Hello,
Wondering if anyone has a solution to this problem i have. In the fall i replaced a bow window, 12 feet with 5 glass sections. Somehow it is leaking, but appears to be from the bottom of the sill. the plywood bottom soaks up the water and i can’t tell if it’s from condensation or otherwise. I’ve sprayed a water hose on the outside and all seems good, but when i open (crank opening) a window and pour water into the cavity there it comes pouring in. Soooo…. i put caulking in the screw holes and sealed them up but water is still coming in. I suppose my question is, if it is condensation, is it safe to seal the plywood with a good sealer, and put some sort of covering on the plywood (if so, what do you recommend as a good clean covering) and silicone between edge where the window meets the covering or am i looking for trouble if the water is still going in under where i can’t see?
Thanks, Liisa 🙂
Replies
Is the plywood section something you built or was it part of the window assemblies? If it is a separate part what did you do to seal the windows to the ply when they were installed? It seems there is a missing flashing by your discription of "waterproofing" with caulking on screw heads and whatnot.
Liisa
What brand of window-pre assembled or put together on site?
Could you post a picture of the installation? One that shows the whole thing in place so we might be able to trace sources of water entry.
You mention hosing it down, did you start at the bottom and work your way up (allowing time in between moves to allow water to make its way to the problem area?
Does it get wet with every rain, or just hard or blown rain?
Did the water appear only during the winter when presumably condensation might occur?
Water can enter in places and run down unseen until it lands on a horizontal surface. Because you are seeing it on the plywood sill doesn't mean that's where its coming in. The first place I would look is at the top of the window where you either have a roof or juncton with the soffit on top of the unit. Other places to look are any joints on the exterior trim, between window sections and also where the window meets the siding. Any joint should be caulked but if you have vinyl siding, it can be difficult to seal against water penetration. A bituminous membrane should have been properly installed around the perimeter of the rough opening and the J channel against the window needs to be caulked.