Montage of buildings where Facade Consultants not only analyzed and diagnosed water leaks, but also successfully fixed the leaks

Window & Façade Leaks – Analyze, Diagnose and Repair

/ Building Facade, Windows / By

Unfortunately, buildings sometimes leak. Often these leaks occur around windows, ceiling lines or roof lines. It can be very difficult to determine the cause or causes of the leaks and design a cure. Sometimes the seeming impossibility of fixing the leak leads to litigation.

Warped floorboards next to sliding door indicate the sliding door is leaking.
Sometimes the water leak is not visible, but the results of the leak can be dramatic. Here the sliding door is leaking down through its sill, attacking the wood floor. Solid wood planks like these expand at the surface that absorbs water. We know water is under the floor because the edges of the planks cup upward.

We specialize in surveying, analyzing and diagnosing leaks at windows and at the building facade. We also specialize in providing expert assistance in leak-related litigation to help clarify the issues for the disputing parties.

Looking down on a leaking window facade with problem area encircled.
New construction is not immune to leaks. Here, markings map the interior window leak location. With this mapping we can then go to the outside and investigate further.

Our expertice comes from decades of experience as a contractor in new construction and rehab. Our contracting work included large-scale construction projects. During the construction process, we engineered, tested, manufactured, installed and tested again to make sure our window and facade products were leak free.

Workers using boomlift to inspect building facade
Large buildings present additional challenges when diagnosing facade leaks. We need to go up and inspect the exterior, sometimes very high up. Here we use a boom lift to investigate, test and repair a window leak problem,

Now, as a consulting firm, we analyze, diagnose, test and even repair window and facade leaks. Facade Consultants has a repair team that fixes leaky buildings. We have successfully performed over one hundred jobs.

Workman caulking a window
Technician performing a skilled leak repair using silicone sealant

Here’s how we analyze and develop repair programs for leaking windows and building envelope:
1. Document all current leak complaints. This includes visiting each leak location and speaking with the occupant about their experience with the leaks. If needed, we use a moisture meter or infrared camera.
2. Once the scope and appearance of the leaks is understood, we map the problems to the exterior building elevations.

Using an infrared camera to find moisture in a wall
Mapping is a term we use for graphically identifying a leak location. This process is fundamental and greatly helps pursue next steps. Here we map a leak in an interior wall using an infrared camera and tape markings on the wall

3. Then we perform an exterior inspection of the building facade. Our equipment may involve ladders, scaffolding, swing stage, boom lift or bosun chair.
4. For outside inspections, we have been highly effective using a bosun chair, otherwise known as rope access. Using this simple rig, we inspect and photograph the exterior of the building envelope, even if it is very high up. This can be a very economical choice. Few companies have this capability.

Workman hanging outside a building from a bosun chair
A bosun chair is a one-person device that allows the worker to rappel down the side of the building and quickly inspect. This is very useful and economical. Depending upon the nature and extent of the problem, the worker may also be able to repair the problem

5. From the information collected, we develop a plan. This plan becomes a prescription for the facade repair.
6. If the problem is obvious, such as failed caulk or missing mortar, solution might be obvious such as fixing the failed or leaking building component in a reasonable scope area.
7. For larger jobs, we develop bid documents for contractors to bid on.

Cover of a bid document inviting contractors to bid on a window sealant project
Repair document produced by Facade Consultants. This is used for the solicitation of bids, supervision of repair work in progress, and as a record for building management

8. For smaller jobs, we offer to fix the problem ourselves, saving the client money since we are already mobilized.
9. We use various types of water testing to assist in diagnosing window and facade leaks, either during the process of prescribing the leak repair or after work is done to ensure that the leak has stopped.

Why is it difficult to find window and facade leaks?
The most important thing to understand is that in many cases, what you see is not what is leaking. The outside surface of the wall may just be the layer where water enters the wall. However, that surface may not be the layer where the water is stopped and drained to the exterior. The drainage plane is often hidden and buried within the wall structure.

Layers of building components including rainscreen and weather barrier
It’s not easy to know how a wall is leaking because the layer that seals against water intrusion (the weather barrier) is buried within the wall. Walls are made of multiple components such as windows, masonry, water barrier, sheathing, studs, flashings, copings and roofing material. Leaks often occur where components come together.

We draw upon our decades of experience with construction, knowing how buildings are built. Because of this we can often imagine what is inside the wall from inference. We don’t always need to cut open the wall and look inside, although sometimes that is needed.

A small sampling of projects where Facade Consultants not only consulted on the leak problem, but also went on to fix the leaks:

1420 Sheridan Road Condominium Corporation, Wilmette, IL
1620 S. Michigan Avenue Apartments, Chicago, Forth Group
1634 N. Wolcott, Chicago
1800 Ridge Avenue, Evanston, IL. Kass Management
1907 N. Halsted, Chicago
2144 N. Lincoln Park West, Chicago. Kass Management
4420 N. Clark, Chicago, Cagan Management Group, Inc.
5 Palms Condos, Boca Raton, FL
678 N. Kingsbury, Chicago. LG Construction Group
Fifth Avenue Place, Boca Raton, FL
Fulton House Condominium Association,  Chicago
Lufthansa Commercial Cargo, Chicago O’Hare International Airport, Chicago
Magnolia/Lawrence Condominiums, Chicago, Cagan Management Group, Inc.
Michigan Indiana Condominium Association, Chicago
Morton House Condominium Association, Morton Grove, IL
Tipping Residence, Chicago
Vue 20, 1845 S. Michigan, Chicago. Forth Group
Wheeler House Senior Residence, Chicago

Montage of buildings where Facade Consultants not only analyzed and diagnosed water leaks, but also successfully fixed the leaks

A small sampling of projects where Facade Consultants was initially engaged to analyze, diagnose and prescribe for water leaks. Then we were hired to perform the needed leak repair work.