Question: Robert, good morning. I just remembered something so important and now I feel like I’m under a lot of pressure. During the last rains we had, I noticed a very small amount of water on my windowsill. It was a busy time, it was at the end of the rains, and I completely forgot about it until now.
How do I figure out where the leak is coming from? Looking on the outside, I suspect it may be where our patio cover attaches to the house, but how can I be sure?
— Jacob Z.
Answer: Jacob, you’ll need a water hose, two people and in some cases, a lot of patience: One person inside and one outside with the hose, and the ability to communicate with one another.
Run the water beginning with the area at the height of the leak, against the house. The person on the inside is looking for any leak activity on the inside. Maintain this same area for several minutes, before moving up a foot or so. Continue this process until a particular area creates the leak on the inside.
If you have an old patio cover it could likely be the source, but I’ve seen things like a roof peak be the source in a situation like this. The penetration area isn’t necessarily right near the place where the water appears. Water takes the path of least resistance, so this is why it’s a game of patience.
If you cannot get the leak to manifest, you may need to call in a professional team to do the work. Sometimes drywall needs to be opened on the inside, to detect the source. This of course, creates situations where drywall repairs/painting need to be done following, but it is often impossible to pinpoint the source without doing so. Best of luck.
Robert Lamoureux has more than 40 years of experience as a general contractor, with separate licenses in electrical and plumbing contracting. He owns IMS Construction Inc. in Valencia. His opinions are his own, not necessarily those of The Signal. Opinions expressed in this column are not meant to replace the recommendations of a qualified contractor after that contractor has made a thorough visual inspection. Email questions to Robert at [email protected].
