Why Properly Flashing Around Your Window Is Important

Windows are an essential component of the house you live in. As intermediaries between the outside and inside of your home, windows are especially vulnerable to large amounts of moisture. Any water damage around a window indicates that the frame is not functioning correctly or that water from the outside of the home is leaking inside—which will eventually cause the wood around your window frame to rot. SFW Construction provides home window frame repairs, so if you have a window frame that is rotting, it needs professional care. Please contact us.

Signs Of A Rotting Window Frame

Most of us are familiar with the advanced signs of rotting window frames and window sills in older homes:

  • The paint is cracked or peeled, the wood surfaces are irregular.
  • There are large crevices or cracks and places where the wood is crumbling.
  • Rotting wood around window frames are sometimes so damaged that you can tear off chunks of wood with your bare hands.
  • If the rotting wood around your window is this obvious, then you don’t need any specific advice on what signs to look for—because you can see the dry rot.

Some Signs Are Not So Obvious

In many cases, rotting wood around a window frame does not drastically change the appearance of the frame or sill. However, there are a few key signs to look for. If the window frame is even slightly discolored, this can indicate excessive moisture or window mold, representing a severe health concern. Leaks allowing moisture to impact your window frame can cause the wood to rot and the window to malfunction. Any excessive moisture in or around your window frame can cause the wood to rot because that’s how moisture affects wood, especially if it is untreated.

Does The Window Frame Have A “Spongy” Feel

Another reliable way to check if your window frame is rotting is to inspect the frame by pressing your fingers around the entire frame to see if there is a spongy feel to the wood. If so, you’ve got rot. Your window sill is very susceptible to rot because, if there is a leak, water can collect on it and cause wood to rot. So inspecting the window sill with attention to detail is essential.

The Window Doesn’t Open Or Close Properly

A window that will not open or close properly is another sign of rotting wood. Gaps in the corner joints of the window frame also indicate that water damage has compromised the structure and integrity of the wood. Remember that any unsealed area of a window frame may allow moisture and cause wood to rot.

Rotting wood around a window frame can also be caused by excessive moisture in the inner walls around your window and frame, which you will not be able to see until you take the window frame out. Leaks in other parts of your home may damage your window frames when they get inside your siding, so it’s essential to diagnose the cause of the leak and have it fixed properly.

Your Best Solution For Rotting Wood Around A Window

When the wood around a window is rotted, it will need to be replaced. Tackling this arduous job, as well as determining the leakage areas that have caused the moisture to penetrate your home, are most readily and effectively accomplished by trained professionals. SFW Construction has been in the business of dry rot repair, rotted wood removal, siding repair, and general carpentry for over a decade. We deal with rotting wood all the time and the know-how to resolve the problem decisively to create a long-lasting benefit to your home.

Retrofit Insert -vs- Full Frame Replacement

Most people want to save money, and with window frame problems, a retrofit insert is a much quicker and cheaper way to go. But if you’ve got rotting wood in your window frame, it’s not at all effective in the long term. The most reliable and long-lasting fix for rotting wood is a full-frame replacement because all the damaged wood is updated with 100% sturdy wood. Once that is complete, we can correctly insert flashing to seal proof of any previous leaks.

SFW Construction will go over our inspection with you and give you an accurate account of the damage to your window frame so that you can make the choice that’s best for you.

Window Flashing Is Your Best Protection To Rotting Window Frames

The primary thing that keeps the moisture out of your home around a window frame is proper window flashing. Integrating window flashing with the housewrap is a technical job that benefits from the prowess of professional experience and service that SFW Construction has provided to our customers for years. Installing the window flashing properly is essential to keeping the moisture out and maintaining the durability and longevity of your window frame.

Siding alone is not sufficient to keep the moisture out of a home. Inevitably, even with the highest quality siding, some moisture will find its way inside and to the housewrap. From there, the moisture can trickle down and settle inside wall cavities or openings in the window frame. Eventually, this will lead to mold and rot. Professional flashing around your window addresses this eventuality and is essential to safeguard the entire window frame component.

Rotting Wood Is A Progressive Problem

Rotting wood tends to spread, so it’s important to address wood rot when you first notice it. Dry rot is a kind of wood rot caused by a fungus that thrives on damp wood, and may grow on the inside or external surfaces of your window frame. The dry rot fungus is spawned by spores that infest the wood and deteriorate it over time. Dry rot will spread to any available source of damp wood and must be removed entirely to halt its growth.

Rotting Wood And Mold Are Health Risks

Another crucial problem associated with rotting wood around a window frame is that it may be accompanied by mold, which is a health concern for people who live in the house. Persons with sensitivity to mold, compromised immune systems, or existing conditions such as asthma may have highly allergic responses to mold, including respiratory infections. Common symptoms of mold exposure include sore throat and cough, nasal congestion, difficulty breathing and excessive sneezing. In general, damp indoor environments are not healthy, and they tend to cause mold, which a widely known health concern.

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