have a look at the rows of tiles above the velux window. If any are cracked, replace the tile.
One of our tiles cracked. So the rain water got through the crack and then into the velux window and then into the dining room.
Replacing the cracked tile sorted it out.
You are aware that you can lift the casement completely out of the frame, working from the inside, then turn it so that you can lower it into the room. Depends how big the casement is of course, they are fairly heavy. On each hinge plate (the part screwed to the frame) there's one posi head screw, which when loosened off allows the tounge on the window part of the hinge to slide out from the fixed housing. I always tie a bit of rope around the window casement and the other end to something solid inside the room, just in case of a mishap when removing or refitting!
Yeah, but I wouldn't want to attempt to do anything like that on my own in-case I couldn't get it back in or accidentally send it soaring off the roof and onto my car below :D Certainly not until we're unlikely to get any bad weather anyway. To be honest, given my lack of DIY skills I just want to do something that'll tide me over until the spring where I can find a company who'll come and fix it properly.
After the first mishap, I can remember always tying a bit of string to a spring when servicing the back brakes on a Mk3 Cortina to prevent said spring from disappearing into the distance when extended fully it slipped from the jaw of long nose pliers :)
It looks like the overhanging outer metal frame of the casement covers the lower screws, but if this is a Velux, does the casement hinge and rotate about its mid point ?. If so does anything cover those two top screws when the window is closed ?.
If not, then those screws and the metal 'tab' that is bent over just below them are points of weakness.
I would search the internet and locate the manufacturers full installation instructions and see how it was meant to be done.
An external photo of the whole window taken from the outside with the window closed would help, but unless you can take the glass out or borrow a drone then this is tricky.
Ah a BIG pingfuckit
I'm pretty sure nothing covers them. The attic room has two Velux windows and luckily the side that's leaking on the one faces the other one so I just leaned out of it to try and get the best shot of the leaking window closed and it looks like this:
This video looks like it could be the Velux installation instructions for your window, *excpet* the lower screws are not shown. Did the builder add his own or use two screws that were intended to secure the hood ?.
If this the case you are stuffed. The only solution is to wait for dry weather and put a big glob of black neutral cure silicon over the heads of all exposed screws that are holding the side and hood flashing into position.
Also, note that the correct installation should have incorporated a water deflector, (6:48) set at a slight downwards slope about 20 cm above the top of the window frame to deflect any water that gets under the files and runs down the underfelt. If this is missing and rain water is blown *under* the tiles then this might be why you get water inside sometimes.
You can remove the entire sash according to those videos by depressing a button near the hinge and stand on a chair and push back the tiles above the window to check for the presence of this rain deflector.
That's excellent, thanks! I think the second one is my window because the model number (according to the plate that's on the underside of the window) says GGLC04. It looks to me like the screws are meant to be there, though, because there's actual recesses in the plate for the screws to go into. It doesn't look like the plate's been drilled through. Regardless, I might just try and wait for the weather to dry out and then seal the screw heads anyway. I'm not going to know if it is that until I at least try it.
As your original posts show the loose screws means that the metal bits are not fixed tightly to the wood frame underneath so just covering the screw heads now is not going to stop water getting in anywhere along the length of of that frame. Originally water may have entered via the screw head because of a bad initial assembly but now you may have a secondary problem now that the screws can no longer grip into the wood.
Yeah, that's a good point. I'm probably going to have to use one of your inital solutions with the rotten wood hardener too. At least if I do that and then seal the screw heads and water is still coming in then I'll know that it was a red herring all along.
Yeah, I will. They might even be able to point towards a local company who will actually be willing to repair it.
Have something to add? Share your thoughts — no account required.
Ask the community — no account required