# Exterior Door leaks at bottom corner of sidelight



## MTW (Aug 17, 2012)

Hello - I am not sure this is the right place to post. I have attached pictures for your reference. I have an exterior door with 2 sidelights. I have been battling a small leak off and on for several years. If we get a hard wind-driven rain, the door will leak in the bottom left corner of the unit (not at the opening of door itself but under the sidelight between the frame of the house and the floor). The frame of the house gets damp as well as 2 wood pieces underneath the door unit. It does not leak enough to drip into the sill pan. 

2 people have looked at the door and cannot find a reason why it leaks. It has been caulked more times than I can tell you and one of the guys said the flashing was fine. It has had new weatherstripping, new sweep, I have adjusted the threshold, messed with the hinges and strikeplate. 

It does not leak enough to go underneath to the basement, but I am concerned over time that the wood getting damp will lead to rot. Any ideas would be appreciated! We have thought about getting a storm door, but I want to know if you all think that would solve the problem. Or, if the problem is higher up. The door has no cover and regularly gets sun and rain.

Thanks for the help!


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

By sill pan do you mean one like this?
http://jamsill.com/

Can you open the door so we can see a picture of what type threshold you have?
Also a close up of where the bottom of the aluminum threshold sits on the brick.

One thing I've done where those side lights are is to add a piece of vinyl cove moulding set in a bed of caulking to help devert the water away from the the bottom of the panel.


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## MTW (Aug 17, 2012)

Thanks for taking a look. My terminology on doors is limited at best. The pan I am referring to is under the door and spans the entire unit. It doesn't look like the one you posted. It looks like a thin, long rectangle about 1/2 inch deep.

Here are some more pictures. See if that helps. I am more than happy to send other ones. Thanks again for looking!


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

That's the threshold, not a sill pan.
Without a real sill pan under that door every place water leaks in will end up hitting the subfloor and rot it out.
All the sealing should have been done under the threshold and up the sides not all over the outside of the threshold.

Not sure who did that caulking job but it's a mess. The way it was applyed it will just funnel water in not keep it out. 

Should have been applyed and tooled so it made a curve, not just blobed on and left to dry.


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## MTW (Aug 17, 2012)

Sorry for the confusion. I took a picture of the threshold and posted it. I did not take a picture of the pan underneath the door. There definitely is one underneath. No water is getting to the sub floor. Hope that clarifies.

As for the caulking, I assume it needs to be taken out and done again? So, there should only be caulking around the door and where the threshold meets the brick? What type of caulk would you recommend? 

In your opinion, do you think the water is coming in because of the crappy caulk job or another reason? Ultimately, my goal is to stop the water from coming in. In my case, doesn't sound like a storm door would help? 

Thanks again for your thoughts.


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## hand drive (Apr 21, 2012)

have you looked above the door where brick meets wood etc... sometimes the leak travels


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## kwikfishron (Mar 11, 2010)

Pretty simple to troubleshoot the leak with a hose test.


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## Hammer450R (Aug 17, 2012)

Sometimes the house settles on the door and starts to back slope the threshold of the door...check that first..especially around the 2 end jambs and also at the center post.


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## Hammer450R (Aug 17, 2012)

Open the door and take a pic of the bottom corner of the hinge side.


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## tony.g (Apr 15, 2012)

......
http://www.sand-bags.co.uk/?gclid=CK7tgZ2v77ECFUQPfAodzQIAew


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## MTW (Aug 17, 2012)

Sorry I haven't responded sooner. I had some one look at installing a storm door to perhaps fix my problem. But, apparently there is not much to attach it to. Back to square one. I have tried the "hose" test and was able to recreate the leak. I sprayed the hose in the bottom corner where the door meets the lock side (sorry I don't know terminilogy). The leak appeared in the bottom of the sidelight. I have replaced the weather stripping and recaulked. Still nothing. Still leaks. It is beyond annoying.

Someone mentioned the threshold starts to "back slope" if the house settled. I'm not exactly sure what that means. Could I get some clarification? 

Thanks again for all of your thoughts.


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## Windows on Wash (Aug 30, 2011)

Theoretically you can build out the jamb and still hang it but that is a decent bit of work.

They also make special frames that are inside mounts as well.

They can be done.


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## MTW (Aug 17, 2012)

Hmmm...thanks for your thoughts on the storm door. What company would make the "inside mount" type storm doors? I was originally looking at Provia.


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## Windows on Wash (Aug 30, 2011)

Look at HMI doors.


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