Solarium, Sunroom & Skylight Repair

The Ellsworth neighborhood in East Vancouver, somewhat near the Hwy. 14 to I-205 interchange.

A very small aluminum-framed solarium-type window assembly tucked into the roofline on the back of the house.

This window assembly was manufactured to hold 1″ overall insulated glass which, as for anyone in the industry would likely know, “dates” the window-structure as being NOT all that old, as compared to many residential aluminum window assemblies these days.

With all the heavy evergreen cover around this house, it’s actually (in our opinion) a smart little architectural accent of light for what would otherwise no doubt be a fairly dark bathroom.

The problem: Water damage showing up at the interior, as evidenced by the discolored drywall. Don’t forget that you can “ENLARGE” these photos a little by clicking on them.

The solution, step one: Remove the drywall to allow inspection of the structural wall components to ascertain the extent of the damage,…

…while also allowing us opportunity to potentially discern the water’s point of entry.

Structural water leaks tend to carry an air of mystique among certain folks, but the fundamental principles are as elemental as anything could possibly be in construction.

Decomposition of some exterior materials due to a lack of maintenance aside, the vast majority of the water-leak problems we encounter are related to improper flashing technique applied during initial installation of the window and/or construction of the structure.

The solution, step two: This leak was resolved by means of the creative application of some augmentational after-market flashing materials between the roofing and the assembly, while also overlapping the original window frame for a measure of insurance.