I am decorating inside a weather exposed Yorkshire cottage.
Horizontal rain and snow today .. nice view though :-)

The windows are wooden frames and rain is driving thru past the
cracked cement on the outside and wetting the plasterboard.

If I remove the cement, would it be a good idea to squeeze some of the
exterior mastic stuff (brown) between the frame and the stone wall and
then finish off with cement again ?

Mike P

On Thu, 31 Jan 2008 20:27:55 +0000, Mike P wrote:

I am decorating inside a weather exposed Yorkshire cottage. Horizontal
rain and snow today .. nice view though :-)

The windows are wooden frames and rain is driving thru past the cracked
cement on the outside and wetting the plasterboard.

If I remove the cement, would it be a good idea to squeeze some of the
exterior mastic stuff (brown) between the frame and the stone wall and
then finish off with cement again ?

Mike P

==================================
Most mastic fillers specify *dry* conditions so you wouldn't do much good
with it in the present conditions. Depending on the gap (at least 1/4"
wide to be realistic) you could use expanding foam *sparingly* which needs
a little water to cure. You would then need to renew the cement fillet to
cover the foam.

The easiest way would be to rake out all the old cracked cement and
replace with new, working the new stuff well into the gap and finishing
with a triangular weathering finish. A sand / cement mix of 5:1 or 4:1
would be about right.

Cic.

--
===================================
Using Ubuntu Linux
Windows shown the door
===================================

On Thu, 31 Jan 2008 20:54:56 GMT, Cicero
head down on the keyboard, banged out this message:

... xxOn Thu, 31 Jan 2008 20:27:55 +0000, Mike P wrote:
... xx
... xx I am decorating inside a weather exposed Yorkshire cottage. Horizontal
... xx rain and snow today .. nice view though :-)
... xx
... xx The windows are wooden frames and rain is driving thru past the cracked
... xx cement on the outside and wetting the plasterboard.
... xx
... xx If I remove the cement, would it be a good idea to squeeze some of the
... xx exterior mastic stuff (brown) between the frame and the stone wall and
... xx then finish off with cement again ?
... xx
... xx Mike P
... xx
... xx==================================
... xxMost mastic fillers specify *dry* conditions so you wouldn't do much good
... xxwith it in the present conditions. Depending on the gap (at least 1/4"
... xxwide to be realistic) you could use expanding foam *sparingly* which needs
... xxa little water to cure. You would then need to renew the cement fillet to
... xxcover the foam.
... xx
... xxThe easiest way would be to rake out all the old cracked cement and
... xxreplace with new, working the new stuff well into the gap and finishing
... xxwith a triangular weathering finish. A sand / cement mix of 5:1 or 4:1
... xxwould be about right.
... xx
... xxCic.

Thanks for that.
I will wait until after the weekend and hope the weather eases before
I start on the job

Mike P

On Thu, 31 Jan 2008 20:54:56 GMT, Cicero
head down on the keyboard, banged out this message:

SNIP

.. xxMost mastic fillers specify *dry* conditions so you wouldn't do
much good .. xxwith it in the present conditions. Depending on the
gap (at least 1/4" .. xxwide to be realistic) you could use expanding
foam *sparingly* which needs .. xxa little water to cure. You would
then need to renew the cement fillet to .. xxcover the foam.
.. xx
.. xxThe easiest way would be to rake out all the old cracked cement
and .. xxreplace with new, working the new stuff well into the gap
and finishing .. xxwith a triangular weathering finish. A sand /
cement mix of 5:1 or 4:1 .. xxwould be about right.

I've got a similar problem in a house with a cellar. A small DG window has
been fitted as a skylight & leaks like a pig.

I've siliconed around the seal between the DG unit & frame without success.
Only source of the leak can be where the frame has been cemented into the
hole.

Is waterproof PVA any good in these circs? As an admix to the cement?


--
Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk
01634 717930
07850 597257

On 31 Jan, 20:27, Mike P mike@askme wrote:
I am decorating inside a weather *exposed Yorkshire cottage.
Horizontal rain and snow today .. nice view though :-)

The windows are wooden frames and rain is driving thru past the
cracked cement on the outside and wetting the plasterboard.

If I remove the cement, would it be a good idea to squeeze some of the
exterior mastic stuff (brown) between the frame and the stone wall and
then *finish off with cement again ?

