Background
When there were a couple of serious storms in December 2015 and January 2016 that produced a lot of driving rain we discovered that water had come into one of the windows around the dining table area. From examining the area the water had overflowed the internal gutter and run down onto the wall below. The water should not have over flowed the gutter, it should have drained exited the caravan via the drain holes.
After some investigation which was both helped and hindered on the day i did it, as it was raining, i discovered that the water was not getting in via the window seals but via a failed bond between the window and the frame. The water should not have been getting in and if it did it should have drained from the internal gutter. Unfortunately when i examined the drain holes and covers i discovered that the strong winds had blocked the exit holes with debris so the water was trapped in side. It then overflowed the gutter and dripped down onto the wall and back panel of the chairs below. Fortunately the seat cushions and backrests are always removed and stacked on the table to cover for just such situations. It was not a lot of water that got in but because it landed on an absorbent material such as fibreboard the damage looked a lot worse that it actually was.
After some investigation which was both helped and hindered on the day i did it, as it was raining, i discovered that the water was not getting in via the window seals but via a failed bond between the window and the frame. The water should not have been getting in and if it did it should have drained from the internal gutter. Unfortunately when i examined the drain holes and covers i discovered that the strong winds had blocked the exit holes with debris so the water was trapped in side. It then overflowed the gutter and dripped down onto the wall and back panel of the chairs below. Fortunately the seat cushions and backrests are always removed and stacked on the table to cover for just such situations. It was not a lot of water that got in but because it landed on an absorbent material such as fibreboard the damage looked a lot worse that it actually was.
The backrest panel was removed from the wall together with the corner panels to inspect the walls for damage. The plastic window trims were also removed so that the window frame mounting could be inspected for leaks and damage. Encouragingly there were no signs of leaks around the window and there was no damage to the walls.
This picture was taken on a rainy day in December 2015, one of many when i was trying to find the source of the leak. I was able to observe water running from the top right hand corner of the window on the inside. It ran down into the internal gutter intended to handle any condensation but instead it gathered there rather than draining away.
This external drain vent should have allowed any condensation or water from the internal gutter to drain out. When i removed it i found it was partially blocked which explained why the water could not easily drain out. The manufacturer also states that in string wind conditions it is possible for water to be blown back into the caravan. The drain cover was removed and cleared then reattached. The drain at the other end of the window was also checked.
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Here the damage to the seat backrest can be seen. The grey material is a breathable flexible fibre board, very similar in consistency to very thick cardboard. The tide mark of the water can clearly be seen. When the problem was discovered the material was damp rather than soaked. The panel was removed from the wall and be left until Spring to allow it to dry out fully. There was a small amount of water damage to the base of the seat but it was purely cosmetic.
I found the source of the leak was at the top right hand corner of the window. Water was somehow getting into the frame and running down the inside of the window. This picture shows where temporary sealant/adhesive has been applied to the top right hand corner of the window. I was able to apply this and get it dry/set enough between heavy rain showers.
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The source of the problem.....
The source of the leak was found to be in the construction of the window. The frame serves two purposes:
1. The mount the glass pane securely.
2. To provide drainage channels for water to prevent water running down the glass entering the caravan.
The glass pane is bonded to the internal part of the frame. Four pieces of beading then hold rubber seals against the window and also hide the glass/frame bonding. There are holes drilled into the frame including at the top to allow water to enter, run down the channels and exit via the drain holes. Unfortunately the glass to frame bonding had failed at the top right(viewed from inside) of the frame. There is a drain hole directly above where water drains from the top of the frame. The water was able to get through the very small gap and enter the caravan. By applying sealant/adhesive on the inside i was able to temporarily seal the very small gap. In the longer term the beading will have to be removed, the glass pane removed, old bonding removed and the window re-bonded to the frame as it is likely that over time the current bonding will fail again around the area that has already failed.
The source of the leak was found to be in the construction of the window. The frame serves two purposes:
1. The mount the glass pane securely.
2. To provide drainage channels for water to prevent water running down the glass entering the caravan.
The glass pane is bonded to the internal part of the frame. Four pieces of beading then hold rubber seals against the window and also hide the glass/frame bonding. There are holes drilled into the frame including at the top to allow water to enter, run down the channels and exit via the drain holes. Unfortunately the glass to frame bonding had failed at the top right(viewed from inside) of the frame. There is a drain hole directly above where water drains from the top of the frame. The water was able to get through the very small gap and enter the caravan. By applying sealant/adhesive on the inside i was able to temporarily seal the very small gap. In the longer term the beading will have to be removed, the glass pane removed, old bonding removed and the window re-bonded to the frame as it is likely that over time the current bonding will fail again around the area that has already failed.