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

Honestly, caulk's probably your best bet here. Weather stripping's more for drafts around moving parts like doors or windows that open. Caulk seals up stationary gaps pretty well, and it's not too tricky - even if you're not exactly Bob Vila, haha.

"Caulk seals up stationary gaps pretty well, and it's not too tricky - even if you're not exactly Bob Vila, haha."

Agreed, caulk is the right call here. Weather stripping won't do much for stationary gaps, as it's mainly designed for moving joints. Make sure you clean the area thoroughly before applying the caulk - dust or debris can weaken adhesion. Take your time, steady hand helps, but even if you make a bit of a mess, it's usually fixable. Good luck.

Caulk's definitely the way to go, but have you checked if there's any old caulk already there? Sometimes removing the old stuff first makes a huge difference... learned that the hard way after my first window job, lol.

Thanks for mentioning the old caulk - I hadn't even thought about checking for that. I took a closer look this morning, and sure enough, there's some cracked stuff around the edges. Guess I'll be scraping that off first. Honestly, I'm just relieved it's something manageable... homeownership keeps throwing these little surprises at me, haha. Fingers crossed this does the trick.

"Honestly, I'm just relieved it's something manageable... homeownership keeps throwing these little surprises at me, haha."

Haha, isn't that the truth? Reminds me of a client last year who had a similar issue - thought it was a major leak, but turned out to be just old caulk letting water sneak in. Once we scraped off the old stuff and applied a fresh bead of quality silicone caulk, problem solved. Just make sure you clean the surface well before applying the new caulk; it'll stick better and last longer. Good luck!

Yeah, caulking usually does the trick, but sometimes weather stripping can help too, especially if your window frame has shifted a bit over time. Had a similar issue at my own place - ended up doing both. Scraped off the old caulk, cleaned it up good, then applied new silicone. After that, added some weather stripping around the edges for extra protection. Haven't had any leaks since, even during heavy storms... might be worth considering both options while you're at it.

"especially if your window frame has shifted a bit over time."

Yeah, noticed the same thing at my place. Frame shifted just enough that caulk alone wasn't cutting it. Ended up using some foam weather stripping too - no leaks since, even with last month's heavy rain. Worth doing both imo.

Haha, glad I'm not the only one dealing with shifting frames... mine's practically doing yoga poses at this point. Foam weather stripping was a lifesaver here too, totally agree it's worth doubling up.

Gotta admit, foam weather stripping is handy, but doubling up might just be a temporary fix. Had a similar issue last year - my window frame was practically doing the limbo - and eventually realized the real culprit was structural settling. Ended up biting the bullet and re-caulking properly after tightening things up. Honestly, if your frame's pulling yoga moves, might wanna check if there's something deeper going on before you stockpile more foam strips...

"Honestly, if your frame's pulling yoga moves, might wanna check if there's something deeper going on before you stockpile more foam strips..."

Haha, "yoga moves" - that's a new one for me, but spot-on. Have you checked around the outside of your window yet? Sometimes, especially with older homes, water sneaking in can be a sign that the exterior sealing has degraded or that the flashing above the window isn't doing its job anymore. Foam strips are great for drafts and minor leaks, but they're more like band-aids than long-term fixes.

Also, when you open and close that window, does it stick or feel uneven at all? If you're noticing any wonkiness there, it could mean something structural is shifting (like the previous poster mentioned). Had a client recently who kept patching leaks with foam strips until we realized his window sill had rotted out from underneath - talk about a surprise project...

Anyway, before you invest in more foam or caulk, might be worth doing a quick check on the frame and exterior. Could save you some headaches down the road.

Good points above, but I'd also suggest taking a peek at your gutters. Had a similar issue last spring - thought it was the window seal, turned out my gutters were clogged and overflowing right onto the frame. Cleared them out, problem solved. Might not be your issue exactly, but worth checking before you dive into bigger repairs...

Good catch on the gutters, had a similar thing happen myself. But if gutters aren't the culprit, have you checked the flashing above the window? Sometimes water sneaks behind siding and drips down... could that be part of your issue?

Yeah, flashing is definitely worth checking - I had a similar issue and spent ages messing with caulk before realizing water was sneaking behind the siding. Also, have you noticed if the window itself is properly sealed around the frame? Sometimes the original installation leaves tiny gaps that only show up during heavy rain. Might be worth a closer look before you break out the caulk gun...

Good point about the flashing - I overlooked mine at first too. Quick thought though, has anyone considered if the siding itself might be warped or pulling away slightly? I've seen water sneak in that way, even when flashing and caulk seemed solid...

Fair point about siding, but honestly, I'd lean more towards checking window alignment first. A buddy of mine chased leaks for months, redid caulk, flashing, the works... turned out the window itself was slightly off-square from installation. Water sneaks in through tiny gaps you'd never notice. Worth double-checking before assuming it's siding-related.

Good point about alignment, but honestly, I'd still give weather stripping another look before diving into window adjustments. Had a similar issue last spring - thought it was alignment too, but turns out the weather stripping had just worn down enough to let water sneak by during heavy rains. Quick swap and problem solved... way easier than messing with window frames. Might be worth checking the simple stuff again first, just in case.

"Quick swap and problem solved... way easier than messing with window frames."

True, weather stripping's usually the simpler fix. But have you checked if the caulk around the outside frame is still solid? Seen plenty of sneaky leaks come from tiny cracks there too... worth a quick look.

Weather stripping's quick, sure, but honestly I've had leaks that looked like weather stripping issues and turned out to be drainage problems. Had a window once where water pooled on the sill outside and seeped in underneath - no amount of caulk or stripping fixed that. Ended up adjusting the slope slightly so water ran off properly. Might wanna check if water's collecting anywhere near the window first...

Good point about drainage - I ran into something similar last spring. If you wanna check quickly, try pouring a pitcher of water slowly around the outside sill and watch where it goes. Might save you some guesswork before breaking out the caulk gun again...