How can I fix water dripping from window frame?

[jennyv]

 

Hello Bunnings community,

There is water dripping from the top of my apartment bedroom window frame/pelmet. Any ideas on whether this is an exterior or internal issue and how I can fix it?

Many thanks

Jenny

[JacobZ]

Hi @jennyv,

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community, it is wonderful to have you with us.

Does the water leak only happen when it rains? Or does it happen on cold mornings?

Unless it is due to condensation, which I am taking an educated guess is not the case, then it will be an issue on the exterior of the property.

Unfortunately, sometimes the source of leaks can be tricky to locate because water will track along things, including inside the wall, and then appear a long way away from their origin point. In your case, being above a window, the source of the leak could be obvious, but there are no guarantees.

Is it safe and possible to get some photos of the outside of the window? 

Look for gaps in the seal around the window frame, specifically above it. Look for splits in the silicone or obvious holes that water could get through. If there is anything obvious, grab a photo so we can have a look. It could be a simple case of sealing a gap with some silicone.

I will assist further when you can get back to us.  

Jacob

[jennyv]

Hi Jacob,

Thank you for your response. 

The water leak only happens when it rains, although we do get condensation too in other parts of the apartment.

As we are located on level 1, unfortunately it is not possible to obtain photos from the outside of the window. I can see a gap between the window frame and the pelmet that runs across the whole way. Please see attached photo.

We have some Selleys No More Gaps and have started filling the gap in - is this ok?

Kind regards

Jenny

 

[JacobZ]

Hi @jennyv,

Unfortunately, it really has to be dealt with from the outside. If you were to seal up the inside of the gap, it would still find its way through the gap on the outside; it just wouldn't pass through the gap on the inside, meaning it would sit inside the frame around the window, which would just be transferring the issue from one location to another. As it stands, the water having somewhere to drain to that you can wipe up is better than it being concealed in a wall where it could be rotting away timber or rusting fittings.

Are you in a Body Corporate apartment?

If so, then this may have to be dealt with through your Body Corporate, as windows, forming part of the exterior of the property, are generally the responsibility of the Body Corporate.

As a leak like this can lead to further issues, it would be important for them to deal with it promptly.

Let me know what you think.

Jacob