Attached are photos from my girlfriend’s back door. The door leaked and did some damage to the interior hardwood floor. As you can see from one of the photos; the door has warped at the bottom. I would guess this is what is allowing the water to leak inside. So a new door is in order.
It would seem that the part of the problem is the gutter design over the door. I have noticed that when it rains, the runoff over the door is heavy at times. I think this might be the root cause of damage to the door. Any ideas to improve the gutter system?
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My suggestion would be that you install a gutter system. What's there now is not.
The downspout from above should start its bend a little higher and carry over so that it can dump directly into the existing gutter (NOT simply onto the roof). A new piece of gutter should be wedged in above the door, also arranged to dump into the existing gutter. (May be necessary to trim the shingles a bit -- wouldn't hurt to trim them above the existing gutter as well.)
And the guy who "designed" that setup should be shot.
More than a root problem
with your girlfriend's rear entry.
The root problem may be the gutter installation. However, your door and exterior siding installation is suspect as well. YOur entry door should be installed in such a way that it won't leak no matter what is happening with the roof and gutter above it. My guess is your exterior door trim is flashed improperly, the siding and J channel are installed improperly, and your weather resistive barrier (WRB) is installed improperly (or is non-existent) as well. It's either all of the above or you need to make a warranty claim on that door panel which is defective.
Yeah, I suspect there are other problems than just the gutters. The roofing job looks like sith, several places the soffit and siding are visibly crooked, very likely there are multiple problems with flashing and sealing. And the overall roof design is one that never should have been built, especially with that door there.
Oh boy...
That's a terrible design. The roof runoff is funneled to a door with very little overhang over a deck that splashes water back.
If your climate gets the rain mine does [upper midsouth] you will have trouble even with best pracices on the gutter system.
I wish you luck!
its looks like you make have room to put in a short section of gutter above the door that drains into the existing gutter above the window.
you may need to lower the existing gutter a bit, but it would help. thats a funky design that will be problematic/aesthetically unsightly.
Some background please,
could you fill in the time line for this house, when the siding, roofing, etc were done in what order and when this water entry and damage appeared. Might help guide you where to look and correct.
Background info
The siding is original; 1998. The roof was replaced in 2011. The water damage to the interior floor is recent (last week). However over the last year a few repairman and painters have remarked that something needed to be done about the door. The gutter runoff has been am obvious, existing problem.
So was this structure added on to, or was that ugly mess all built at once?
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ok, how did the roofers deal with the step flashing? The siding is crammed right down on the shingles. That is wrong.
how was the valley made up, from the bottom up?
Did the hodgepodge gutter, downspout, channel exist like that in the old roof?
From what I can see, the hip cap is suspect all the way up.
The bottom corner of the dormer appears poorly flashed (if at all).
That channel will funnel water right under shingles at the valley, to and including the hip cap. Anything that gets under will probably work its way into the soffit and could flow to its low spot at the wall. From there behind the siding and to the door.
or
that door flashing could be all shumcked up.
the door, what kind is it. If that's a jamb rabbited stop, how could the door show that bend in the bottom?
thanks.
edit: the fascia as it meets the corner near the gutter is another easy point of water entry. And, when was the leaf guard installed?
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Great Design- If You Want Trouble!
Let's see ... you have two roofs coming together to form a valley .... plus there's a gutter collecting rain from half the house, using a downspout to delover all that water into the same valley. Then, to top it off, you have just a tiny corner of gutter to catch it all. What could possible go wrong?
I bet that when it rains, water comes flying out of that valley as if it were shot from a fire hose. There's probably a rough spot on the walk below, a couple feet away from the drip edge, where this waterfall impacts.
I also note a slight difference in the heights of the various eaves. Just what you need, to ensure water damage and entry to the attic at the foot of that valley.
In order to 'fix' this, first you need to "un-fix" some of the previous kludge. That roofline needs to be corrected. Then, once you have a corrected valley, you need a BIG gutter to divert the water away from your path. Finally, that water that's piped in from above needs to be sent somewhere else.
Just for giggles, I'd check the stud bays behind this valley for water damage. I suspect you'll also find water has been cascading down within the walls, and rotting your subfloor. This would happen if the addition is tied into the house poorly. Indeed, that leak may be what's damaging the door - and not anything caused by the gutter arrangement.
Now it's possible that I'm just paranoid. My own house suffered considerable damage from an arrangement similar to yours, all because of an improper addition tied to the house- combined with a poor attempt to enclose the carport.
I am not an expert but as most have mentioned the design of the gutter system is incomplete or incorrect. My assumption is that the the water should let out elsewhere. Definitely not above a door or onto a roof.