Mike P

Dear Mike
Much depends on dimensions as the other post says.
If it were mine I would:

rake out the gap
batten with polythene and allow it to dry out for a few days (if
necessary)
dependent on the size and variation of the gap, apply a bead of foam
in as much of the void as posssible "rearwards" into the house such as
to leave 2" of gap still clear (in the old days we used screwed up
newspaper twists for this!)
put in a dry pack of sand cement render composed as follows; 3 to 1
(NOT weaker) or less sand and Portland cement with SBR (NOT pva as it
an re-emulsify) and SIKA No 1 additive until it is either flush with
the finish if that (horrible grey) finish suits or better still,
within 12mm of the finish leaving a 12 mm deep void
Fill the void with a polysulphide mastic of colour of your choice in
accordance with Defect Action Sheet 68 from the BRE
Chris

On Thu, 31 Jan 2008 23:43:56 +0000, The Medway Handyman wrote:

On Thu, 31 Jan 2008 20:54:56 GMT, Cicero head
down on the keyboard, banged out this message:

SNIP

.. xxMost mastic fillers specify *dry* conditions so you wouldn't do
much good .. xxwith it in the present conditions. Depending on the gap
(at least 1/4" .. xxwide to be realistic) you could use expanding foam
*sparingly* which needs .. xxa little water to cure. You would then need
to renew the cement fillet to .. xxcover the foam. .. xx
.. xxThe easiest way would be to rake out all the old cracked cement and
.. xxreplace with new, working the new stuff well into the gap and
finishing .. xxwith a triangular weathering finish. A sand / cement mix
of 5:1 or 4:1 .. xxwould be about right.

I've got a similar problem in a house with a cellar. A small DG window
has been fitted as a skylight & leaks like a pig.

I've siliconed around the seal between the DG unit & frame without
success. Only source of the leak can be where the frame has been cemented
into the hole.

Is waterproof PVA any good in these circs? As an admix to the cement?

===================================
I would guess that water is simply creeping under the cement fillet
(between frame and fillet) particularly if the frame is plastic. If this
is the case then any additive is unlikely to improve the situation because
there will almost always be some standing water on a skylight. A cement
fillet is quite a good seal on a vertical face but where water has a
chance to *pool* it will find its way through even the smallest channels.

I would suggest that you use a waterproof tape to cover the suspect areas
to see if it improves the situation and if it does so leave it in place
until the weather improves and then remove the cement fillet and replace
with a mastic which will actually *stick* to the plastic. Strips of
'Flashband' would work provided that you can get the surfaces dry enough
to apply it.

Cic.
--
===================================
Using Ubuntu Linux
Windows shown the door
===================================

The Medway Handyman wrote:
On Thu, 31 Jan 2008 20:54:56 GMT, Cicero
head down on the keyboard, banged out this message:

SNIP

.. xxMost mastic fillers specify *dry* conditions so you wouldn't do
much good .. xxwith it in the present conditions. Depending on the
gap (at least 1/4" .. xxwide to be realistic) you could use expanding
foam *sparingly* which needs .. xxa little water to cure. You would
then need to renew the cement fillet to .. xxcover the foam.
.. xx
.. xxThe easiest way would be to rake out all the old cracked cement
and .. xxreplace with new, working the new stuff well into the gap
and finishing .. xxwith a triangular weathering finish. A sand /
cement mix of 5:1 or 4:1 .. xxwould be about right.

I've got a similar problem in a house with a cellar. A small DG window has
been fitted as a skylight & leaks like a pig.

I've siliconed around the seal between the DG unit & frame without success.
Only source of the leak can be where the frame has been cemented into the
hole.

Is waterproof PVA any good in these circs? As an admix to the cement?



SBR is the only admix worth considering for this, and it doesn't mix
into mortar very well. You're almost better applying it to the surface
once the mortar is dry.
Is there any flashing?

On Thu, 31 Jan 2008 23:31:30 -0800 (PST), head down
on the keyboard, banged out this message:

... xxOn 31 Jan, 20:27, Mike P mike@askme wrote:
... xx I am decorating inside a weather *exposed Yorkshire cottage.
... xx Horizontal rain and snow today .. nice view though :-)
... xx
... xx The windows are wooden frames and rain is driving thru past the
... xx cracked cement on the outside and wetting the plasterboard.
... xx
... xx If I remove the cement, would it be a good idea to squeeze some of the
... xx exterior mastic stuff (brown) between the frame and the stone wall and
... xx then *finish off with cement again ?
... xx
... xx Mike P
... xx
... xxDear Mike
... xxMuch depends on dimensions as the other post says.
... xxIf it were mine I would:
... xx
... xxrake out the gap
... xxbatten with polythene and allow it to dry out for a few days (if
... xxnecessary)
... xxdependent on the size and variation of the gap, apply a bead of foam
... xxin as much of the void as posssible "rearwards" into the house such as
... xxto leave 2" of gap still clear (in the old days we used screwed up
... xxnewspaper twists for this!)
... xxput in a dry pack of sand cement render composed as follows; 3 to 1
... xx(NOT weaker) or less sand and Portland cement with SBR (NOT pva as it
... xxan re-emulsify) and SIKA No 1 additive until it is either flush with
... xxthe finish if that (horrible grey) finish suits or better still,
... xxwithin 12mm of the finish leaving a 12 mm deep void
... xxFill the void with a polysulphide mastic of colour of your choice in
... xxaccordance with Defect Action Sheet 68 from the BRE
... xxChris

Thanks .... The angled cemet fillet is just over an inch, so I dont
expect a massive void. Looks as though I will be asked to do all the
windows (where required) when the weather perks up.

Mike P