Owning my first home is certainly an eye opener. There really ought to be a Handbook that they give to new homeowners, with a list of basic maintenance tasks needed to head off more extensive repairs down the line.

While the wife and I were cleaning and re-arranging the guest bedroom this weekend, I noticed part of the window sill in the room looked warped, with some crumbling paint. The wood was a bit "punky". It looked and felt a heck of a lot like water damage.

When it started raining yesterday, I checked the window sill again, and sure enough, water was seeping up through the wood and pooling on the window sill. The sill was squishy to the touch.

Not knowing much about leaky windows, I read up on it online, and the first thing I checked was the caulking. It looked mostly okay, with a few spots starting to wear/crack. I plan on recaulking it soon. (Never done it before, but seems easy enough...)

But during my research, I also ran across a reference to "weep holes". These are small holes in the bottom corners of some window frames that are supposed to allow water to drain out of the frame. I checked and our windows do have weep holes.



Like many windows, mine have weep hole covers. They're designed with a little one-way flap that allows water to drain while keeping wind and bugs out.



I pried off the weep hole cover in front of where the water damage was forming, and was immediately greeted by a torrent of water rushing out of the weep hole for a good 20 seconds. In examining the cover, it appears that the flap on the weep hole cover had gotten stuck shut with mud/dirt. This allowed water to build up inside for who knows how long, eventually leaking out into the surrounding wood.

Online, it was recommended to clean the weep holes out at least once a year. Prior to yesterday, I had never even heard of weep holes, let alone been warned to keep them clean to prevent water damage.

Lesson learned. I'll be replacing the window sill at a minimum, and there very well may be more extensive water damage inside, once I get in there. I can handle redoing a window sill, but if the damage extends into the framing, I'll have to call in a contractor. ($$$)

So for those like me who didn't know: Check and clean your weep holes and weep hole covers!

You are only on # 143, you have a long way to go, my friend. ;-)

Well, we've only owned it for ~4 years.

Hmmm. Going to check my windows today.

I've never heard of weep holes in windows before. The only weep holes I have ever seen are the weep holes at the brick ledge level of a brick home. And properly done, they are below the level of the interior foundation and base plates. My home is brick and my windows do not have weep holes. This is new to me.

These seem to be a solution looking for a problem.

We had new windows put in a few months ago and they have the weep holes with the covers.

There are two covers that keep popping off and its driving me crazy to see one missing.

Checked my new (4 years old) triple pane windows and no weep holes. Did my contractor screw up?

quote:

Originally posted by RogueJSK:
...There really ought to be a Handbook that they give to new homeowners...

Reminds me of this, which is not totally unrelated to your situation. BTDT:

Bought our first house in 1968, bought number 9 new in 2010 (yes I've been transferred a lot).
I have never had a window with weep holes, brick yes, windows no. Guess they are not needed in Texas?

Additional hint for all yous guys that have old windows and then install aftermarket storm windows.

After screwing them into the frame, your first instinct is to caulk all around. Only when you caulk the bottom (at the sill) do NOT do the whole bottom. Leave about 3" uncaulked at a corner as this will provide a weep hole for accumulated water to escape. Usually the sill is not out far enough to touch the newly installed storm window and it leaves a natural gap.

Glad you got it sorted out. I know about weep holes and yeah they can get clogged up over time. I use canned air to blow them out from the inside. I got some rotting cedar trim under a few windows I need to replace myself due to caulk failing and me neglecting to inspect it. Found the areas when painting. No good when I can poke my finger through the wood in a couple spots. Duct tape covering the area for now.

quote:

Originally posted by Gustofer:
These seem to be a solution looking for a problem.

How so? All the water that hits the glass runs down into the sill, and needs a place to egress the window frame. Without a weep hole, you get the problem the OP has; a frame full of water leaking into the house.

This is because of the design of a vinyl window. A wood window usually has a weather strip right against the bottom sill, with that sill set at an angle to shed water. Vinyl insert windows, otoh, must have the structure of a full box frame for both strength and better weatherproofing, so they need the weep holes to get the water out of the bottom box frame.

I've been a homeowner for 30 years, I don't remember coming across window weep holes.

But then again, I'm not much knowledgeable about house stuff. Manliest thing I did was build a second side gate in the fence on the other side of my house.

One imagines it's a question of the window design. Our old vinyl windows had them. The new ones do not.

Older windows with storm windows over them must have weep holes in the bottom of the storm window as well. Usually it's a couple of slots like or similar to this.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

I've heard that before. giggity

Interesting, I've never heard of weep holes in window frames, but I just bought a home and the home inspector told me someone had closed up the weep holes on my shower stall. I don't think I have much need for same, but I guess even showers can build up water behind the stall.

I'm going to get a chisel or screwdriver and open up this weep hole.

bees will pack mud in them. ask me how I know.

We have weep holes in our aluminum sliders. For the most part, I find them to be an annoying entrance for nasty AZ bugs, so I have blocked them with HVAC aluminum tape. When they were open, and one day we had a microburst, I had water all over inside.. Good riddance.