New Summer house leaking

Discussion in 'Builders' Talk' started by Amanda Tweedy, Mar 14, 2019.

  1. Amanda Tweedy

    Amanda Tweedy New Member

    Hi don't know if anyone can help. I really don't know what to do about this..!
    I recently bought a corner summer house. My dad and his friend grafted so hard last Friday and Saturday building it. We put sealant around all the inside joins but couldn't paint it outside, as it then started pouring. Sunday afternoon I went in and it was drenched. Water leaking through the grooves of the shiplap tongue and groove and the walls and floor were wet. I spoke to the company I bought it off and they said it only had 1 coat treatment applied by the manufacturers and wouldn't be water proof until I applied a top coat. Now, I have no clue what this is, so asked, will the waterproof paint (wilkinsons garden paint) I've got be suitable . He said it would be fine but they only recommended their own brand paint. Also said I had to treat it asap. So I took a half day from work as it was forecast dry, so I could go home and paint. I called in to Homebase, just to get advice again, and they said the same, the paint should do the trick. So applied a second coat Tuesday, still wet the next day after rain.
    Should I try applying a third coat?! I'm now thinking maybe I shouldn't of applied the paint straight away and maybe should of got an actual clear wood preservative first, to go underneath. So my next quandary is, do I need to get all this fresh paint off?! And start from scratch again. Which I've read is a nightmare, messy and very time consuming, but if it has to be done, so be it. And if I have to strip it, don't know what to use for quickness or what wood preserve to then apply. Bearing in mind I am applying a water based coloured paint over the top.
    I've spoken to a few people who work with wood outdoors and they've said one coat of wood preservative, plus two coats of waterproof paints should be enough to stop water coming in, but the whole panels that face the direction of the wind/rain are wet to touch, as well as the rain streaks from it running inside.
    I've spoken to the company I bought it off again and theyve said it might have been put together wrong. But there was no other way the panels could face, as the lip on the bottom overhung the floor, and there was no lip needed at the top.
    Any advice at all would be much appreciated. I'm at a stand still here and getting really stressed! Thank you.
     
  2. spirits are real 2016

    spirits are real 2016 Screwfix Select

    did you wait until it had all dryed out before you started.
     
  3. Astramax

    Astramax Super Member

    They only recommend 'own branded paint' for any warranty offered, installed a few over the years for folks and have stuck to the rules, sounds more like an installation fault. Are you 100%sure the roof felt has been applied correctly.
     
  4. fostyrob

    fostyrob Screwfix Select

    I would have thought the paint was to protect the wood and not to seal gaps to prevent direct water ingress. Certainly if you have a drenched floor and water running down the walls I would have thought either the roof has not be installed correctly or there is a problem with the shiplap. Any pictures?
     
  5. Hans_25

    Hans_25 Screwfix Select

    Need to pin point exactly where the water is getting in. I'd be surprised if its getting into the summer house by going through the timber in such quantity, more like there are gaps somewhere.
     
  6. KIAB

    KIAB Super Member

    Should have put summer house sections in garage & painted them,allow to dry, before you assembled it outside.:)
     
  7. Astramax

    Astramax Super Member

    And if not pre treated timber a couple of coats of preservative prior to assembly.
     
    KIAB likes this.
  8. Amanda Tweedy

    Amanda Tweedy New Member

    Yeah, I checked round every panel inside and out before starting to paint. The paint was sinking straight in and touch dry about an hour later. It does actually look like it might need another coat to be honest, as you can still faintly see the golden honey treatment the manufacturers put on
     
  9. Amanda Tweedy

    Amanda Tweedy New Member

    Unfortunately didnt have enough space to get all the parts in the garage, particularly the larger parts. So all the frames, cover strips, etc went in the garage, but the wall panels and floor had to stay outside. We covered them securely with plastic sheeting and were going to build it the next day, but had to wait another week for the company to deliver new floor panels as both were badly damaged. They were dry though when we started the build.
     
  10. furious_customer

    furious_customer Screwfix Select

    Can you see any gaps in the shiplap?
    I would be very surprised if paint would stop water coming in at the volume you describe.

    I built a kids playhouse a couple of years ago and they recommended assembling the panels and painting them upside down so that paint would run into the grooves.
     
