Dampness

Hi,
I am in a 2yr old house and am seeing some dampness in the corners of the bay windows. Is this normal and if not what should I do to sort out the problem. I have checked the roofing above and it SEEMS to be fine. ks

Hello K.SWEENEY,
It most definetly is not normal to have dampness around the bay window and you will need to sort this out asap. Take a look at the outside frame of the window, is the joint at the window frame and plaster or brick face sealed with sealant. If not the rain could be penetrating through the cracks surrounding the frame. Seal around the frame with mastic. If the frame is already sealed, check thoroughly for any slight gaps in the mastic as driving rain will penetrate such an area. I came across such a problem a few years ago and was surprised that the tiniest of gaps lets in an awful lot of rain. If the window frames are sealed then you possibly have an obstruction across the building cavity which would need to be rectified or further damage to the internal wall will occour. There may also be a problem with the damp proof course surrounding the window frame.