Okay, so after last week's storm, I spent half my weekend mopping up water around my windows. 🙄 I'm thinking it's finally time to do something about it. Curious what you guys prefer—do you usually DIY it with sealants and weather strips, or do you bite the bullet and call in a pro? I'm leaning toward DIY (budget reasons, ya know), but um...my skills are questionable at best. Quick poll: DIY or professional help?
I've done both, and honestly, DIY can totally work if you're patient and thorough. Coastal storms are no joke though, so the key is prep and materials. Regular silicone sealants from the hardware store usually hold up fine, but make sure you scrape off all the old stuff first—otherwise, you're just sealing moisture in. Learned that the hard way a few years back... not fun.
Weather stripping is pretty straightforward too, but measure twice and cut once. If your windows are older or warped, sometimes even the best DIY won't fully solve it. Might be worth checking if the frames themselves are still solid before you spend a weekend sealing everything up.
If you're unsure about your skills, maybe try one window first as a test run? Worst case scenario, you end up calling a pro anyway—but at least you'll have given it a shot and learned something new.
Good points here, especially about checking the frames first. I spent a whole weekend sealing and weather-stripping my windows only to realize later the wood underneath was basically mush. DIY is great, but sometimes you just gotta know when to call in backup. Coastal weather is relentless... learned that lesson after my "perfect" silicone job turned into a soggy mess two storms later, lol.
Yeah, coastal conditions are brutal on wood frames. Had a client last year who did the same silicone fix—looked solid at first, but underneath was a mess. Ended up swapping in vinyl-clad frames; pricier upfront, but they've held up great so far.
Vinyl-clad frames are definitely the way to go if you can swing it. Did the silicone and weather-strip DIY route myself a couple years back—worked okay for minor storms, but once we got hit with a serious coastal gale, water seeped right through again. Ended up replacing mine with vinyl windows last spring. Not cheap, but they've held tight ever since. Plus, energy bills dropped noticeably, so there's that bonus.
Went through something similar on a client's beach house last year. Silicone and weather stripping are fine for quick fixes, but coastal storms just laugh at that stuff. Ended up installing vinyl frames with proper flashing and sealing—no leaks since, even after some nasty storms rolled through.
Yeah, vinyl frames are definitely the way to go. Did mine about two years back, but honestly, the flashing detail is what really makes or breaks it. You gotta peel back the siding carefully, install a proper moisture barrier, and layer the flashing tape from bottom up—never skip corners here. Learned it the hard way when a rushed job leaked after just one storm. Redid it properly, and it's been solid ever since... even through that nasty nor'easter last winter.