Leaking Window Vs. Child with Leukemia

[aviram]

We have a badly constructed wall that leaks water into the house when it rains.

My guess is that the tar paper was not applied correctly under the stucco, and/or around the windows.

It has been like that since we did the remodel four winters ago, and until now, we just placed plastic containers and cotton diapers on the carpet, as it does not rain hard that much around here, about three to four times a winter.

I tried caulking around the windows, and spraying a cement sealer (do not remember the name) to no avail.

What would you recommend short of tearing down the wall and rebuilding it?

My daughter is being treated for leukemia, and doctors say we cannot do any sort of construction in/near the house, on the other hand, we need to repair the leak and resolve any fungi/mold issues which might kill her now that she has highly compromised immune system due to the chemo.

are there any sealers that might work better in this situation?

is it possible to do another layer of tar paper/chicken wire/stucco on top of existing stucco? if so, how do you seal around the existing window?

whatever we do, had to be done externally, no dust, and has to be very affordable, as we are all out of money.

thanks,

-avi

[hat]

---------------------- First my sincere sympathy for your daughter. I pray that she recover soon.

Roof leaks are difficult to fix until you discover the source of the problem. I had a similar leak in my house in Tucson and, several roof contractors and a lot of expenses later, the problem persisted. All they did was to "guess" where the problem might have been and apply more goo to it, to no avail.

I finally took the matter in my own hands, climbed to the roof armed with a hose and a spray nozzle. I simulated the rain by aiming the nozzle at spots I suspected the rain water was coming from. The experiment worked when my wife shouted from inside to stop "because you are flooding the house." The repair was a much easier job once the source of leak was discovered.

I do not believe that you can get any roofer to do this experiment for you, and it will take some patience. Good luck, and my sinere wishes for your daughter.

[David Martel]

aviram,

Uh, you've had a water leak through the wall for about 4 yrs. The problem began after a "remodel". Have you spoken with the remodeler? What has he proposed? You can not remodel now due to family illness. In the interim you need to keep water (rain?) off of that wall. Tarps will probably do this but will be unsightly, block windows, and need regular replacement. Tyvek might work as well. Another solution is to send the sick child to the grandparents, or some other relative for the Summer and have the problem fixed. This won't be cheap and your failure to fix this in a timely fashion will certainly be used against you should you need to sue the remodeler.

Dave M.

[Clancy Wiggum]

Dear Aviram,

My heartfelt sympathies go out to you and your family. Where do you live? I would suggest asking for some help in the community you live in. I'm sure a local contractor sympathetic to your plight will do the work for cost, maybe even free. Please ask for help in your area. Maybe even call the news desk at a local TV station, they might be able to help - even though this may be a private thing, some news coverage may expose the contractor who did the shoddy work - and get the attention of someone willing to help.

[aviram]

Thanks, did not really occur to me to seek outside help, I am not sure if I am comfortable with the idea. I'll explore it,

thanks again,

-avi

[aviram]

remodeler is long gone, the original contractor was a "friend" of my father, who did us a "favor", at cost (which was not, I caught him...), and he disappeared half way through the job, I ended up finishing it myself as owner/builder, the stucco guys are long gone, I do not even recall who I hired...

I was thinking about tyvek, but how would I "attach" it to the windows? it needs to be somehow inserted under the windows, doesn't it?

same for any sort of paint, how would I treat the junction/boarder between the stucco and the window frame?

thanks,

-avi