12 Foot Bow Window Leaking

jkfox624

Installed a 12 foot bow window yesterday thought it went rather well. Aluminum siding patched back in like it was never off looked really nice when we were done. Had to remove soffit and fascia board because it was so close to soffit we could get the cable brackets mounted where they needed to be. noticed when taking aluminum fascia off that the drip edge didnt cover it but didnt really think twice about. Well we got like 3 inches of rain in an hour this morning and of course it leaked like mad on top of window. Went up cut a strpi of aluminum to tuck under the drip edge and extend over the gutter. Sprayed the hose before and water just came pouring out of soffit, did it again after and had one little spot where there was a slight drip but im thinking that might have just been water trapped from before coming out of the curl on bottom of fascia. Owner is balking now saying hes not paying for 30 days to make sure it doesnt leak. I showed him the problem, showed him the before and after effect of the strip i put on but hes not buying that the problem existed before, it just showed up becuase a window is now under this soffit.

Does it seem im right here? the window was like inch and a half from the soffit installed and 1 inch back from the face of the fascia. We bent aluminum to cover the gap and attached it to the soffit, theres no possible way water was blowing in, it was somehow leaking into soffit and getting on the window and running back IMO.

Tom Struble

thats the problem with projecting bays,they are the first place afected by gutter back up and ice dams,the real test will come during ice dam season

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Tom

CookeCarpentry

I don't think the h/o is questioning whether you are right or wrong. Your install leaked, you (hopefully) fixed it, and he wants to wait 30 days to see if it leaks again before he pays. Seems fair to me. You should have already been paid for the window, since it was special order, and any other materials, so worst-case-scenario you are out a day's labor for a month...

The other issue you have here, is this "piece" of aluminum that in theory extends the drip edge. This, in my opinion, seems to be a temporary fix, and the permanent solution probably involves removing the gutter, part of the fascia/soffit, etc., making sure everything is flashed properly, if not, flash it properly, re-install gutter with a new drip edge, not a piece extending it.

jkfox624

I guess my point was this leak was present before the window was installed, when i removed a piece of soffit it had water on top but i honestly didnt give it a second thought. The piece of aluminum was more of a temporary show that thats the problem and deflect water off drip edge and into the gutter more so than a permanent fix.

CookeCarpentry

I'm not doubting that the leak was there prior. Your problem (or solution?) now is selling that idea (and the subsequent repair) to the customer.

Tom Struble

tuff call but you should have seen that you had an existing condition that need attention,you should have made the h/o aware and taken steps to keep your installation from leaking,like the last poster said you should have most of your money up front

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Leo G

Depends on how much he is holding back. If you did the job with no downpayment and he is holding all your labor money that is wron. I can see him holding the last 10-15% as a retainer to make surte it doesn't leak. What does your contract about warranty work?

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Tinstaafl

Agreed. If for whatever reason you didn't get most of the money up front, or get a substantial part of it yesterday, you might be able to plead hardship and get some of it from him. But it's not unreasonable at all for him to want proof that the faulty installation (yes, it was) has been corrected before paying in full.

On the bright side, you won't have to wait long for more rain, the way weather has been going this year.

jkfox624

For the sake of productive discussion i will admit i should have caught the improper drip edge to fascia transition. I just want to know i guess whether the rest of my install seemed appropriate. We installed 1.5 rigid foam insulation top and bottom, capped insulation with 3/8 plywood on bottom and covered with coil stock. Flashed around outside then caulked j channel to window edge. I just hate when something i do fails. Thats more the issue for me then the money. And i guess thats half the reason im here, ive lurked for awhile but im always looking for a advice on how to provide the best possible job i can while doin it as efficiently as possible. I just feel the installation of the window was appropriate i just didnt catch the other problem that lead to a failure of the window.

Tinstaafl

Understood, and with only a verbal description it sounds reasonably par for the course. But still, the bottom line is that a properly installed window isn't going to leak. That's why the inexperienced HO hires a pro, to make sure it gets done right. It's up to the pro to catch and correct anything that might make the end result less than satisfactory.

Sorry, but if you've been here a while, you know that not too many punches get pulled around here. Mostly because we've all been there, done that.

jkfox624

Haha yeah he was gonna attempt this himself, he installed an entry door with sidelights flanking it. When i got there he said hey got another job for you my door wont open. He swore up and down it was lvl it was off 3/8 on 3 feet across the top. He had the adjustable threshold screws all stripped, i about needed a battering ram to get the damn door open.

genecarp

Jfox, On a quick glance it looks like your basic install was ok, that being said an install like a bay has unique conditions each and every time so it is hard to say for sure if you dotted every I. Why are you curious about aspects of the install beyond your current problem? Like others have said, this will be a lessoned learned, you will not make this mistake again. At this point it is all about customer relations, but you have an uphill battle here unless you have a very reasonable and understanding client.G

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B.K

I can relate to the situation.

A few years ago, we installed an aluminum window. Blue-skinned flashed and did all the proper procedure (we thought) to make the window water tight.

2 Days after leaving the job, i get a call. Its leaking, not like a sieve but enough to be noticeable. We go back in, look at everything it seems to be great, go outside take some siding off, looks great.

Only thing left to do, is take out the window, so we do. What we find actually made us a laugh a little.

There was a tear in the blue-skin, from a knife, when we did the corner, the knife got away and punctured a hole, and this whole was only maybe a 1/4" long and the width of a standard olfa blade. We patched that minor area, put everything back together, never leaked again.

If there is a way for water to get in, it'll will find it!

-Bill

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