Leaky bathroom window and mold after 5 years

Hello,
thank you for the info, I am looking forward to the result

So, the person was here.

Disappointing news: he is also not sure where it comes from. He adjusted the window a bit... so now it is tighter than before.

The radiated cold could come from the windowsill, which also leads outside (a long stone slab, about 70% of it inside). Or maybe an intermediate insulation was forgotten...

Well, so we will probably wait until spring and then knock off the tiles to take out the windowsill and see what is underneath.

Can you live with that? Oh, by the way... the landlord was mistaken: the window itself has been in place for at least 15 years. However, the glass was only replaced 3 years ago. It turned out the window guy was there and said "Oh, the window is already quite old..." until someone noticed this little detail about the window glass... :rolleyes:

Regards, Daniel

Hello,

that now throws a completely different picture into the room.

So 15 years ago it was quite normal that the windows were only foamed.

I would not immediately go for the radical solution and knock off the tiles.

Maybe, as already written above, it is easiest to first do a thermography.

Now 8 months have passed, the summer was mostly "dry" and today we see... the small cork baskets (for my girlfriend's jewelry) are molding.

It is actually dripping along the side tiles. The coldness at the back of the neck while bathing has remained. And this despite the still relatively warm temperatures...

We now ventilate almost after every shower or bath. But even today, when we only showered in the morning, everything was wet again earlier. The humidity in the apartment is now just under 70%, even though we ventilated after cooking earlier (75%) and the humidity then temporarily drops by at least 10-15%.

I took three photos to illustrate. Unfortunately, I don't know if they are any good.

It is always damp at the bottom inside the silicone joint, and on the right inside on the tiles.

It would be great if someone could take another look at it :-/

Thank you very much and best regards, Daniel

Hello hypocrite

I suspect that the lady was responsible at the time for overseeing the renovation of the building envelope, possibly for a KfW program... without moving her ass to the construction site... which is a disgrace... and therefore the landlord should possibly hold her liable. Because if that were the case, she would have confirmed with her signature that the measure had been carried out correctly... which it was not!

The interior windowsill looks more like an artificial marble sill (pressed marble dust)... it also has no impact on the problem... tiles would have been just as fine... The interior windowsill always only contacts the frame of the old windows... for which there is a corresponding recess... groove. Moreover, it is always placed higher than the exterior sill.

However, as is and was common with massive or natural stone exterior sills, it may have been mounted too far under the window frame... if it is too long, it may hit the back possibly under the interior sill... fully or just barely... in any case not insulated. If you’re unlucky, there is nothing but an air gap or lumps of mortar there... In addition, during installation the exterior sills rest only on 1-2 lumps of mortar... normal mortar, that is... otherwise there is air all around... so no insulation.

If later only the front side was "plastered" there, then behind it there is now a significant thermal bridge..! Exactly what is showing here with you.

Ultimately, only the removal and renovation of the surroundings remains... and if you’re at it anyway... I wouldn’t hesitate to install a contemporary window right away... it’s not that big and expensive!

From a technical standpoint, the question also arises as to where the facade was "blown out"? This probably refers to cellulose insulation... inside or outside? Was the exterior windowsill renewed in the process? Or has it already been like that for 15 years (though it would still look good for that)?

I have heard or been told something similar... that the outer windowsill and the inner windowsill almost "meet" uninsulated under the window, and thus the cold outer sill pulls inward.

The wall was blown out on the outside... with whatever.

The exterior walls were renewed/refreshed and during that the sill was also replaced, I believe.

I will bring this up, it can't be like this. I even think I have seen something on the wall (ceiling corner) and hope it doesn't come from that.

Then the best thing would be to open the exterior wall, pull out the windowsill, insulate, put it back in and close it again?
Is it really that simple?

Regards and thanks for the answer,

Daniel