# Windows leaking - Stucco exterior



## HomerJ

Anyone have any experience installing windows in homes with stucco exterior?

My dad's house (Scottsdale) has windows that leaked water pretty badly during their recent storm. They thought they might have had a roof problem so filed an insurance claim. 

The adjuster believes the window flashing wasn't installed correctly when the house was built. The window mfr. is no longer in biz, so they have no recourse there. 

I assume these windows were new construction with a nailing fin, so they can't exactly just pull them out and pop them back in. 

Note: The attached pics do indicate some cracks in the caulk around the interior of the window. I assume that could be a large part of the problem, but wouldn't re-caulking be sort of a band aid solution if there are larger problems with the flashing?

Further, shouldn't the adjuster be required to give them a little more specific info than a general "the flashing probably wasn't installed correctly" if he's denying the claim.

Thanks in advance for your help.


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## Tom Struble

yea that sucks,alot of insurance co.don't cover stucco damage,some liability policies won't cover you when working on houses with stucco,mainly for eifs i belive


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## d-rock

windows in stucco can often have this problem if not installed properly. It's hard to tell from the pics, but if the window is set back far enough from the stucco face you can re-caulk. If not, your option is also to re-caulk. Don't use regular phenoseal. Use SIKAFLEX sealant or some other polyurethane based caulk. Do it when you're not expecting rain for a few days. Should work.


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## Cletus

HomerJ said:


> wouldn't re-caulking be sort of a band aid solution if there are larger problems with the flashing?


 IMO yes. I can't remember ever seeing a modern "window" leak, it has always been a "wall" leak at a penetration. Relatively easy fix, carefully remove stucco being extra nice to the existing WRB, repair flashing and WRB, patch stucco, apply color coat corner to corner. 

Remember, the house should not need stucco or caulking to be weather tight. Stucco cracks and leaks by its very nature and the wall assembly must accommodate that fact.


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## Tom Struble

probably a lack of sill pan flashing no amount of caulk will help you there,not to sure about modern windows not leaking


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## Cletus

tomstruble said:


> not to sure about modern windows not leaking


I'm sure some do. For the problems I've come across the windows have been fine, they were simply installed poorly.


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## Big Shoe

You did'nt mention where the water came in at? did it leak at the window or at the base of the wall below?

Wind driven rain causes abnormal leaks. Inspect the windows closley, look at the corners of the window sills. Clean stucco perimeter and caulk with sikaflex. Also any suspect spots on window frame.

One good test is spray window with a hose and look for the leak on the inside. If you do this first it could pinpoint the leak faster.

I don't want you to soke the interior walls if there is an obvious leak point, do the repairs then water test. Good luck!


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## d-rock

The guys above are making great points, and I agree with them. However before you get into all that, re- caulk with a proper sealant. Maybe the guys that installed used typical caulk, which dried and cracked. If that doesn't work, it will be on to the next thing, which will be a PITA.


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## Tom Struble

But d where would you caulk?I don't like the idea of caulking the heads
that would tend to block any water that wants to drip out

caulking the the sill area looks to me would block any water that could be filling the bottom of the window extrusion,there may even be weeps that have already been stucco or caulked over

i guess that would leave the rails,but in my experience vertical seams are less of a problem that horizontal ones

to the op has the roof been cleared of being the problem? any pics of the entire wall may be helpful


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## Cletus

Sikaflex construction sealant is for sealing a caulk "joint". There is no caulk joint depicted in the pictures from the OP. A joint would need to be created to the specifications provided by Sika in order to use their product properly. Then one would have to address the issues tomstruble brought up. It's a trap! And it's never ending unless the rules of construction are followed.


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## Tom Struble

there use to be a stucco guy on here that advocated running a full sill pan out over top of the finish stucco

he got some grief from others, but i can see its advantages on a monolithic siding that stucco is


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## d-rock

Cletus said:


> Sikaflex construction sealant is for sealing a caulk "joint". There is no caulk joint depicted in the pictures from the OP. A joint would need to be created to the specifications provided by Sika in order to use their product properly. Then one would have to address the issues tomstruble brought up. It's a trap! And it's never ending unless the rules of construction are followed.


I wasn't actually saying to use 'sealant'. (sorry if it sounded that way). I was saying to use a sikaflex product. They make a caulk specifically for windows and large joints (gaps). I've installed windows on stucco houses, trimmed the outsides and caulked all around with sikaflex product 100% water tight. If the windows are flush with surface of wall, it's a big headache, if windows are set back shouldn't be too much of a big deal.


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## HomerJ

Thanks for the insight.

The roof has not yet been ruled out as a problem IMO.

My dad already did the water test directly at the windows, and only a small amount of water came in directly thru one window. Nothing like when the storm hit.


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## loneframer

HomerJ said:


> Thanks for the insight.
> 
> The roof has not yet been ruled out as a problem IMO.
> 
> My dad already did the water test directly at the windows, and only a small amount of water came in directly thru one window. Nothing like when the storm hit.


 It's hard to simulate the dynamics of a storm with a garden hose. Wind associated with the storm will cause areas of positive and negative pressure which can cause water to be driven or drawn into the building envelope. If he was able to cause the window to leak with the hose, it will leak worse with wind driven rain. I'm not saying there aren't other problems associated with the leaks, I'm just sayin'.:thumbsup:


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## DBBII

Is the house concrete block or wood frame? I spent about 3 years in litigation over window installation in a CMU building. General thoughts were:

1) the window always needs to be set back from the outside of the building.
2) In CMU, caulk the #$)# out of the 1x blocking before it's attached to the building.
3) Set the window flange in another bed of caulk.
4) Stucco goes on after windows installed.
5) Use a precast window sill.

Out of about 200 windows, only two or three turned out to be manufacturing problems. All the rest of the leaks were due to installation.

Window sub (this was commercial) was bonded. He's out of business mainly due to this. Bonding company paid out big.


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## Cjeff

One less expensive way to fix the window flashing may be to cut the stucco a few inches past the window. If needed remove the window, Fix/install all necessary flashing, pans, etc. reinstall window if you removed it and install a brickmould.


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## smeagol

You could get away with stuccoing up to windows in the past (old wood windows) The stucco man could have at least run a 16 penny around it before it set for a caulking groove.


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## essrmo

HomerJ said:


> The adjuster believes the window flashing wasn't installed correctly when the house was built.
> The window mfr. is no longer in biz, *so they have no recourse there. *


they never did have *recourse* with the window mfr.:no:

stucco is porous and has an intregal drainage system.

i agree with the adjuster. without a water table flashing and a proper moisture barrier, they will always leak.
all you can do is seal the stucco with an elastomeric paint and make sure the 
weep holes on the bottom rails of the window frames are clear
(or rebuild the wall properly:thumbup


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## essrmo

tomstruble said:


> i guess that would leave the *rails*,but in my experience *vertical *seams are less of a problem that *horizontal* ones


*stiles* are vertical,* rails *are horizontal.


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## Tom Struble

:thumbsup:i was using inacurate ''siders lingo'':shifty:

when wraping a window we call it sill,rails and head

this is a window job i did in stucco,flashing to divert water over the stucco a rip of beveled siding to pitch water to the outside and flex wrap the entire rough sill,i used pvc spacer blocks to hold the trim at the bottom out so moisture could escape


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