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Feb
3

My Windows Leak!

Filed under: Repair or replace windows?; Tagged as: window leaks, window water leaks

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If your windows leak, you have a problem much greater than the appearance of water when it rains. Water leaks damage your property and can lead to mold, so your quick action to fix this problem will be very important.

The problem is that water leaks in buildings is a complicated subject and each leak is unique. You may need an expert to assist.

Here are a few tips to get you started:

1. If it leaks when it is not raining, it could be condensation. We have a different article for that. It’s called Window Condensation – Top 10 Fixes.

Window condensation appears as beads of water on the face of the window, and typically occurs when the temperature suddenly drops.

2. The first thing to look for with any window leak is the condition of the caulk around the outside of the window. If it has cracks or holes, recaulk the window and see what happens in the next rain.

This is an adhesive caulk failure where the caulk remained adhered to the window but disengaged from the EFIS surround.

This is also an adhesive sealant failure. This time the caulk is sticking to the brick but not to the window.

3. If you see water coming over or through the top of the window, the water may be coming from above the window and through the inside of the wall. You must investigate the construction above the window.

Water stains at top of window

Looking up at the outside of this window we see a curved steel lintel which is made in two pieces. The unsealed seam between them can conduct water into the window head.

Sometimes a window leak is not a window leak at all. This crack in a masonry coping brought a lor of water into the building.

Leaks through roofing can appear as window leaks. If a leak occurs at the top of a window, go up on the roof. You might be surprised at what you find.

4. If you see water coming through the bottom of the window, look for the sealant that should always be between the sill part of the frame and the jamb, or side part of the frame.

Leak at bottom of window. The yellow arrow shows where the sill and jamb of the window should have been sealed to one another, but were not. The black arrow shows damage to the interior wood moulding.

5. If you are in a larger building, the pattern of the leaks will be a very important diagnostic tool. Map out the leaks on a picture of each side of the building and see if the leaks are clustered. Similarities among the leaks will lead you to the causes.

Look for patterns of water leaks. Visual patterns on the outside of the wall may be clues regarding how the water is moving through the wall system.

6. Speaking of causes, there will usually be more than one cause for a water leak. Even if you find something, keep looking.

7. Following any leak repair, monitor the result. You can accelerate the feedback by testing the repaired area with spray from a garden hose. Wait until the new caulk is dry before doing this.

There is so much more to the topic of water leakage, that I will continue next time.

Windows leak?
Tracing window leaks requires a window guru
Contact me, Mark Meshulam,
the Chicago Window Expert
for the expert attention you deserve.

My phone: 847-945-9200 ext 229
My email: mark@chicagowindowexpert.com

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29 Comments

29 Responses to “My Windows Leak!”

jean lacocque April 2nd, 2009 at 6:53 pm

Clearly assessing this problem is not always for a lay person. Do you provide free estimates? I live in a new bldg, one room an addition. It leaked only when it warmed quickly and all the ice melted from the roof. It was alot of water. Maybe its behind the siding and maybe a weatherstripping problem . How and who can examine this problem? Help
Chicago Window Expert - Mark Meshulam April 3rd, 2009 at 7:48 am

Hi Jean Lacocque,

The symptom you described (big leak during a thaw) is common where a point of water entry is lower than the water level present adjacent to it. Ice or snow creates a dam to allow water to pool higher than the waterproofed level of the roof. You suddenly have a situation where a part of your building is immersed.

Very few parts of buildings can handle immersion. So you have two choices:
1. Reduce or eliminate the damming by using gutter heaters or shed-type covers over the tops of the gutters.
2. Re-detail the point of entry so that it is raised higher than any possible future water level. At edges of roofs it has become popular to install rubberized membranes such as “Ice and Water Shield” along the bottom edge of the roof beneath the shingles. Done right, this can be very effective.

