# Leak Around Sliding glass door



## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

I see a bunch of issues, main one's being is the deck was built level with the threshold (huge building 101 mistake) second one being there's no sill pan under the door that would have prevented that damage.
http://jamsill.com
Other issues are siding is never caulking at the end of the run like that!
The house wrap and window and door tape behind the siding is all that's needed.
Decking should never run under the J molding like that, it's forming a funnel to direct water to the sheathing.
My guess is if you pull that siding off at the bottom your going to find more rot and mold.
All caulking did was form a dam holding in the water.


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## wvphysics (Jan 2, 2010)

So at this point what would be a practical solution to fix it?

Also, if you are correct, I am wondering why only the one side is leaking and not the other.


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

I agree wit Joe, new codes want the deck lower and windows a installed with a path for water to drain out from around the window at the bottom.

Behind the siding there should be a flashing down under the decking to protect the ledger for the deck, should be able to see a little of that from below. 

The door will have to be pulled to do the repairs to the floor, some changes to the deck framing might be needed to allow for proper installation of the door.
Can you post pictures from below the deck under the siding and under the door.

If the floor structure is visible from below can you see damage there. Any wet lumber there can be inspected with a screw driver for rot by just poking at it and compare that with good lumber near by.


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## wvphysics (Jan 2, 2010)

I will try to get a few more pictures when I get home from work this evening.


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

At least 5 times a year I used to have to deal with this issue that could have been prevented for about $50.00 and it cost the end owner $1000.00's.
I agree, door needs to come out, siding needs to come off, baseboard needs to come out at a minimum.
With decks built like that I have seen mold 2' up the wall, floor joist rotted out, rim joist also rotted out.
Main reason why I build all my single story decks free standing so there's none of these issues.


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## wvphysics (Jan 2, 2010)

Here is another pic from the front and what it looks like down underneath. Looking at the stain pattern it looks like the water is coming in at the the trim. You mentioned something about the j channel. Could the j channel be catching water and flowing it towards the door until it hits the trim and then soaks in. 
Obviously the ideal solution would be as you said to remove stuff and put in the flashing and such. Until such time that o can do that or get the money to get that done, is there anything I can do in the meantime to mitigate. Is there something I can do to the j channel? Or maybe cut the decking boards back a little so any water just drops down rather than flows back against the wall?

Also, I don’t know if it changes anything but I believe it is a replacement door. It’s definalty not original as the House was bout in the 70s


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## wvphysics (Jan 2, 2010)

Forgot to attach pics.


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

Second picture shows they also skipped the ledger flashing, another big building 101 mistake.
https://www.familyhandyman.com/decks/flashing-a-deck-ledger-board-on-vinyl-siding/view-all/


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## wvphysics (Jan 2, 2010)

I found this last night. Does this image look about right for what flashing is supposed to be there. I did realize after seeing this that I didn’t see anything like that underneath. 

What was you said about the j channel being directly on the decking? How is the j channel supposed to be?

Btw thanks for helping me out, I haven’t down any decking or sliding glass door work before and like to learn how things are supposed to be done right.


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

The J mold is fine there if the wall had of been waterproofed like in that picture.
Yours is not done that way, if it was the wall would not be leaking.
See that coil stock covering the brick mold trim on the outside?
I bend mine so it extends over behind the siding about 4" for a far better wind and water seal.


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

With a zipper tool you can open the siding and peel it back to inspect the sheeting behind it.
In order to put the ledger flashing in the top goes behind the house wrap and the bottom goes under the deck boards.

To install the flashing under the decking. Cut the decking at 6" from the house in a straight line. Add 2x4 treated blocks between the joist to support the new ends of the decking. Flashing can be galvanized, or vinyl never use aluminum with treated wood.


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

Galvanized can not be used in direct contact with pressure treated lumber!
New pressure treated lumber is treated with copper and the flashing will be destroyed in no time.


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## XSleeper (Sep 23, 2007)

You can separate the flashing with window tape, tyvek or felt paper. Besides the ledger flashing, you could even have an issue on top of the door with the way the vinyl siding was done. (Just guessing- no pics) Water could be leaking in, can won't show up until it hits the floor and comes in.


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

joecaption said:


> Galvanized can not be used in direct contact with pressure treated lumber!
> New pressure treated lumber is treated with copper and the flashing will be destroyed in no time.


Joe; You have that wrong, it is aluminum that gets eaten by the copper.
Post buckets and hangers and hanger nails are all galvanized.
http://www.deckmagazine.com/products/materials-hardware/beyond-aluminum-flashing_o


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

Can I use galvanized nails with pressure treated wood?


The manufacturers of ACQ, CA, ACZA and CCA and the *treated wood* industry are all recommending hot-dipped *galvanized nails* and stainless steel *nails* and screws with their *treated wood* products. Furthermore, they specify that the fasteners meet the ASTM A-153 specification for hot-dipped galvanizing.



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## wvphysics (Jan 2, 2010)

I’ve considered the possibility of a leak higher up. Either way At the very least I definitely need to put in the flashing so I’ll look and see if it any damage indicates it’s been coming from up top. I have a zipper tool to pull back the siding. I hadn’t shown it in the pics but the good news is the door just below the roof and I have a soffit that sticks out pretty far so typically even in torrential down pours the 8-12” against the wall is usually dry. I’ve only noticed the spot inside be damp once since January so I think it’s only getting wet when the wind really blows, which it was the night before I noticed the wood was damp. I’ve already learned a good bit of how this should have been installed and am starting to get a plan of how to tackle this. Thanks.


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

wvphysics said:


> I’ve considered the possibility of a leak higher up. Either way At the very least I definitely need to put in the flashing so I’ll look and see if it any damage indicates it’s been coming from up top. I have a zipper tool to pull back the siding. I hadn’t shown it in the pics but the good news is the door just below the roof and I have a soffit that sticks out pretty far so typically even in torrential down pours the 8-12” against the wall is usually dry. I’ve only noticed the spot inside be damp once since January so I think it’s only getting wet when the wind really blows, which it was the night before I noticed the wood was damp. I’ve already learned a good bit of how this should have been installed and am starting to get a plan of how to tackle this. Thanks.


 You have cold weather condensation with nowhere to go. You have wood to wood contacts from out side to inside causing weeping from cool to warm, You have water against the door falling in the track with nowhere to go. you have leaks anywhere around the window.

All of these problems are stopped with proper installation and you have a few issues in order to get a proper installation but your first step is to repair the floor and look at the interior of the wall. 

You have to consider how to get flashing behind the house wrap and under the decking, under the window and under the deck.


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## kwikfishron (Mar 11, 2010)

wvphysics said:


> I’ve considered the possibility of a leak higher up.


And that may very well be...BUT... I'd say in addition too to the problems that I know without a doubt that you have at the deck level (been there to many times). 

You've got some good advice here so far.

If 'your problem' was 'my job' I'd remove all of the siding from the deck to above the slider. That one step would tell me everything I need to know on how to proceed.

The same guy that screwed up the flashing details at the deck level probably missed the mark on other important details in relationship to the door/siding install so I'm opening up the entire area if you want 'me' to 'guarantee' no more leaks.


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