jim39
01-20-2016, 01:06 PM
Most of my walls have water damage around all the windows. Previous owners tried silicone around the outside with no joy. One window started leaking heavily after a month of rain. I pulled it apart and the rubber seal showed lots of dirt from leaking and the sealant along the top had failed in the past. It was quite easy to determine the cause of the failure. With both sides of the frame screwed down on the bench, it has slightly less than 1 1/2" gap. The wall thickness is 1 1/2". Meaning there is little compression of the rubber seal and constant vibration while driving caused the sealant to separate. Window sealants are not designed as adhesives. I used 4 layers of masking tape around the inner frame and was quite sure that I was getting good compression on the seal. I am not at all sure that will be permanent solution and the bigger windows are going to be a major project to remove. This is clearly a case of Gulf Stream using a window designed for a thicker wall. Have others found this problem and what was the solution?