Rain sneaking in around my window—caulk or weather stripping?

Had a similar situation myself a while back—spent a weekend carefully redoing all the caulk lines and even replaced the weather stripping twice, convinced I'd missed something obvious. Turns out, the leak wasn't coming from the window itself at all. It was actually originating higher up from a poorly sealed gutter joint. Water was sneaking down behind the siding and showing up around the window frame, making it look like a window issue when it wasn't.

Your point about closely inspecting everything is spot on. I'd recommend starting by carefully examining not just the window frame and glass, but also the area above and around it. Check your siding, flashing, and gutters thoroughly. Sometimes water travels in weird ways and shows up far from its actual entry point. A hairline crack or tiny gap higher up can direct water down to your window area, misleading you into thinking the window's at fault.

One trick I've used in these situations is to spray water gently with a hose around suspected areas—one spot at a time—and have someone inside watching closely to pinpoint exactly where water first appears. This method helped me narrow down a couple tricky leaks over the years.

Also, make sure to inspect your flashing above the window. If it's installed incorrectly or damaged, water can easily sneak behind your siding and pop out around the window frame. Flashing problems are surprisingly common, even in newer homes.

In short, while caulking or weather stripping might seem like the obvious fix, it's worth stepping back and taking a broader look before diving into repairs. It'll save you time (and frustration) in the long run...speaking from experience here.

"Sometimes water travels in weird ways and shows up far from its actual entry point."

Yep, exactly this. Had a leak last spring that drove me nuts—redid caulking twice before realizing the siding above had a tiny gap letting water sneak behind. Felt pretty dumb after finding it, lol. Definitely worth checking gutters and flashing first before you go crazy with the caulk gun again...speaking from bitter experience here.

"Definitely worth checking gutters and flashing first before you go crazy with the caulk gun again..."

Good tip, hadn't even thought about gutters yet. Just bought my first place and still figuring this stuff out...how exactly do you check flashing anyway? Is it obvious if something's wrong?

Checking flashing can be a bit tricky at first, especially if you're still getting the hang of homeownership—been there myself. Usually, flashing is metal (sometimes plastic or rubberized material) that's installed around windows, doors, and roof edges to direct water away from the openings. When you look at it up close, it should lay flat against the surface without gaps or lifting edges. If it's loose, bent, rusted through, or visibly pulled away from the siding or window frame, that's usually a sign it's not doing its job.

One easy way to check is to look closely after a heavy rain or even spray gently with a garden hose to simulate rain—then watch carefully for water sneaking behind it or pooling in places where it shouldn't. Sometimes it's obvious, other times you'll have to poke around a bit more.

If you're unsure about what you're seeing, snapping a couple pics and posting them here might help too—lots of folks (myself included) have spent plenty of weekends chasing down mystery leaks. Good luck with the new place...it's always an adventure!

I just went through something similar myself—first rainy season in my new place was like playing detective. Flashing was the culprit for me, turned out it was slightly bent and letting water sneak behind. Caulk can help temporarily, but if flashing's compromised, it's usually better to fix or replace it properly. Weather stripping's more for drafts than actual leaks around windows, so I'd lean toward checking the flashing first. Good luck—homeownership definitely keeps us on our toes...

"Weather stripping's more for drafts than actual leaks around windows, so I'd lean toward checking the flashing first."

Good call on checking the flashing first—it's usually the main suspect when water sneaks in around windows. Caulk can buy you some time, but it's really just a band-aid solution if the flashing is compromised. If you're comfortable getting up close and personal with your window, here's what I'd suggest:

1. Wait for a dry day (obviously!) and carefully inspect the flashing around the top and sides of your window frame. Look for bends, gaps, or rusted areas.
2. If you spot minor damage, you might be able to gently straighten it out and seal with a high-quality exterior caulk temporarily.
3. For more significant issues, replacing the flashing entirely is your best bet. It's not too complicated, but it can be a bit fiddly—take your time and measure carefully.

One thing I'd add from experience: don't overlook the window sill and drainage holes. Sometimes debris or paint buildup can clog these, causing water to pool and sneak inside.

Did you notice if the leak got worse during heavy downpours or windy rainstorms? Sometimes that can help pinpoint exactly where the water's getting in...

Flashing's usually the culprit, but honestly, I've seen weather stripping help with leaks too. Had a job last year where the flashing looked fine, but wind-driven rain was sneaking past worn-out stripping. Worth checking both before you dive into bigger repairs.

Good point about the flashing, but I'd definitely start with weather stripping first—it's quicker and cheaper. Here's what I'd do: first, inspect the stripping closely for cracks or brittleness. If it looks worn, peel it off carefully, clean the surface well (a little rubbing alcohol helps), and apply fresh stripping. If that doesn't solve it, then move onto caulking around the window edges. Had a similar issue myself, and fresh stripping did the trick nicely... saved me from messing with flashing altogether.

Weather stripping's usually my go-to as well, but honestly, if water's already sneaking in, I'd jump straight to caulking. Had a window that drove me nuts until I sealed it properly—sometimes quicker isn't always better...

Yeah, I'd skip the weather stripping altogether at this point. Learned the hard way—had a leak around my back door, kept trying quick fixes, and ended up with moldy drywall. Caulk's messier and takes more patience, but honestly it's the only thing that really seals it for good. Do it right once, save yourself the headache later...trust me.