Hi Robb F,

In short, you need to keep a log book, take picture, and write down everything you say, everything that's said to you, whether it was 'done' in person or via phone, and start a paper trail!!! IF you end up in court w/your builder, the judge won't decide on he-said, she-said. He's gonna want to see SOME effort at documentation. There's no need to 'alert' the BUilder in ANY respect. Just make notes after his visit or phone or inperson phone conversation.

Now, in the meantime, if you have a Warranty on the home, EXERCISE it. Re-read it to see what you're allowed to do and what he must do. Also, consider asking your neighbors (if you're in a sub-developement) if their homes by the same builder have the same problem.

RE: The Great Room Window, it sounds like there is a problem w/the Flashing. It is what keeps water from getting in/under the window frame.

RE: The basement windows, since the window isn't finished, it may be just for that reason that it's leaking. BUT, depending on what you mean by 'not finished', there may be a problem w/the flashing too (but then it could be something else.) Who knows. Tracing water leaks is an art and the 'fix' is sometimes best served by just redoing the whole project. Just start documentating and read your Warranty. I wish I had better news.

My best to ya and hope this helps.

Jay J -Moderator

Robb. I has similar experiences with my home - same symptoms you describe. The 2 problems were not where I thought.
One was caused by a leaking gable vent. The water travelled down the wall and leaked inside under the window, making it seem like the window was the problem. It was not.
The second was caused by a window that was ABOVE the one that seemed to be leaking. The higher one was a half-round window that didn't have the glass sealed to the wood frame. When the wind blew from the right direction, the rain would come in between the glass and the wood, travel down the wall and wet the area around the lower window. Took me years to find, prove, and fix that one because it only happened a couple of times a year.
My advice is: be open minded as to the source of the leak. It could be something you don't suspect. Go outside, get your garden hose, get on a ladder, and spray everything in that wall from every angle. Have somebody inside the house watching for the leak. You should find it.
One more thing: don't wait for the builder to find the problem for you. I described my upper window problem to many people, including experienced builders. Nobody had a clue. The only answer was, "We'd have to open up the wall to find the source for sure." Your builder might have good intentions, and be willing to try again and again. But adding more caulk, etc. here and there and then waiting for the next rain just won't get it. Take the initiative and find the source of the problem yourself before serious damage occurs.

[This message has been edited by rpxlpx (edited August 20, 2001).]

It has been some time. Have you remedied your problem. What kind of windows were in your house? Who was the manufacturer?

Rob, What window brand are they?
Thanks,
Fighter

To be sure of what the problem is, I would suggest you look on the top of the window including the header. I can;t see exactly what is on the outside, but I would check that out all the way to under the soffit, to see if there is no water coming in from there.

The thing is that I see a good overhang on your picture, so I'm not quite sure that the water is coming in from the rain that hits the top of the window. The overhang just seems too wide for any water to hit the top of the window. I get the feeling it is coming in from higher up than the window. From the inside in the attic, you would have trouble seeing it, and I would take a look from outside, right at the top to see if there is not water coming down from the roof where the roof meets the top of the window, nonetheless.
This link http://www.katyhomeremodelingservices.com/ might help you.

I would say it's the installation -- not necessarily the brand of windows. Many window companies get a bad rap when it's not their fault -- it's the builder installing it (or some other part like the siding) wrong.