Of course I am available for consultation. Please email me at markm@buildersarch.com or call me at 847-945-9200 ext 229 we can set up a time to talk. Best of luck! Mark Meshulam
How to Get Your Ex Back April 10th, 2009 at 2:15 am

Not that I’m totally impressed, but this is a lot more than I expected when I stumpled upon a link on Furl telling that the info is quite decent. Thanks.
samNeaway April 10th, 2009 at 5:18 am

FANTASTIC!
Jane Goody April 27th, 2009 at 3:02 am

The style of writing is quite familiar . Did you write guest posts for other blogs?
Mark Meshulam April 27th, 2009 at 8:24 pm

Hi Jane,
I have quite a few articles published at various sites across the internet (Google: Mark Meshulam), but they can all be found either here, at http://www.buildersarch.com, or at http://www.poingology.com. Thanks for writing!
Mark
AndrewBoldman June 4th, 2009 at 7:35 am

Hi, good post. I have been wondering about this issue,so thanks for posting.
linda January 20th, 2010 at 6:57 pm

Hi,
Do you know any reliable company I can get help in California? I have a roof leak, interviewed about 7 companies, hired 1 to do the job. they put in new roof – remove concrete tiles, put in new flashing at valley area, put in new felt paper, but did not fix the leak. when it rain, under neath window is still wet. used to have marching ants all over my bay window. company came out and apply more asphalt on the side of the roof tiles, problem is still there. please help!
Mark Meshulam January 27th, 2010 at 7:38 am

Hi Linda,
Very sorry about your roof leaks. I know California has been getting a lot of rain lately.
If your problem is beneath the windows, it is probably in the wall and /or window, and not the roof. First check the caulk around the window, Send me some pictures and I will try to help.
Mark Meshulam February 14th, 2010 at 3:25 pm

I can help you with your window leaks even if I am in Chicago and you are far, far away.

I have already helped countless people who sent in descriptions and pictures of their window leak problems. Send pictures with interior and exterior views of your leakage area along with a larger picture of the building.

If the leak is on the top floor of the building, a picture of the roof above the leak area will also be very helpful.

Mark Meshulam
Chicago Window Expert
mark@chicagowindowexpert.com
Jason February 28th, 2010 at 8:03 pm

I have a leak that has just started. It is originating between the head jamb of the window and the top wood trimming which immediately abuts it. The water droplets are coming from the top between them and not from any part of the window itself as I can see.

I’m assuming that this is a roof problem rather than the window since no moisture or droplets are coming from any part of the window itself. I live in the East Coast, Western PA, and we’ve had tons of snow which is probably attributable to this problem (immense accumulation of snow is on the roof). I was wondering what your thoughts are on this?
Mark Meshulam March 2nd, 2010 at 9:25 am

Hi Jason,
Yes, my friends at Traco have been telling me about the crazy amount of snow you have had. They are in Cranberry Township, just outside Pittsburgh.

If you have water coming over the top of the window, then your potential leak sources are:

1. The caulk at the exterior top of the window may have failed.
2. The wall construction above the window may have developed a leak. This could be a lintel flashing in a masonry wall or a siding flashing in a frame construction.
3. Higher up, it could also be the roof, but since the leak is at the edge of the building, and not in the middle of the roof, this indicates a problem in how the roofing is terminated at its edges.

If the problem developed after heavy snow, this may be your scenario: Snow piled high not only on the rood but also on the gutters, creating a condition where the edge of the roofing was immersed in snow. All you needed was a little warming to turn the snow to water. If the melting occurred closest to the roof, the snow could capture the water, creating an invisible swimmimg pool under the snow. Now the edge of the roof is immersed in water. Roofs are not designed for immersion. They function by “shedding” the water. During immersion, the water can go uphill and find its way under shingles and through seams and nailholes in roofing paper.

This problem may not recur until your next major snow.

The solution is to have your roofer redo the bottom edge of the roof by removing the lowest few courses of shingles, and running a self-adhesive rubberized membrane such as “Ice and Water Shield” along the edge, being sure to get it as high as is normally successfully done in your area.

