastic sterip off that is covering the join between the two and make sure that is sealed properly also.... Its no necessary to run silicone on the inner and outer edges where the window sits on the seal. The water should just run from the winow, on to the sill and then off on to the floor, thats why i ask how the the sill is slopped......
The cill does slope down from the window. Just my crap picture I think! The strip between the door & window is also quite recent so I'm sure it's well sealed there Thanks Mike
So you don't think I need silicone where the window frame joins onto the sill on the outside Damo? Reason I ask I was thinking with the 50mph gales we got the other night, could it have been blowing the water into any slight gaps & into the rear of the sill channel, causing it to drip at the ends where I've shown? (Finding leaks in a Mk2 is easier than this )
do you have a course of brickwork above the window or does the top of the frame go up to the soffits? the end caps should cover the entire end of the cill, but i doubt thats causing your problem. dont cap over your fascias/soffits over if you are planning on staying there.
That's what the fella who came to look at my place said. Let the air flow past them, stop the end of the joists rotting.
its very difficult to say without seeing the porch. from your pics i would say you have water coming in from above the window frame. its following the side of the frame and accumulating where thewindow frame meets the cill. i'm guessing the window is silicon sealed on the outside henece the water cannot escape that way and has found its way through to the inside. i would get up there and remove a few tiles (if poss)and have a look at the condition of the felt and top edge of the fascias.possibly you have water coming through behind the fascias, sitting on the top of the frame and gradually tricking down the side of the frame. basically the cill is hollow and are supplied with end caps that are the exact profile. they should be fitted to the cill before its installed so the hollow cill is completely sealed. i dont think thats your problem tho as the water ingress appears to be above the cill. btw the cill is one piece(the exterior bit, 2nd pic, and the 'channel' ,1st pic, is all one piece) as tsc says you shouldnt 'cap over' the existing timber due to air flow issues. the existing fascias will rot out in no time when its completely covered in upvc. you could get away with it if you was selling up and needed a quick cosmetic fix. if you have a leak at the eaves capping over wont cure the problem. best bet is to remove the fascia and replace the felt at the edge with a membrane. a bit of damp course under the felt up to the first tile batten should suffice. then fit a 20mm fascia board and replace the guttering.
Nah, the water wont blow under the sill, there is a lip on the inner side of it to stop water from doing this and the window will site very tight against the sill anyway..... I think Alby could be right with this tbh.... its the only real way water could be getting through if the sides are sealed correctly against the brrickwork/door frame.....
no i only ever used to cap of the visible parts of the cill profile, yes where the arrow is pointing is part of the cill and no i never used to run a bead of silicone where the frame meets the cill on the outside or inside. the sill shouldn't fill up with water, if you are worried about it drill some drainage holes on the underside of the cill on the outside, be carefull you dont go all the way through though lol. check around all the edges of the frame where it joins to brickwork for a good seal, also check the top of the frame, what is above it by the way ? also the the face drainige cover off and check its clear although i cant see that being the problem tbh. my guwss is either water getting in at the side or above the frame another thing to check is all the rubber seals around the glass. also check on the outside where the cill meets the brickwork, there should be a silicone seal there too. although an unlikely cause of the leak. yes
