Why do commercial glazing systems leak and how is water ingress traced and fixed? GLRE explains causes, diagnosis, and guaranteed repair. Report a leak today.
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Glazing leak resolution is the process of investigating the source of water ingress through a glazing system and carrying out the remedial work needed to make it weathertight again. GLRE's leak resolution service traces the true cause of a leak rather than sealing over the symptom, and every leak rectification comes with a water ingress guarantee. The team has delivered guaranteed leak resolution for commercial glazing for nearly 30 years.
Every glazing system will suffer water ingress at some point in its operational life. To keep the UK weather out, a glazing system relies heavily on its EPDM weather gaskets and sealants, and these components do not last indefinitely. As they age and perish, the weather line they form begins to fail and water starts to find its way in.
Leaks are not always the result of ageing or lack of maintenance. Water ingress can also occur as a direct consequence of original design or construction issues, or as a result of previous repairs carried out with inadequate experience or materials. A poorly executed earlier repair can create a new leak path even where the original system was sound.
Regardless of cause, a leaking or poorly performing glazing system should be investigated immediately. Leaving it unattended can result in progressive deterioration and, ultimately, complete system failure, alongside a growing health and safety risk, particularly in high-footfall areas where water on the floor creates a slip hazard.
While every leak is investigated on its own merits, the underlying causes tend to fall into a small number of recurring categories. The table below sets these out alongside the approach GLRE uses to resolve each.
|
Leak Cause |
How It Develops |
Resolution Approach |
|
Seal and gasket deterioration |
EPDM gaskets and mastic perish with UV exposure and age |
Renew failed seals and gaskets to reinstate the weather line |
|
Drainage blockage |
Debris blocks drainage paths and weep holes, causing water to back up |
Clear and reinstate drainage channels and weep holes |
|
Glazing system failure |
Failed sealed units or movement joint breakdown |
Replace failed units, renew movement joints |
|
Design or construction defect |
Original detailing allows water to bypass the weather line |
Redesign and reinstate the affected detail correctly |
|
Previous poor repair |
Earlier work used inadequate materials or method |
Strip back and reinstate using correct materials and technique |
The critical challenge in leak resolution is that water rarely appears inside the building at the point where it entered. It enters at a weak point in the weather line, then tracks along framing members, cavities, or structural elements before appearing internally some distance away. Sealing the visible internal symptom therefore rarely resolves the underlying problem.
When GLRE receives a report of a glazing leak, a member of the surveying team is despatched to site to investigate the possible cause of the water ingress and put together a plan to rectify the issue identified. This diagnostic step is what separates a durable repair from a temporary one: identifying the actual entry point means the remedial work is targeted at the true cause rather than the symptom.
Once the source has been identified, the remedial work is specified to address the specific cause. For seal and gasket failure, this means renewing the perished components to reinstate the weather line. For drainage blockage, it means clearing and reinstating the drainage paths and weep holes so water can escape as designed. For a failed sealed unit or movement joint, it means replacing the affected component.
GLRE's years of trading have allowed the team to specify and refine contemporary methods of leak rectification that not only stop the leak but upgrade the glazed structure, returning the glazing system to a safe and fully serviceable condition. Every leak rectification solution comes with a water ingress guarantee, providing reassurance that the issue has been genuinely resolved rather than temporarily masked.
Because a glazing system's weathertightness depends on its gaskets and sealants, keeping regular maintenance and servicing up to date is the single most effective way to prevent leaks. A glazing system whose maintenance has lapsed will age prematurely, and its occupants will experience water ingress sooner than they otherwise would. Planned inspection and servicing of seals, gaskets, and drainage paths extends the serviceable life of the system and reduces the likelihood of reactive leak call-outs.
Effective leak resolution depends on accurate diagnosis, so the contractor should demonstrate a survey-led approach rather than a tendency to seal over symptoms. Appropriate accreditations for work at height and on commercial premises are essential. GLRE holds CHAS Elite, Constructionline Platinum, Safecontractor accreditation, and IRATA rope access qualifications, and backs its leak rectification with a water ingress guarantee. Current certificates are available on request.
To report a glazing leak or arrange a water ingress investigation, contact the GLRE team and a member of the surveying team will be in touch.
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11 Minton Enterprise Park,
Oaks Drive,
Newmarket,
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