Gaps above window frames?
Posted by admin on Jul 8, 2010
I recently had a contractor out to do some work and he had his crew caulk the tops of most of my windows because, he said, there were gaps there where the siding didn’t come all the way down to the frames. The caulk is on thick and he described the gaps as "gaping holes." (He didn’t ask for any additional money to do this, although it was not part of the work I’d hired him for.)
I had never noticed "gaping holes" before, but the tops of most of the windows aren’t easily visible from ground level. The three windows low enough that I can see without a ladder show no gaps (and did not get caulked.)
This is a wood-frame house with asbestos-cement siding and wooden windows. The house is about 60 years old, but I don’t know if the windows are original. My question is, would any significant gaps be the result of poor installation, or could they have developed later? And if later, what could cause gaps along the tops but not affect the sides or bottoms? Or is it possible that what a contractor might describe as a "gaping hole" would look to me like a trivial separation and not be major at all?
The house has experienced some foundation settlement over the years, but nothing dramatic or unusual for its age, to the best of my knowledge. It also has no overhang from the roof, so any rain that doesn’t go into the gutter falls just an inch or two from the siding at most, and I have had recurrent issues with rain going behind the gutters … possibly rotting the tops of the frames? (That has been a problem with one window, but not that I was aware of with the others.)
I don’t know if either of those things has anything to do with it.
Of the three windows that I noted show no gaps, two are on walls on a porch under a roof and protected from the rainwater much better than the others. The third, however, is not.
Normally, when houses were sided with asbestos shingles, the only thing between the shingles & the wood board sheathing was tar paper.
Any gap between the shingle & the trim around doors & windows requires sealing. Gaps of 1/8" may be considered gaping by some.
Wood shrinks & tar paper dries out & cracks, so any caulking that was applied, will be beneficial.
If you have experienced previous issues with water leaking around window trim, it may be that the trim is warped & should be replaced.
It is a bit difficult sifting through the what-ifs without seeing the windows in question.
Good luck…
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Yes, settling of the house could cause some separation between the window frames and siding. ‘Gaping’ is subject to scrutiny, but if the contractor caulked the seams pro bono, I’d keep him in mind for future repairs or reference for a friend or neighbor. His foresight may save you some money on future heating bills.
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Make sure that they all get caulked,protect from moisture and rotting in the future,when a painter pressure wash a house they clean the windows on the porch also
References :
R.C. Pro master painter 30years exp.
Normally, when houses were sided with asbestos shingles, the only thing between the shingles & the wood board sheathing was tar paper.
Any gap between the shingle & the trim around doors & windows requires sealing. Gaps of 1/8" may be considered gaping by some.
Wood shrinks & tar paper dries out & cracks, so any caulking that was applied, will be beneficial.
If you have experienced previous issues with water leaking around window trim, it may be that the trim is warped & should be replaced.
It is a bit difficult sifting through the what-ifs without seeing the windows in question.
Good luck…
References :
One thing to watch out for is that the caulking was not applied at a seem that is designed to allow water to escape from behind the shingles. If you imagine how shingles work, you can easily understand that you would not want to caulk the bottom of a shingle to the one below it, as this would not allow water that got behind that shingle from draining outward. Depending on the moisture barrier details of your house, the point where the shingles meet the top of the window frame might be one of these cases, I would have to see it to be sure. Your contractor may have been trying to be helpful, but may have in fact put a monkey wrench in the water shedding properties of your wall. I would have a window contractor out to take a look at it, the cost would be worth the piece of mind. Hopefully the case I am imagining is not what you have….
References :