Water leaking into a living space below a copper clad penthouse located on the roof of a commercial building prompted a Contractor to request that Thompson & Lichtner perform a Leakage Investigation. We were told that there had been four other leak investigations conducted on this penthouse by other firms before, but the living space continued to suffer damages with water infiltrations. The Contractor believed that rain was entering the penthouse and leaking into the living space below.

T&L Leak Investigation Onsite

The T&L Testing Technician arrived on site to conduct the initial visual evaluation of conditions. He formulated a plan and then began the leakage investigation testing.

  • The Technician first tested the roof drain area near the penthouse but found no leakage in the living space below.
  • The roof membrane near the penthouse was tested next, resulting in no leaks in the living space below the penthouse.
  • In increments, the Technician tested roof areas farther away from the penthouse. The living space still didn’t leak.
  • The Technician tested the edge of the roof membrane in segments farthest from the penthouse. These tests immediately produced multiple leaks in the living space.
  • Since the general location of water entry was now identified, the Technician then examined the edge of the roof membrane thoroughly to pinpoint the exact locations and causes of water infiltration.
  • After having gathered all information necessary, the Testing Technician wrote a Leakage Investigation Report with findings, photos, and repair recommendations for the Client.

Once recommended repairs were made by the Client, the living space below the penthouse no longer had leaks.

T&L Testing Technician
“Water travels. Sometimes leaks can appear a distance away from the infiltration source. A patient, methodical approach to discovery is the best “tool.” That is why T&L customizes each investigation approach, without preconceived ideas. If we had only tested the penthouse, which appeared to be the obvious culprit in most people’s eyes, we would never have found the problem. Instead, we drew upon our knowledge of site conditions, building structure, and many years of experience to formulate the action plan. And we found the leak source.”

The above is a true story of a T&L Leak Investigation.

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