  11. DIYDave.

    DIYDave. Screwfix Select

    You need to get a ‘lucky volunteer’ (your dad :)) inside the summer house whislt you train the garden hose on all sections - side panels, roof, windows, door, etc

    You must then see where the water is getting in from and can then decide if this is a quality issue of the kit and materials supplied or an installation error

    As above, timber preservative and paint isn’t for stopping the water getting in - it’s for preserving the timber against rot, insect attack, UV damage (depending in product used), yes waterproofing to a degree and finally, cosmetic looks

    Really, for applying preservative and paint / oil / wax finishes, etc, it’s the wrong time of year

    Not enough guaranteed warm, dry days and when the sun does come out and it’s dry, it doesn’t last long enough

    Cold and damp at night and mornings so timber will be damp, not good for applying finishes

    My mates in same situation
    Had a lovely summer house installed
    Warrenty states must be treated within 2 weeks of build

    Like most people he works mon/fri and w ends have been not good enough weather for treatments

    He’s now panicking that house will ‘instantly’ rot and warrenty will be null and void

    I told him to delay summer house until spring but he was like a kid in a candy store and just couldn’t hold back

    Anyway..... get dad inside, you grab the hose and report back :)
     
    Amanda Tweedy likes this.
  12. masterdiy

    masterdiy Screwfix Select

    Amanda, can you take a few photos of the building-roof-sidewalls, so we can get an idea.
    Also a couple of inside where its been leaking.
     
    Jord86 likes this.
  13. Amanda Tweedy

    Amanda Tweedy New Member

    Thanks everyone for trying to help me. We've been in a couple of times after its been raining and it's definitely coming in along the horizontal grooves and then running down in some places. Doesn't actually seem to be any visible gaps though. One of my friends said that perhaps with such strong stormy winds of late, it's pushing the rain upwards into the grooves, then down inside. I'm clueless, as you can probably tell! I do like your idea DIY Dave of getting my dad in there with a hose! Couldn't do that to him though because he's been great trying to do things in there when I've been at work.

    Roof seems watertight as the OSB in all parts is dry and the felt covers an overhang outside. I'm just thinking should I go round and put sealant in all the grooves at the back and side, just to see if that stops it.

    I've spoken again to the company I bought it from. It was actually not their product, bought in from a third party company. They've asked me to send photos, so I'll upload those here as well, as suggested. See if any of you can shed any light. I'm not trying to get a replacement, (I think my dad would have a heart attack if he had to build it all up again!) I just want a solution to the problem, as I'm feeling totally deflated and stressed about it all now :(
     
  14. masterdiy

    masterdiy Screwfix Select

    Dont stress just post up pics so we can advise you better.
    Make sure we can see the area of the building-roof-sidewalls
     
  15. Amanda Tweedy

    Amanda Tweedy New Member

    I've tried uploading the photos, but it's saying the files are too large. I'll try to fathom out how to reduce the resolution so they'll send. In the meantime, the company have been back in touch and spoke to the manufacturer. They've said I should put a coat on the inside as well. I didn't want to risk it before as just thought the water would sit inbetween the front and back of the panel and rot it through. I'll try that tomorrow though. Keep your fingers crossed for me folks!
     
  16. DIYDave.

    DIYDave. Screwfix Select


    Hi Amanda
    I didn’t mean put your dad in the summer house as some kind of punishment :eek:

    More a low tech way of seeing where and how the water is getting in from

    I’m guessing that the panels came pre assembled with the shiplap attached to a frame ?

    If water is getting through the individual planks, then maybe poor quality timber that has either warped and/or shrunk and now letting in water. If this is the case, the product is not fit for purpose

    I’d be amazed if the instructions stipulate that you have to seal each and every plank and panel joint with some type of sealant ? Can’t be right for a timber ‘shed’
     
    Amanda Tweedy likes this.
  17. Amanda Tweedy

    Amanda Tweedy New Member

    Ha ha, do you know what though, my dad would do it if it meant finding out where the problem lay, as he's as worked up about this as I am!
    I know it just didn't seem right for the panels to be so wet like that and lines running horizontal where the grooves are, but the company said that was normal until it was treated (even though it already had one coat on from the manufacturer). Any way, I've notified them there's an issue, got a suggestion from them and will do what they say. So then if that doesn't work, at least I've followed their instructions and then see what they say. I'm a lot more hopeful than I was this morning
     
  18. JustPhil

    JustPhil Active Member

    Sure the tongue and groove hasn’t been fitted upside down?
     
    Jord86, PhilSo and mcooper2406 like this.
  19. Astramax

    Astramax Super Member

    Confused with what the cladding is as you have mentioned Shiplap, Tongue and Groove and now Featheredge........all different types of cladding ........what is the summer house clad with? What do Homebase call it on their website, is it a Shire Summerhouse.
     
    Last edited: Mar 14, 2019
  20. Jord86

    Jord86 Screwfix Select

    I honestly thought this, though didn't think such an obvious mistake would be made :confused:
     

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