New corner summer house leaking.

Discussion in 'Carpenters' Talk' started by vick333, Oct 5, 2022.

  1. vick333

    vick333 New Member

    My new corner summer house is leaking like a sieve! The water is coming in from the joints and between the tongue and groove slats on all sides. I had this pressure treated when I bought it and also gave it two coats of good wood preserver once it was up. I bought an eco base from the company at the same time for it to sit on. I have sent photos to the company and they say that it should have been put 2 ft away from the fence , which it isn't. I would have thought that a 6ft fence would have given it protection rather than being a negative, but anyway it's leaking at the front/sides too and that has no obstruction to the front and sides. I can see no water marks on the outside, it seems to be all inside depending on which way the rain is coming from. The company I bought it from are taking no responsibility as they say it should be 2ft from the fence. The installer said that he did notice minimal gaps when he put the structure up, and sealed what he could see with silicon. Please can anyone help & advise? Thank you. Vicky
     

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  2. Jord86

    Jord86 Screwfix Select

    There’s no gutters and very little overhang on the roof, it’s a bad sign to start with. Is the installer part of the company you bought it from?
     
  3. vick333

    vick333 New Member

    No the installer isn't from the company I bought it from.
     
  4. Notnowvicar

    Notnowvicar Screwfix Select

    Unfortunately i don't think you are going to get very far with the manufacture...these type of kits need to be finished by the purchaser...pressure treated wood does not mean it won't leak, just that it will take longer to rot.

    The main issue is that water is running off the roof and down the walls until it finds its way in, so get a gutter and downpipe fitted to get water away from the walls, seal the roof barge board on the front face and two flanks so that water moves to the lowest point and into the gutter. You need to seal the outside and paint it with something to keep the water out, that green paint looks nice but won't seal jack, yacht varnish keeps the water out on boats so..... The windows need a bead of silicon at the very least . I would move the stones away from the base to allow air flow under it, use a board so there is an least a 3 inch between the stones and the base.
     
  5. Astramax

    Astramax Super Member

    No, it was a mate of a mate's mate.:confused:
     
  6. vick333

    vick333 New Member

    Thank you so much for this information, it's very helpful and I will get all this done as I don't think the manufacturers will help at all. Thanks again, Vicky
     
  7. vick333

    vick333 New Member

    It was a trusted DIY man who has done several very good jobs for us, that's why we had him. He said at the time that the felt roof was the thinnest felt you could get, so I just think the whole thing is of poor standard. I will have to chalk it up to experience and just get it fixed. Thanks to everyone for their help, Vicky
     
  8. Astramax

    Astramax Super Member

    As @Jord86 has suggested start with the roof and work down, gutters will help to divert the water away and not run down the timber, did the DIY guy seal the frames with silicon or mastic where the frames butt together.
     
  9. vick333

    vick333 New Member

    I really don't know but he did silicon round the windows. I have been in touch with him and sent him all the replies that I have had from this site. He is coming to discuss how to move forward. Thank you for your reply, Vicky
     
  10. Rosso

    Rosso Screwfix Select

    Not wishing to be contentious but yachts aren't built of tongue and groove. Both carvel built and lapstrake (clinker built) hulls have loads of oakum hammered in to every joint, then tarred. Plywood hulls have a ton of filler or resin coating the whole thing, then anti-fouling. Yacht paint is mostly for the upperworks , but such structures are already built to be weathertight and stormproof.
    In this instance, the summerhouse, if the planks don't actually meet, no paint is going to keep the weather out.
     
    Astramax likes this.
  11. Notnowvicar

    Notnowvicar Screwfix Select

    Oh dear...did I say boats are built out of TandG no ...resin varnish does fill up minor holes...yacht paint might not....thats why i said use a varnish...
     
  12. Truckcab79

    Truckcab79 Screwfix Select

    Unfortunately this will cost some money to sort and it’s no fault of your installer. Main issue is the roof as Jord86 pointed out. But you need to extend it rather than simply add guttering, otherwise it’ll just pass down the back. Guttering needs an overhang. Better picture of roof would help but I think you need to overboard and add some width to it to get it away from the walls. Personally I’d add a roof of onduline or similar. Then once you have an overhang you can add your guttering in addition.

    The rest of the build is in no way appropriate for a warm, waterproof structure but it depends how far you want to go. I’d weigh up the cost of the remedial work against a new building if I were you. Long term it’s the better solution, though they don’t come cheap.
     

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