That’s a good point about the flashing. I chased a leak around my kitchen window for two winters, thinking it was just old caulk or maybe the window itself. Turns out, the siding above had a tiny gap and water was running down behind everything. If you’re dealing with stubborn leaks, it’s worth grabbing a ladder and checking above the window—sometimes the real culprit’s hiding up there. Caulk and weather stripping only go so far if water’s getting in from higher up. Learned that one the hard way...
- Seen this a lot—folks blame the window or caulk, but water’s crafty.
- Had a job last fall where the leak was actually starting at the roofline, two stories up. Water tracked all the way down behind the siding and showed up at the living room window.
- Caulk and weather stripping help, but if flashing isn’t done right above or around the window, you’re just chasing symptoms.
- Sometimes it’s just one nail hole or a tiny gap in the house wrap that lets water in.
- I always tell people: check above, not just around. Even pros get fooled by where leaks appear versus where they start.
- If you can’t find anything obvious, it might be worth pulling a piece of siding to look underneath. Not fun, but sometimes that’s what it takes...
- Quick fix with caulk works for minor stuff, but for recurring leaks, gotta think bigger picture.
I used to think caulk was the magic answer for every window leak—until I chased one around for a whole winter and finally found the real culprit was a tiny gap way up under the eaves. Water can really travel in weird ways behind siding or even insulation, then pop out somewhere that seems totally random.
Weather stripping is good for drafts, but if you’re seeing actual water, I’d be suspicious it’s coming from higher up, like folks have said. Flashing makes all the difference. On my old house, the original builder skipped some of that, and it caused years of headaches until I finally had someone peel back the siding. Not cheap or fun, but it solved the problem for good.
A quick bead of caulk might buy you time, but if you’re dealing with repeat leaks, it’s probably worth digging deeper—even if it means pulling off a piece of siding or two. Sometimes you’ve got to get your hands dirty to actually fix these things instead of just treating symptoms.
A quick bead of caulk might buy you time, but if you’re dealing with repeat leaks, it’s probably worth digging deeper—even if it means pulling off a piece of siding or two.
This hits home. I once spent a month chasing what I thought was a leaky window—kept recaulking, even swapped out the weather stripping twice. Turned out, water was running down from a flashing issue above the window that wasn’t visible unless you pulled back the siding. Felt like a fool wasting all that time just treating the symptoms.
Curious if you noticed any staining or soft spots on the wall inside? That was my clue—paint bubbling up in a weird spot about two feet from the actual window. Sometimes those water paths make zero sense.
Ever try using a hose to simulate rain and see where it actually starts coming in? That’s how I finally found my leak. Not pretty, but it saved me from tearing apart half the wall for nothing.
That hose trick is underrated—I’ve done that too, and it was the only way I figured out a leak behind my kitchen window. Funny thing, the water was actually showing up in the basement, nowhere near the window itself. Did you end up having to replace any drywall, or did you catch it before it got that far? Sometimes I wonder if these houses are just built to mess with us...
Funny you mention water showing up in the basement—I've seen that more than once, and it always throws people off. You’d expect a leak to show up right under the window, but water just finds the weirdest paths through framing and insulation. I had a job last fall where the homeowner swore it was a foundation issue, but after some poking around (and yeah, dragging out the hose), it turned out the original window flashing was basically non-existent. Water was running down inside the wall cavity and pooling at the sill plate in the basement.
As for drywall, I’ve learned to check behind baseboards and under carpets even if things look dry on the surface. Sometimes you get lucky and catch it before things turn mushy, but honestly, by the time you see staining or bubbling paint, there’s already been some damage. In that case last fall, we ended up pulling off about three feet of drywall under the window—moldy mess behind there. Not fun.
I get why people default to caulk or weather stripping when they see leaks, but I’m always a little skeptical it’ll fix anything long term if water’s already making it past your exterior flashing or siding. Do you ever wonder how many of these houses actually have proper flashing? Every time I open up a wall in anything built before 2000, I half-expect to find someone just winged it with a bead of caulk and called it good.
Ever notice how leaks never show up during a gentle rain either? It’s always after those sideways storms when everything’s getting pounded... Makes you question every window in the house.
I get why people default to caulk or weather stripping when they see leaks, but I’m always a little skeptical it’ll fix anything long term if water’s already making it past your exterior flashing or siding.
I actually think caulk and weather stripping can be decent stopgaps, depending on the type of leak. If you’re seeing a tiny drip right at the window edge, sometimes a quick bead does buy you a season or two (especially if you’re not ready to rip out siding). But I agree, if it’s coming from deeper in the wall, you’re probably just delaying the inevitable. Ever notice how much worse things look when you finally open it up after “just one more rain”? Sometimes I wonder if a little preventative caulking is better than nothing, or if it just hides the real issue until it’s a full-on mess.
Sometimes I wonder if a little preventative caulking is better than nothing, or if it just hides the real issue until it’s a full-on mess.
Honestly, I lean toward finding the root cause early—even if it’s just a small drip. I get the appeal of quick fixes, but in my old place, sealing over a leak just trapped moisture inside the wall. The energy loss and mold were way worse than the original problem. Sometimes it’s worth pulling off a bit of trim to see what’s really going on before reaching for the caulk gun.
Had a similar situation last spring—rain was sneaking in around my living room window. I thought about just slapping some caulk on it and calling it done, but I got curious and took off the inside trim. Turns out, the flashing outside was all messed up and water was running right down behind the siding. If I’d just sealed it from the inside, I’d probably be dealing with rot by now. Sometimes those “quick fixes” just make it harder to spot what’s really happening... but I get not wanting to tear into things if you don’t have to.
I get where you’re coming from, but honestly, sometimes a quick bead of caulk really does the trick—at least for a season or two. I had a drafty window last winter and just hit the gaps with some weather stripping. Didn’t solve everything, but it bought me time till I could dig deeper when it was warmer. Not saying it’s the “right” fix, but sometimes you just need to stop the rain until you can actually deal with the bigger issue.