Please Hold And Don't Leak Again, Metal Frame(s)!

When the rains came and the leak came through the joint in the metal frame at the side of a sealed glass panel at the bottom, I was soooo upset. This is the bedroom. HOW TO SLEEP SIAL. The windows held fine. The metal frame didn't. The leak came in from a compromised sealant at the external metal cladding. Of all leaks, this is one leak I couldn't fix and would require professional help. 

I'm so relieved that my paranoia about rainwater and leaks at the windows that resulted in me catching the leak before it went down to the sub-par parquet flooring. This is clearly wear and tear. This entire side of the window plus glass panels face full-on sun and full-on rain with no slates to block. I'm not surprised that the sealant is compromised from the outside and the internal sealant finally gave way after five years.

I HATE LEAKS AND WATER ISSUES. These give me indigestion. This estate and the flat have water issues all the time. I seem to get them once in two years, going by this count. ROARRRRR.

• Before we moved in, there was a giant hole drilled by the main contractor in the water pipe that caused a waterfall in the kitchen. I think I threw up my lunch when I got the call. Major rectification needed to be done over two days. At the same time, I made the plumber re-seal the pipes to the drainage for the washing machine and the dishwasher, and the sinks.

• That damn flood from the Ariston heated water storage tank. Sub-par water tanks that cracked and leaked within two years. When 52% of the estate's units have cracked water heaters within two years, it's obvious that the developer stinged on such fittings.  

• And now, this damn leak from the joint in metal frame, that's obviously structural even though it's a wear and tear. I should be so glad that this leak happened only after five years.

The estate's Management Office's crew took one look at my videos and photos, came over for a quick look (completely unhelpful), and tossed it over to the estate's developer and their main contractor to sort it out. They have obviously encountered these leakages across a number of units, and it's an issue that can be resolved if the leak is minor and controlled to portions of the external cladding.

A rectification date was set, and I didn't argue with them to bring it forward. On hindsight, I was glad it was almost two weeks later so that the weather would hold fair and bright for the sealant to be placed and dried before the next batch of rains come. After the rectification date was fixed, it promptly rained for four days, two of which was non-stop.

Meanwhile, I went bonkers putting a temporary silicone sealant over the joint to manage the leak till the rectification date. It didn't just leak during the storms — that damn leak continued even after the rains stopped. So I knew that there was water pooling inside the metal frame from outside. It was untenable unless I did something. I didn't dare put a metal spray sealant in case that messed up with the rectification works. Silicone is easy to strip.

Four people came to sort out this leak. Two actually workers and two uhhh giving eye power. They stripped and re-caulked the internal seal, as well as added additional sealant. I asked them to check the other frames and re-caulk them too. They also wiped and checked the outside caulking. Whewww.  

FFS, PLEASE STOP LEAKING FOR THE NEXT FEW YEARS.