There is a wealth of info here: http://www.graceathome.com
Good luck!
Nelle March 13th, 2010 at 10:29 pm

hi
I live in a 12 story brick building from the 1950s in Brooklyn, ny; we’re getting washed away in rain for 2 days now; my bedroom windows as slightly ajar when the rains came today, but i closed it of course when i got home. Later in the day i noticed water pooling on the window sill, i dried it and noticed it kept coming; the water is coming in from the bottom right corner of the window frame where it meets the wall and sill – the whole corner is wet. i am at the mercy of building maintenance as it is a coop that i live in; until they can do something, pls. let me know how i can help myself; it is my first home that i own and am freaked out that my little apartment is getting this potential bad damage; I am on the second floor but i haven’t got a way of getting on the outside of my window to check the caulking. thanks for any advice and help. it’s great to have found you on the web.
best, nelle
Trent March 14th, 2010 at 9:35 am

So I’m wondering why my cat is acting really weird in my dining room last night- only to walk in and see the drip, drip, drip coming from the top of my window as shown in the “water stains at top of window” picture above (one drip every 15 seconds or so). It had been raining quite hard for a few hours prior and usually that is not the side of the house to “take on” the weather; the wind direction was unusual to say the least.

In any case, it was the first time I noticed the problem even though it appears from what seems to be a previous SMALL stain that it has happened before. Being in the Buffalo, NY area, the house was Tyvek wrapped when built 9 years ago so that should help abate water, correct? The windows are vinyl clad single-hung low E MW windows. I’m having an issue with it being a window defect as well as a possible building defect above the window. This is a first floor window and my bedroom window is directly above it with no issues. Long story short- I’m leaning towards simply recaulking the exterior perimeter of the window. Is that a bad idea in any way? Is there something I should maybe be looking for- or doing prior to- recaulking? I don’t want to seal “IN” a problem.
Thanks in advance.
Richard Lee March 14th, 2010 at 10:43 am

Hi Mark – great article and very timely as we are getting pummeled by rain this weekend. I noticed some water leakage around one of our windows this week, and would love to get your perspective as to whether this is a window, or building issue. We live in a condo and have found out that much of the gut renovation work was not great.

Is there any chance you can take a look at some pics and offer some thoughts on what work might need to be done? Also, do you know of any good window guys in Boston?

Thanks!
Richard
Mark Meshulam March 16th, 2010 at 8:42 pm

Hi Richard,
Feel free to send me pics – I will be happy to help.
Mark
Mark Meshulam March 16th, 2010 at 8:57 pm

Hi Trent,
The symbiotic nature of man’s relationship with animals is striking in your touching story. Tales of Lassie awakening her slumbering owners to save them from a burning house are well known, even commonplace. Your tabby has ratcheted such stories to the next level. Now we have a cat who detects window leaks!

Levity and admiration aside, your idea to start by replacing the exterior caulk at the top of the window is a good one. If there is brick above the window, try to avoid sealing the space between the top of the steel lintel and the bottom of the brick. But by all means seal from bottom of lintel to top of window.

You might also go upstairs and recaulk the sill of the window above. Just avoid sealing over anything that looks like a drainage or “weep” hole. These sometimes occur at the bottom of windows. Let me know how it goes. Good luck and may your cat arrive at a more peaceful place.
Mark Meshulam March 16th, 2010 at 9:10 pm

Hi Nelle,

Those rains in the Northeast must have been a doozy – ChicagoWindowExpert.com got 250 hits from New York and New Jersey last weekend.

Congrats on having your first place, and don’t freak out about the leak. What people can screw up, we can also usually fix. You did not mention the type of window: aluminum, wood, steel or vinyl. But you did mention that you could open the window.

If you can open the window, look at the seal between the side and bottom frame. It should be sealed fully front to back, with this seal marrying in to the exterior perimeter sealant. If the sealant is not visibly present, invest in a tube of 100% silicone caulk – your choice of color – and seal this location after first sealing with isopropyl alcohol, then with a dry rag. Be sure to tool the caulk (similar to frosting a cake) to get good adhesion.

While the window is open, peek outside and see if the exterior caulk is ok. Send pics if the condition persists. Good luck!
Denise March 18th, 2010 at 9:31 am

Greetings,
We received a ton of rain this past weekend. Our new bay windows (main floor and directly above on the second floor) all leaked. They leaked below the window frame (on the drywall) where the smaller window meets the large center window…in all 4 corners! The contractor who replaced the windows (when we had NO leaks) is saying that it is a roofing issue. Is it possible for there to be a roofing issue to cause leaks in ALL 4 corners? How is that possible? Please provide any advice you can offer…my $12,000 is new windows is costing me my sanity.

