Yeah, I’ve seen people lay on the caulk like they’re icing a cake, hoping it’ll magically stop the leak. Usually ends up looking like a toddler’s art project and water still finds a way in. Sometimes you just gotta bite the bullet, pull off that trim, and see what’s actually going on back there. It’s not glamorous, but neither is mopping up after every rainstorm.
I get the urge to rip everything apart, but honestly, sometimes a careful bead of quality caulk is all it takes if the gap’s obvious and you prep right. I’ve fixed plenty of leaks without pulling trim—just gotta know when to stop and when to dig deeper. Not every job needs demo dust everywhere.
Couldn’t agree more about not needing to go full demo mode every time water sneaks in. I’ve chased a few leaks myself and yeah, sometimes it’s just a matter of a steady hand and a good tube of caulk—no need to break out the pry bar unless you’re sure it’s deeper. Prep’s everything, though. I once skipped cleaning the old gunk and paid for it with a soggy sill a month later... lesson learned. Sometimes less is more, as long as you’re thorough.
Funny timing, I just dealt with this exact issue last fall. My house is pushing 60 years, and those old wood windows love to surprise me after a heavy rain. I used to think weather stripping was the go-to, but honestly, unless you’re feeling a draft or seeing daylight, caulk usually does the trick for water sneaking in around the frame.
That said, you nailed it—prep is everything. I got lazy once and just slapped new caulk over the old, crusty stuff... ended up with more water than before because it never bonded right. Now I take the time to scrape it all off, clean with rubbing alcohol, and let it dry out before applying fresh silicone caulk.
If you’re getting water between the sash and the frame, then weather stripping might help, but most of my leaks have been from gaps around the exterior trim. Never hurts to check both, though. I always keep a flashlight handy for spotting trouble spots during a storm—sometimes you can see the water trail if you catch it early enough.
That’s interesting—you mentioning the prep work really hits home for me. I learned the hard way that skipping those steps can actually make things worse. My place is a ’72 split-level, and the windows are original, so I’m constantly chasing down little leaks and drafts. I used to assume weather stripping was the magic fix for anything window-related, but after a few rainy seasons, I realized most of my water issues were actually from failed caulk joints around the exterior trim, not between the sash and frame.
One thing I started doing—maybe a bit overkill, but it’s helped—is using a moisture meter after heavy rain to check the wood around the window. Sometimes you can’t see the leak, but the wood tells the story. If I find a spot that’s reading high, I’ll go outside and look for cracks or gaps in the caulk. I agree with you on the importance of removing all the old stuff. I tried just adding new silicone over the old, thinking it would save time, but it peeled up within a month. Turns out, silicone just doesn’t bond to old, dirty caulk.
I’m curious if anyone’s tried those newer hybrid caulks that claim to stick to almost anything. I’ve stuck to GE silicone because it’s what I know, but I wonder if the hybrids are any better for older wood frames that expand and contract a lot. Also, has anyone noticed a difference in energy bills after fixing these leaks? I swear my heating costs dropped a bit last winter, but maybe that’s just wishful thinking.
Anyway, I totally get the flashlight trick—sometimes you have to wait for a storm to really see where the water’s coming in. It’s always a bit of a detective game.
I tried just adding new silicone over the old, thinking it would save time, but it peeled up within a month. Turns out, silicone just doesn’t bond to old, dirty caulk.
Yeah, I learned that one the hard way too—thought I could just slap some fresh caulk on top and call it good. Didn’t even last through one real storm. But here’s where I’m a little skeptical: I’ve actually had mixed results with those “hybrid” caulks that are supposed to stick to anything. Used one (can’t remember the brand, but it was some polyurethane-silicone blend) on my 60s ranch windows and honestly, it stayed flexible but started pulling away from the wood after two seasons. Maybe it’s our wild temp swings here or maybe I just didn’t prep well enough, but old-school GE silicone has held up better for me.
About energy bills—I know everyone says sealing up leaks makes a difference, but in my case, the savings were pretty minor. Maybe my insulation is just lousy elsewhere. Either way, chasing drafts is a never-ending game with these older houses... sometimes feels like plugging one hole just makes another pop up somewhere else.
I hear you on the hybrid caulks. I tried one of those “all-weather” types on my bathroom window, thinking it’d solve everything, but it started cracking after just one winter. I’m starting to think the old formulas are more reliable, at least for my place. And yeah, prepping is such a pain, but skipping it just means you’re redoing the job sooner rather than later.
About the energy bills—same deal here. I spent a weekend chasing drafts and sealing up every window and door, expecting some miracle drop in my heating costs. Honestly, I barely noticed a difference. Makes me wonder if all those little leaks add up as much as people claim, or if the real culprit is the sad insulation in my attic.
Still, I can’t stand seeing water sneak in around the window, so I keep going back with the caulk gun. It’s like a weird game of whack-a-mole—fix one spot, and another problem pops up somewhere else. These old houses definitely keep you on your toes.
That’s pretty much my experience too—old windows just love to find new ways to leak, no matter how many tubes of caulk I go through. I’ve had better luck with the classic silicone stuff, but yeah, it’s all about the prep. If there’s any old crumbly caulk left, water will find a way in. Sometimes I wonder if weather stripping would help more for drafts, but for actual water leaks, I always end up back at the caulk gun. Oh, and the attic insulation thing? Totally agree—after finally adding some blown-in up there, my energy bills dropped way more than sealing every window ever did.
Sometimes I wonder if weather stripping would help more for drafts, but for actual water leaks, I always end up back at the caulk gun.
Couldn’t agree more—weather stripping’s great for stopping the chills, but water’s a different beast. Even with perfect caulk, though, I’ve seen leaks sneak in where window frames meet old siding. Prep’s everything, but sometimes these old windows just want to test your patience... or your wallet. Attic insulation is underrated for sure—funny how fixing something up top does more for comfort than all that fiddling with windows ever did.
I get what you’re saying about attic insulation—definitely made a difference in my place too, but for me, dealing with leaks around the window was a whole other headache. I actually had one spot where no amount of caulk seemed to help, and it turned out to be a flashing issue above the window. Sometimes it’s not even the window or siding itself, but something up higher letting water sneak behind everything. Fixing that finally did the trick for me. Just goes to show, sometimes it’s not the obvious fix…