First time poster here. Great forum. Just what I was looking for!
I'll try to keep this brief:
I just bought an 11 year old house in Morgan Hill, CA with aluminum double pane windows. One of the windows upstairs is a Simonton 1100 series that was installed after the house was built. It was installed the new construction way, meaning they cut into the stucco, installed the window, and stucco'd over it.
So the other day it rained really hard and I had a window leak *downstairs*. The leaky window is one that's a vertical slider (opens from bottom to top) and it's about 36" wide by about 45" tall or so. It was leaking from where the upper part of the aluminum frame meets the interior sheetrock. A steady trickle of water was coming through. Above that window is another Simonton 1100 series that's 36" wide by 11" high. To the right of that Simonton is yet another that is 11" high by about 70" wide, both installed the new construction way. Below that is a sliding patio door about 70" wide and 80" tall; it is original.
The 2 downstairs Simontons appear not to be leaking, but what's interesting is that the sheetrock around them has been retextured. Outside, the 36x11 Simonton had a LOT of messy clear caulking around it and there's a few hairline cracks in the stucco around it. Hmm...did they leak in the past???
The next day was dry so I caulked around the 2 downstairs Simontons and the vertical slider using polyurethane caulk. I removed all the old clear caulking around the 36x11 Simonton. I also noticed that the veritical sliders top pane now had condensation between the glass. The interior sheetrock around that window was very soft when it rained and some of the paint and texture seemed to swell.
So...
I want a new sliding door because I just don't like the original one. I will get a new one installed retro fit style. I want a new vertical slider because I don't like the old style.
Will I need new sheetrock around the leaky window? How much water does it take to damage the sheetrock? Should I get the 2 downstairs Simonton's replaced as well? One window company I spoke to over the phone said that it's possible the Simontons were not installed properly and it's affecting the windows below them. If I do get them replaced the new construction style, how do I know it's being done correctly?
I'm documenting all of this. I think the vertical slider or the one above had leaked in the past and the seller didn't disclose it. My realtor is also looking into some of this stuff for me as well.
And get this...I spoke to a few neighbors... Looks like the original builder, VHF Construction, is no longer in business and no longer has a license. One neighbor told me that the builder did not flash the windows correctly and that he had to have EVERY window on the back of his house reflashed and have those beveled foam moldings installed above every window on the back of his house. Every window on the back of the house had the stucco cut into during the reflashing. The builder did it all for him after some arguing. Apparently some other neighbors had similar problems and it all occurred within the first year of ownership about 10 years ago during the first rains. He said that one other neighbor had the builder rebuild him practically a new exterior wall after all his windows on that wall leaked. One neighbor told me that my seller always had leaky window problems. They did not disclose the leaky windows to us when we bought the house.
I am documenting all of this and checking the records at my City Hall as well. I noticed yesterday that there's 2 more windows on the same back wall that were installed new construction style. They're all Simontons. One of the 1100 series also had between glass condensation and I got a glass company to replace the glass unit. Many window companies that have visited me said the rear of my house is subject to a lot of sun and rain and that it's not surprising that I might have issues with leaks. I am trying to track down the seller and ask them about past leaks and try to find out who indeed installed the replacement windows.
Sorry for the long post. Any advice any of you can give on this type of situation would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!!!
Help me with my leaky window issue please!
Well I've seen a couple scenarios happen. First of all close your windows tight and get out the garden hose. Time to spray the house down. Starting with the lower windows spray above each unit for awhile. Get someone on the inside to let you know if it's leaking. If you can't get it to leak it's coming from above. If it leaks you've found you have a bad spot on top your aluminum windows. Time for new ones or a pro to fix them. If it's not there it's coming from above. The biggest problem is when the stucco the house the put this ten in foam board around the window. They then stucco over it to make it look like a picture framed window. The stucco'd foam goes out past the window frame so it is recessed in side this box. Now each window has two weep holes located at the bootm of each unit. Open your lower sash and dump a glass of water in the track under the sash. The water should pour out the weep holes. If it's not coming out fast or nothing at all. It's getting behind the stucco and as Bob Barker would say: "Come On Down". It will travel to the lower window and in like a faucet. The weep holes need to have a clear opening to dispurse any water. The area under these openings needs to be beveled so the water will run away from the house and not back towards the house. I chiselled out the stucco and beveled each opening. This eliminated the leak and the stucco boys came out to do repairs later. If this isn't it use the hose to soak down portions around each window until you find the leak. This will give you some idea where to look. Hope this helps.
Guy
Guy
