strathd

I was the GC on this job 9 years ago. The vent that you see is a masonry fireplace vent. The vent faces the south and it's rare for us to get rain from the south. I think the water is pooling on the deck above it then falling through the cracks like a waterfall enabling the southern driven rain to be blown into the vent to cause this water problem.

Went to my masonry supply house today to see if they had any other type of vents that would rectify this problem, they had nothing.

I'm also thinking about fabricating an extension of some sort to project it away from the house. Or build some type of roof over it.

The HO's were the best clients I have ever had and I will make it right. I am responsible even though it was 9 years ago. Anyone have any ideas or new types of waterproof vents that are available ?

Just got my puter out of the shop today and I'm having probs posting old pics but if anyone wants to see the whole house, search "a log home that I built" in the carpentry picture post. Thanks....

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Morning Wood

Is that a fresh air supply to the fireplace? If so, seems all you would need is a vent with a hood. Have a metal shop or a roofer who is good with copper make you up proper vent.

S Winklepleck

I would think you could get a hooded vent pretty easy

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paulie

Do you think the water migrated from the vent down to the near door? Could it be a flashing problem from the ledger board? Seems like lots of water from one vent.

samccard

Looks like it is coming from behind the deck ledger board. Hard to tell without seeing it in person.

deckman22

It looks like the round log is funnelling water right back there. I vote for flashing on that ledger & a little piece of roof metal. That or have something fabricated vent wise, still the problem is the water coming thru the deck.

Btw, good job on fixing it right for your customer, 9 years later.

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Metro M & L

I saw a mock up of a deck awning system that would solve your problem. Basically it's a custom fabbed sheet metal roof that fits under the deck with gutters to funnel out all of the water. I forget what they're called at the moment.

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BCConstruction

Does the ledger have any drip flashing as it locks like there's none on the bottom.

wallmaxx

You are a GOOD man!

Integrity is priceless!!! I have been repairing similar water damage on a 12 year old tract home built by a big-time mega-builder (who just went bankrupt and tried to off himself with pills) It's not right that so many of his homes were put together so poorly.

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nEighter

so the tyvek allowed it to get BEHIND it huh? hrmms.... Jenkies! I think we have found a clue!

Seriously, if Tyvek is supposed to be a water shield then the problem is above and on the back side of it.... has to be. Otherwise the log siding would be blown out and not the OSB. I vote Ledger board and the spot is wider than the vent. Did you notice any type of water infiltration? Water spots, failed seam?

Forry

I've seen this same thing before when the Tyvek is trapped behind the ledger... pooling and then water trickling down in a few spots creating rot. Should be Z metal on top of ledger with Tyvek lapping over.

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strathd

If I remember correctly we put a L type flashing on the ledger and behind the log siding above it before the deckboard went down. I will be taking off the osb in the morning (Didn't want to leave it open overnight).

I should be able to tell where the main source of the water is coming from (hopefully). Man, I hope I don't have to dig to deep.... Lessons learned.

No z type flashing allthough that makes sense.

I'll be back.

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nEighter

check out what MAC did on his last deck

Mike(VA)

I think you're getting water intrusion behind the log siding. Most likely coming from the deck above and wicking along and under the siding, not necessarily from bad flashing. Look at the door on the left and there is staining from water above the door but not connected to the area below the vent. Also, look at the underside of the deck; the white spots look like there is an excessive amount of water hitting that part of the deck. Overflowing gutter?
Might want to use felt rather than Tyvek in this area.

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BCConstruction

This is a good diagram to show how the top and bottom flashing to be done. Notice the silicon over every bolt. I use rubber washers but does the same thing.

Birch

I think the House Wrap may be the problem. (“The Miracles of Science” ) It leads people to believe things that they shouldn’t, thus it encourages poor flashing techniques. House wraps seem to provide more curb appeal during the construction phase than any real watershed benefits. (IMO)

In the excellent detail pic of the deck above, notice that the house wrap is not broken and lapped over the Flashings. The application is solely dependent on the exterior finish veneer for the water shed. The moisture resistant barrier is not shedding over the flashings. I think the siding should have felt paper (or something similar) lapping the flashing points at every horizontal line that requires flashing.

The deck ledger, top and bottom, the vent, top and bottom, and the door and window header trim boards should all be flashed and have the moisture shield lapping these flashings. If flashing the bottom of the vent presents a problem, then put a 2x2 trim around the vent hole and step flash over the top and under the bottom trim, and install the vent over the trim and tucked under the top flashing. A little bevel, sloping out like a water table, on the bottom trim will create a drip-line edge too.

DrewD

Just my thought, break the course of log siding at the top of the vent and and have a copper vent hood angled down built. Flash and tie in with Grace I&E. With the top of the vent so far out from the siding, even flashed properly your still asking for trouble with such a large surface area. I'm not sure from the pics, but a drip edge behind the ledger board should have installed to direct drips away from the top course of the siding.

nEighter

I have a proposal I am working on right now to take all the masonite lap off the front, add some type of moisture barrier (tyvek or tar paper) right now. Seems they didn't add any in under the lap 7yrs ago when it was built. Doing ALOT of research on what to use and pros and cons on the two.. I am leaning toward tarpaper. I have always used it in the past, but from what I have read/been exposed to it is just a better solution.



http://www.inspect-ny.com/BestPracti...thing_Wrap.htm

Birch

For the benefit of the OP, I copied and pasted some additional text about the table from the site nEighter linked in his post. There is more recommended reading there. Thanks for the link nEighter, it’s a keeper.

Table of Performance Characteristics of Building Housewraps & Sheathing-Wrap Materials

Installed carefully, any of the sheathing wraps can perform well and keep water out of walls. The three main choices are traditional asphalt felt, Grade D building paper, and the newer plastic housewraps. The optimal product will depend upon the siding choice, building details, and climate.

With any sheathing wrap material, however, the key to good performance is to carefully lap the material to shed water. This job has been made easier by the introduction of a number of peel-and-stick membranes for use around windows, doors, and other trouble spots. General performance characteristics of sheathing wraps are summarized the table just below, courtesy J. Wiley & Sons, ....

reveivl

Agreed with Birch and others, there's no point in putting a barrier on the house if you then flash so that any water on the surface of the barrier winds up under the flashing.

Think like a drop of water, where are you going to go? If you have caught the water on the outside of felt, tyvek, whatever, then you need to keep lifting that drop of water away from the house at every flashing detail.

Water-proofing must be 'stepped' at every break.

I strongly suspect there is more happening here than a problem with a vent.

In the picture supplied by BCConstruction, the drip cap flashing and the Z flashing are both applied over the house wrap. Therefore they are of no use at all. Any water running down the house wrap is not lifted away from the house but is allowed to run behind the ledger and under the siding below. That method relies entirely on the integrity of the siding, any water that appears behind the siding will stay there.

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