Water can do a lot of damage to a home. While water can enter your home in several ways, perhaps, not a hint is more exasperating to detect than leaking windows – window leaks are common in older buildings. When it occurs it’s best to find a good window repair service.
How Do You Discover That Your Windows Are Leaking?
Conduct an inspection inside and outside your structure. To determine if your window leaks, you should discover the following symptoms:
- Rotten wood; Water intrusion damages wooden frames. If you have a warped or rotten trim, in any case, contact a professional to inspect windows.
- Molds; This type of fungi thrive in damp areas. You should check for black spots of mold. They largely reduce your house’s indoor air quality.
- Discoloration; Water intrusion into your structure can cause discoloration of your frames. At first, you will notice a yellow stain, but it could eventually darken to a copper or brown color.
- Musty odor; You can easily notice an unpleasant smell. The smell could be from water intrusion through your window that could cause mold growth.
- Peeling paint; Water intrusion into your structure may cause some chipping paint or wallpaper. The water weakens the color’s adhesion making it pull away from the wall. When the leak dries up, the paint starts to chip.
- Damage or peeled caulk; You should always inspect the sealant around your windows to ensure it is still intact. If the caulk is missing or damaged, air and moisture can easily leak into your property.
Reasons for Your Window Leaks and How to Fix Them
Being conversant with the reason for your window leaks will enable you knowledgeably discuss the issue with the window repair service that comes to your home to repair your leaking window. If you discovered water damage around your windows, here are some of the top reasons they could be leaking.
Improper Flashing
A window flashing is a piece of material installed in windows to prevent water from entering your structure from an angle or joint near the windows.
The material is key in preventing water infringement. How does it prevent water intrusion? Window flashing is a good seal as it guides water around the opening and keeps the interior wall dry and protected.
It is installed in a manner that leads water away from your structure. If your window is improperly flashed, it will leak.
How do you fix this? It would be best if you avoided house wraps. Have your window properly installed with window flashing. It will control almost all water intrusion into the structure and work for your design’s life.
Bad Angles
The greatest battle against water intrusion is keeping water away from your window. It is now clear as to the reason why professionals install overhangs above door and window frames. Besides, it is the same reason window sills slope away from the window they need not bend inward or flattened.
Improper angles or a lack of a sufficient overhang on your window sills could direct water toward your window. In addition, if your fascia board above the window is angled inward, it can also direct water towards your windows.
To fix this, ensure that all your windows and their seals are properly installed in a manner that they direct water away during window installation.
Sealant
If your window lacks a caulk or sealant, it could be one of the reasons for window leaks.
Caulking is one of the most overlooked and simplest causes of window leaks.
How to fix caulking: you should clear and replace any damaged caulk with a new bead of silicone caulk. It will ensure that moisture and air do not get into the cracks of the exterior of the windows.
Condensation
Condensation can form on your windows. It happens when the warm air inside your home comes into contact with cooler air outside your home. It is commonly caused by poor insulation around your windows
To fix this, run a dehumidifier or an air conditioner to reduce the humidity inside your home.
Conclusion
Repairing window leaks can be a major undertaking or, in other words, a quick fix, depending on the situation. It would help if you undertook some diagnosing before jumping direct to conclusions on what is needed.