Thank you for your website. I will continue to read it to see if I can understand the building construction so I can converse with the contractor with a small degree of intelligence.
Mark Meshulam March 24th, 2010 at 7:38 am

Hi Denise,
Very sorry to hear of your problems.
Would it be possible to send me a few pictures so I can make a better guess?
Without the pics, I will say that it is highly unlikely that the roof suddenly leaked at the exact time the new windows were installed. If the rains are worse than ever before, I suppose it could happen..
Contact me!
Alex March 28th, 2010 at 7:48 am

Mark-

I saw your blog about Chicago windows – and more specifically, the post about leaks. I was curious if you provide services in residential settings as my wife and I have been experiencing leaks in our master br windows (through the frame, actually) and aren’t sure how to best attack the problem. We’ve guessed that it might have something to do with our facade as it juts out from the house a bit, leaving a natural separation point for water to enter, but of course that’s just a guess. As we head into spring and summer rainy season, I wanted to start addressing this asap.
thanks in advance-
Mark Meshulam March 28th, 2010 at 8:08 am

Hi Alex,
Yes I have a special deal for residential clients. Call me and we can discuss.
847-945-9200 ext 229.
Have a great weekend!
Sheri April 2nd, 2010 at 5:58 pm

I have been preparing to submit a warranty claim for seal failure in Crestline “Select” Aluminum Clad (Low-E, argon-filled) windows of a house that we built for ourselves in 2006-2007. Seal failure was obvious in the eight windows that had condensation between the glass panes this winter. Most, but not all, of those eight also exhibit permanent cloudiness and swirl marks between the panes.

Now, I have noticed that five other windows that did not exhibit condensation do have distinct spots and hash marks/lines between the panes of glass. The marks are most visible from the outside and are quite distinct, not cloudy. Does this type of mark (without condensation) still result from seal failure? Or, does this sound like a defect in material and/or workmanship? Is there an industry term-of-art for this type of defect?

I hope the answer is obvious to a window expert and doesn’t require your crystal ball. Any input will be much appreciated!
Mark Meshulam April 3rd, 2010 at 11:19 am

Hi Sheri,
Sorry about your window problems.
Seal failure’s most noticeable symptom is actual moisture between the panes, however, another symptom can be cloudiness. This occurs when moisture attacks the low-e coating, which is metallic.

I would have to see the spots and hash marks you describe. My crystal ball doesn’t have that as a typical occurrence, and I don’t want to speculate. Is there any way to get a picture of this and send it along?
Sheri April 13th, 2010 at 5:32 pm

I’m sorry to be so slow in getting back to you. Photos will follow by email. Thanks for your help!!
Herbert June 19th, 2010 at 7:17 pm

Hi Mark,

I am experiencing the same exact problem that you described above. Leak at bottom of window. This window is on the 2nd floor and due to the leakage, the water penetrate through the dry wall to the window on the first floor. I poured a glass of water to the bottom of window and I can see water drain out. But I afraid that not all water have drained out and some leak into the dry wall. You mentioned that we need to seal the sill and jamb of the window. Any recommendation of what type of sealant will work? Also, how can I prevent from sealing the draining holes too?
Gail June 21st, 2010 at 6:30 pm

I have had a window leak (?) for years now. I had the windows replaced several years ago and the problem did not go away. Then I had the roof replaced. A month later, the siding and gutters. I have had several people come and tell me I needed caulking, (atfer spending money on the roof and siding), but the problem still exists and is spreading. At first it was just one wall under a window. Now the wall in my bedroom is deteriorating.

My worry is that I will again spend several thousand dollars only to find the problem is not resolved. Are you with an actual company that performs the work? If not, can you suggest a relaible and affordable company?
Mark Meshulam June 22nd, 2010 at 10:59 pm

Herbert,
Without seeing the condition, generally 100% silicone is the best sealant for most applications. Weep holes tend to be visible, so avoid sealing holes which look purposeful and are located at the lowermost point of a sloped sill. Send me a few pics and I will respond further.
Mark Meshulam June 22nd, 2010 at 11:01 pm

Hi Gail,

Yes I am with an actual company and I do house calls. Please call and we can talk further.
I am at 847-945-9200 ext 229.