Enclosed lanai question
 

We had our lanai enclosed with double pane sliders recently and much to our surprise, we get water in the inside tracks when it rains. The contractor says that’s normal and it drains to the outside but I think it seems strange and a little concerning since I’m allergic to mold. Just curious if others have the same issue. Thanks,

It's normal as you have weep holes. When you open the sliders look down at the track and you will see the holes. The water running down the outside of the glass goes into the tracks and out the holes. Now, if you have water on your lanai floor, that is a no no. We have had ours for a year now and no water on the floor. Also, no mold in the tracks so you should be okay.

Thanks

Are you saying that you get water in the track that is on the inside part of the glass window or door? If so, that sounds very strange to me. The sliders should keep the water totally outside of the lanai. You may see some water in the outside part of the track when you open the window or door after it has rained. But, you should never see water in the inside part of the track when the window or door is closed. I would get a second opinion, or call the manufacturer.

If you go route complaining to mfg take a picture to show them

If you look at the end of the rails that the rollers run on you will see that they do not go all the way to the end, sliders installed by the builder leading out to the lanai are about 1" shy and the ones on our enclosure are about 3/8" shy. These end gaps will allow the water to work it's way back to the inside track if heavy enough rain. The inside bottom frame is higher than the tracks and therefore will not allow it to come into the room, the water will go back out to the outer track and exit through the weep holes.

My sliders are sealed shut with weatherstripping at the ends when the door is closed. I never get water inside the tracks, even with a heavy rain. In my opinion, there is an installation defect if water comes into the house or the lanai, even if it is just in the track. Double pane sliders should be watertight.

My last home the Lanai was enclosed. When it rained I would get water in the tracks but it would drain outside because there are drain holes.

absolutely normal

if "normal", bad design.............a window which allows rain to enter the house???....no thanks. :duck:

Yes. But with heavy rain against the slider , water can still enter. Also those holes present entry spots for ants and other unwanted bugs my pest control co. And I have discovered!:

The design of the windows allows water in the track. The windows ride on wheels and are not completely water tight at the bottom. The water should remain in the track and exit through the weep holes.

you may need to enlarge the 'weep drain holes' so that the water will drain out faster

also, they do clog up....so a little maintenance on those 'weep drain holes' periodically will help

Who did the installation? Planning to enclose my Lanai soon.

It’s normal I have the same
It never overflows to the inside of the house floor
It dries quickly no mold problems.