There are many reasons for window leaks but with proper home maintenance you’re much less likely to experience them. If your windows are newly installed and are leaking, contact your replacement window company and ask them to come out. Most reputable window companies have installation warranties in addition to their manufacturer warranty. If your windows are older, check these three primary causes of window leaks.
Deteriorating Caulk
Although your windows may have been custom for your home, they still have caulk around them. The caulk puts an extra seal to prevent water intrusion. Caulk dries, cracks, and stops doing what it should be doing which is to keep water, drafts, and pests from entering your home around your windows. If you notice your caulk is cracked, peel away the rest and replace it with new caulk. Any home improvement store can sell you window caulk. It’s a big job and if you’re doing it properly you might use as much as half a tube around a window opening.
Heavy Wind Driven Rain
Hurricane Harvey spared us the worst of the rain but at times the wind driven rain fell at rates of half an inch in just 30 minutes according to the National Weather Service. Wind driven rain forces water into cracks and crevices where it can leak into your home. Even new windows with proper caulk can have leaks. This can be due to the rate of the rainfall and the weep holes. Weep holes are very small openings that allow water to drain from your window frame. When rain falls more quickly than the water can drain, you will see a water leak. That’s why a window may leak months after installation.
Clogged Gutters
If you notice water running like a waterfall over your gutters, it’s past time to clean them. Clogged gutters cause window leaks in two primary ways. First, when your gutters don’t drain, water sits in them and can be forced up and under the eave back down into your home. In this case, it’s not really the window leaking it’s water following the path of least resistance and often times, that’s the area around your window like the molding and window sill. Another way clogged gutters cause windows leaks is when the water runs over and back into your windows like wind driven rain. Keeping your gutters clean will help prevent window leaks.
If your windows are old and ready for replacement, contact Affordable Replacement Window Systems for a no obligation replacement window estimate. We’ve been serving Arlington and the surrounding area as a premier window installation company and want to be the one you call for all your window needs. Call (817) 264-6509 to schedule your appointment today.
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