We get calls all the time from people who have been told they have “leaky windows” and therefore need to have them replaced; but upon inspection, that’s not necessarily was going on. What goes on “behind the scenes” has everything to do with why your windows perform the way they do and sometimes it’s best to get a trained eye’s opinion.
I want you to be aware of a couple of things:
If You See Water Leakage Only When It’s Rainy
If you only see water when it’s raining, then this would certainly indicate a leak somewhere above the window, but often not with the window itself.
The window is literally a ‘hole through the wall’, so water coming down the wall from above will come into the home at the window. Therefore, to solve the leak, it is necessary to know how the water is getting to the window opening in the wall.
This may indicate a roof leak, a hole in the siding or stucco, an improper head flashing, or a gap in the exterior caulking. The cause may be the window itself if it is of poor quality or doesn’t properly close due to being out of square.
A Note On Metal Frames
It will be common for there to be moisture on the inside of your aluminum window frames. This condensation is actually caused by moisture from inside the home, and while it is annoying, it is not an indication of leakage. A lot of homes in the Kansas City area built prior to 1990 had this type of window, and they do not meet current building codes because they are so inefficient compared to modern windows. Their metal frames conduct the heat to the outside leaving them cold to the touch.
The glass in these older windows is also far less effective at keeping the warm air inside the rooms.
