Definitely agree that weather stripping handles seasonal shifting better than caulk, but one thing I'd add is considering the type of window frame material. Is yours wood or vinyl? Wood tends to expand and contract more significantly with moisture levels and temperature changes, making flexible solutions like weather stripping preferable. Also, have you checked the flashing above the window itself? Had a sneaky leak once caused by improperly installed flashing—took forever to pinpoint that one...
"Had a sneaky leak once caused by improperly installed flashing—took forever to pinpoint that one..."
Haha, man, been there. Spent weeks chasing down a leak, convinced it was the window seals, only to find out it was the flashing above letting water sneak in behind the siding. Felt pretty dumb after all that caulking and weather stripping I threw at it.
Totally agree about wood frames too—they move around way more than you'd expect. Mine are wood, and weather stripping has definitely held up better long-term. Caulk just ends up cracking or peeling off after a couple seasons of expanding and contracting. If you're dealing with vinyl though, caulk might hold up fine since vinyl doesn't shift as much.
One other thing I'd toss out there: check your gutters if they're nearby. Had a clogged gutter once that overflowed right onto my window during heavy rain... talk about sneaky leaks.
Totally agree about wood frames too—they move around way more than you'd expect. Mine are wood, and weather stripping has definitely held up better long-term.
Haha, clogged gutters are sneaky little devils for sure. Had a similar issue myself—spent ages sealing up everything around the window, convinced it was the flashing or seals. Turned out water was backing up from a gutter full of leaves and pine needles, then dripping down behind the siding. Felt like a genius after finally figuring that one out... until I realized I'd wasted half my weekend caulking stuff that didn't need it.
Yeah, wood frames definitely have more movement than most people realize. Weather stripping tends to handle that flexing better than caulk, since caulk can crack or pull away when the wood expands and contracts with humidity changes. I've noticed that myself—especially on older wooden windows where the joints aren't as tight anymore.
Also, good call on the gutters. It's surprising how often water intrusion issues trace back to something totally unrelated, like clogged gutters or even improper grading around the house. I had a similar mystery leak once and spent hours checking window seals and flashing before realizing the soil around my foundation had settled, directing water right toward the wall. Felt pretty silly afterward, but at least it was an easy fix once I figured it out.
Makes me wonder how many leaks people chase down with caulk guns when the real culprit is hiding somewhere else entirely...
- Weather stripping's great, but honestly, I've had decent luck with flexible silicone caulk too. It moves a bit better with the wood than the regular stuff.
- Totally agree about gutters though—spent a weekend sealing windows only to find out later it was a clogged downspout causing all the trouble. Felt like a genius after that one...
- Sometimes leaks are just sneaky like that, no matter how much detective work you do.