Where does the water show up, and when?
Note where the water first appears, and when.
| Where it shows up | When it shows up | Most likely path | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| At a window corner or sill, or the wall under a window | During the rain, more with wind | Around or through the window | 1, 2, 3 |
| At a sliding glass door track | During wind-driven rain | Through or around the door sill | 2 |
| High on a wall or near the ceiling | During the rain | The wall, an opening above or the roof | 1, 3, 9 |
| At the base of a wall, or where the wall meets the slab | After long or heavy rain; it can continue after the rain stops | Ground water: wet soil or a high water table | 1, 5, 6, 8 |
| Low on the side where water stands outside | After storms that leave water by the house | Rain collecting at the foundation | 5, 7 |
| A damp floor with no clear pattern | Any time | Either path, or plumbing or condensation | 3, 5, 9 |
Clues, not proof: a stain or damp floor alone does not identify the entry point.9
Why does wind-driven rain matter in Florida?
Wind pushes rain sideways into walls, windows and doors; InterNACHI calls wind-driven rain the main cause of leaks through the building envelope.3 FEMA wrote its window and door advisory primarily for Florida, after Hurricane Ian, and notes this water often comes in during hurricane winds and heavy rain.2 Glass sheds most of the rain onto the wall below, especially at the corners.1
What are the signs of a window or door leak?
- Water or stains at a window corner or sill, or above floor level.1
- It appears during the rain, and more when wind drives it.23
- Water at a sliding door track. Many sliding doors rely on a sill riser, a raised lip inside the track; without it they have little resistance to water.2
- Cracked or gapped sealant, or weep holes clogged or caulked shut.2
What are the signs of water from the ground?
- It appears low, at the base of a wall or where the wall meets the slab.156
- It follows long or heavy rain. Heavy rain can saturate the soil,8 and while the water table stays high, water keeps coming, even after the rain stops.6
- Water stands outside by the house. EPA advises making sure the ground slopes away from the foundation, so water does not enter or collect around it.7
That water is handled outside, with grading, gutters and drainage.5 See foundation drainage, yard drainage and French drains, the 25-year storm in Central Florida and the FAS Drainage Standard.
Water reaching the house from the ground?
A field tech runs your property through a 25-year storm simulation in Water MRI, builds the game plan, and then we come install it.
It does not automatically include leak testing.
Nothing is charged when you request. Water MRI is a visualization. A planning model.
What is a controlled water test?
Water goes on one part of the outside at a time while someone watches inside, aimed at a suspect joint rather than soaking a whole window.1 For windows, one standard field method is ASTM E1105, which wets the outside while the air pressure outside is kept higher, to imitate wind.41 We name it as background only, not as the method FAS uses.
FAS's $295 leak detection uses controlled water testing for the agreed area and symptoms, including whether ground water is a separate drainage problem.9 See the rain leak test.
What should I note before I call?
- Where. The room, wall, window or door; high on the wall or at the floor.
- When. During the rain or after it stops, and for how long.
- Which rain. Regular, heavy or wind-driven rain, or a hurricane.
- Photos. Inside and outside, plus any water standing by the house.
- Past repairs. What has been fixed already.
General guidance, not a diagnosis of your property.
The offer
Leak detection with a written report.
For water that comes inside after rain.
- Controlled water testing for the agreed area and symptoms
- A written report with photos, observations and next steps, including the likely entry sources
- The assumptions and limits of the testing, stated in writing
- An explained repair path, including when another trade may be needed
- If FAS recommends suitable services and you hire FAS for that work, the paid $295 test fee is credited toward the contracted project
How payment works. FAS confirms the testing scope and schedules your appointment, then collects the $295 before the test.
Book $295 leak detectionNo payment is taken with this request. A request is not a confirmed appointment.
Concern about your foundation instead? That assessment is free.Sources
Where the facts come from
- Building Science Corporation, PA-1904: How to Look at a House like a Building Scientist (Part 4: Water), Kohta Ueno, August 2021.https://www.buildingscience.com/documents/published-articles/pa-1904-how-look-house-building-scientist-part-4-water
- FEMA, Reducing Water Intrusion Through Windows and Doors, Hurricane Ian Recovery Advisory 3 (DR-4673-FL RA 3), August 2023.https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_mat-hurricane-ian-recovery-advisory-3.pdf
- InterNACHI, Moisture Intrusion, Nick Gromicko and Kenton Shepard.https://www.nachi.org/moisture-intrusion.htm
- ASTM E1105-15(2023), field determination of water penetration of installed exterior windows, skylights, doors and curtain walls.https://store.astm.org/e1105-15r23.html
- University of Minnesota Extension, Moisture in basements: causes and solutions.https://extension.umn.edu/moisture-and-mold-indoors/moisture-basements-causes-and-solutions
- NDSU Extension, Dealing with Continuing Basement Seepage (DE1570), Kenneth Hellevang, reviewed April 2023.https://www.ndsu.edu/agriculture/extension/publications/flood-recovery-dealing-continuing-basement-seepage
- US EPA, A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture and Your Home, updated February 18, 2026.https://www.epa.gov/mold/brief-guide-mold-moisture-and-your-home
- UF/IFAS Mid-Florida Research and Education Center, Septic System Overload: How Heavy Rainfall Affects Your System, Yilin Zhuang, September 2024.https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/mrec/2024/09/27/septic-system-overload-how-heavy-rainfall-affects-your-system-and-what-to-do/
- Florida Aqua Solutions, Rain Leak Test service page.https://floridaaquasolutions.com/services/rain-leak-detection/
Questions
About water inside.
Talk it through
(407) 490-0441Tell us where the water shows up, when, and which rain brings it on.
Book $295 leak detectionHow can I tell if water inside after rain is from a window or the foundation?
Look at where and when it shows up. Water at a window corner or sill, or high on a wall, during wind-driven rain points to a window, door or wall. Water at the base of a wall or the slab joint, after long or heavy rain or with water standing outside, points to the ground. Symptoms alone do not prove the source.
Can water at the baseboard come from a window?
Yes. Water that gets in around a window can run down inside the wall and show up at the baseboard, the same place ground water can show up. That is why a stain or damp floor alone does not identify the entry point.
Is leak testing included in the $89 drainage assessment?
No. The $295 leak detection with report is a separate paid service. The $89 drainage assessment does not automatically include this testing. You can request the leak test directly.
Is the $295 credited toward repairs?
Yes, if FAS recommends suitable services and you hire FAS for that work. The paid $295 test fee is then credited toward the contracted project. Work by another trade is priced separately.