Defect / Water Leak Remediation

I like these types of duplexes. I like the dissimilarities and the creativeness that the dissimilarities require.

However, our client doesn’t particularly like the water that is showing up at the top of her ground-floor window.

The tell-tale signs of water getting in the wall above, as seen from the interior top of the vinyl window where the drywall surrounds it.

Up at the 2nd story window above it, we remove the bottom exterior trim board, and what do you know…the flashing membrane is overlapping that which is above.

Not only that…but for some reason, the bottom nailing-fin has been cut extremely short. I’m not certain you can make that out with these relatively small photos, but I’m not certain I’ve ever seen that.

With this photo, you should be able to make out how the water followed the metal strap down to the horizontal seam in the pressboard…

…sheathing, and then migrating to the right along that seam before continuing its journey down to the top of the lower window.

There were also large lapses in the laying of the felt moisture-barrier, including places where there simply was none. So the decision…

…was made with our client to remove all the siding up to the top of the upper window, the damaged sheathing was replaced, new moisture…

…barrier installed and then the new Hardiplank siding was installed as needed. Hardiplank siding almost always breaks when removed.