I have a leak on the lintel above my window water dripping inside when raining and for hours after.?

Question

I had cavity wall insulation injected in march. I have lived in the house for 5 years and it hasnt happened before. The surveyor is coming to check from the insulation company after i insisted(the manager says it is not their problem as it must be structural) they also say water cannot absorb through render and blockwork and the rock wool insulation and pass inside. I have inspected the concrete lintel and it appears that it spans the cavityand there are no weepholes above. The house is 1960's traditional cavity. I need help so that the surveyor cannot fob me off and blame us, should a survey have been carried out by them and any problems highlighted before the work was done? what can i say to them to resolve the problem as i really do think the problem has arisen from the cavity being filled? all advice appreciated.

Answer 1

DONT let surveyors fob you off .YES it is the cavity insulation causing the problem, it is the worst thing you can do to a property. A wall cavity's purpose is to protect your interior walls from weather exposure, when the rain soaks into your exterior walls the cavity forms a break between interior and exterior walls, if you fill the cavity with insulation ie Rockwool, polystyrene,or fibreglass your interior and exterior walls dont have this break anymore. On new build propertys the insulation comes in boards which are clipped to the interior walls with special wall ties and buttons so you still have a cavity ,whereas when these firms pump insulation in the cavitys it fills them up completley . It causes nothing but trouble especially damp problems as it takes an age to dry out once wet!!! Thats the reason why water leaks into your property hours after the rain has stopped, for a temporary cure you should drill some weepholes in every other perp just to let some of the water escape next time it rains. BUT YES IT IS THAT WALL INSULATION AND STAND YOUR GROUND COZ THEY WILL TRY TO TELL YOU ANYTHING TO GET OFF THE HOOK !!!!! Builder of 20 years

Answer 2

u say there are no weep holes on top of your window that means there's no flashing the flashing is designed to stop the water from leaking into your house but back then they didn't use any thing like that on houses the people that put the insulation in your house should have done a survey report before any work was carried out and water does absorb through blockwork & render

Answer 3

Could your brickwork need re-pointing? It could just be wear and tear, but if you're not happy with the Surveyor I can only recommend that you seek an independent Surveyors advice as well. It'll cost you but for peace of mind and if you wish to take the matter further with the insulation company then its worth doing. Hope this helps.

Answer 4

i have come across this problem before..many times ...and almost every time it was the guttering ..do you have finlock guttering .?..you don't know what it is ? well it is the concrete type guttering used in the 50s to 70s ..and they are a right pain when they leak ..and that is often ..and they all ways show up over windows ..they are a bad design and they have to be lined ..also yes i have seen and heard of damp penetration due to cavity filling .. the fact that it still leaks for hours after makes me think it the fin lock guttering