Leaking sliding patio door
#1
08-24-18, 02:59 PM
Leaking sliding patio door
Hi folks,
my first post.
Through a process of elimination I have determined that water is coming in from the sill area. I cannot see any gaps or holes at the sides. The door was installed about 25 years ago possibly but we just purchased the house. i cannot see that we have any weep holes or other drainage other that by the design of the sill!
The screws holding the sill have been caulked but don’t know when. Some screws are very rusty.
Pretty sure it hasn’t been installed properly but I am no expert. It seems that the distance between the floor and the sill is non-existent.
i am hoping that the problem is the screws and by replacing them my problem will be solved. I want to do this anyway and then retest. Should I be using a special type of screw? One screw is rusted so badly I cannot get it out even using wd40 and hydrogen peroxide - any advice? Currently concrete screws are being used. I understand that the hole/thread should be caulked - any special type that should be used?
i have attached pictures.
Look forward to all comments please ASAP as I need to fix this and then do the internal repairs caused by the water leak urgently.
thanks
mike
my first post.
Through a process of elimination I have determined that water is coming in from the sill area. I cannot see any gaps or holes at the sides. The door was installed about 25 years ago possibly but we just purchased the house. i cannot see that we have any weep holes or other drainage other that by the design of the sill!
The screws holding the sill have been caulked but don’t know when. Some screws are very rusty.
Pretty sure it hasn’t been installed properly but I am no expert. It seems that the distance between the floor and the sill is non-existent.
i am hoping that the problem is the screws and by replacing them my problem will be solved. I want to do this anyway and then retest. Should I be using a special type of screw? One screw is rusted so badly I cannot get it out even using wd40 and hydrogen peroxide - any advice? Currently concrete screws are being used. I understand that the hole/thread should be caulked - any special type that should be used?
i have attached pictures.
Look forward to all comments please ASAP as I need to fix this and then do the internal repairs caused by the water leak urgently.
thanks
mike
#2
08-24-18, 03:18 PM
Group Moderator
Can't say for sure but I would say just looking at the pictures briefly that your biggest problem is that the deck boards are cut too tight to the outside edge of the sill, and since the top of the deck boards are ABOVE the bottom edge of the sill, there is no gap or way for water to escape. It's being forced inside.
#3
08-24-18, 07:24 PM
Member
Xsleeper is 100% correct!
The screws have 0 to do with the real issue.
That's a 100% sure way to have water getting in under the threshold, a huge building 101 mistake.
I'd bet you pull that door and decking out you'll see some other major issues.
I used to make at least $10,000 a year just repairing this one building mistake.
There is no simple cheap fix for this one, the deck needs to be lower.
The screws have 0 to do with the real issue.
That's a 100% sure way to have water getting in under the threshold, a huge building 101 mistake.
I'd bet you pull that door and decking out you'll see some other major issues.
I used to make at least $10,000 a year just repairing this one building mistake.
There is no simple cheap fix for this one, the deck needs to be lower.
#4
08-25-18, 03:44 PM
Thanks guys. Very much appreciated. Some additional info.
I managed to get a few of the screws out and the holes were wet inside!
All the pics are of the sill - the first 5 were taken from inside the house so are upside down - my bad.
The outside deck is concrete slab with porcelain tiles on top. Talking with the previous owner it leaked with them without the tiles and still leaked after the tiles were installed.
when I apply water and it runs down the door/frames onto the sill it does escape via channels at the left and right side of the sill. You can see this gap in pic 6 to the left.
If the sill itself is sealed ok to left and right frame and also to the tiled deck then apart from the screws I cannot see anywhere else the water would come in!
Am I missing something here as for water to leak there’s must be a gap/hole for it to leak through so where else are you saying there could be a gap/hole?
mike
I managed to get a few of the screws out and the holes were wet inside!
All the pics are of the sill - the first 5 were taken from inside the house so are upside down - my bad.
The outside deck is concrete slab with porcelain tiles on top. Talking with the previous owner it leaked with them without the tiles and still leaked after the tiles were installed.
when I apply water and it runs down the door/frames onto the sill it does escape via channels at the left and right side of the sill. You can see this gap in pic 6 to the left.
If the sill itself is sealed ok to left and right frame and also to the tiled deck then apart from the screws I cannot see anywhere else the water would come in!
Am I missing something here as for water to leak there’s must be a gap/hole for it to leak through so where else are you saying there could be a gap/hole?
mike
#5
08-25-18, 04:37 PM
Group Moderator
Water can come under the sill if they didn't set the door into a bead of sealant. The tile outside doesn't help that water escape. The concrete is the level that water wants to drain because the door is set on the concrete. The concrete outside should have been much lower as well.
