No drip cap above casement windows on side of building, is this normal?

[jay]

As discussed before, a few casement windows on the side of my condo experienced some leakage during heavy wind-driven rainy conditions. The v-shaped weather-stripping on top of the sash was worn and flattened, and I'm dealing with this aspect of the issue.

I think that new weather-stripping may be working for now to stop leakage, but something else has me concerned. I had someone take a look at my windows who pointed out to me that my windows do not have any drip caps installed above them. There is a metal flange around the perimeter of the window, including the top. The metal flange is flat, and protrudes outward a little bit, but I'm told that there really should be some type of slanted drip cap to divert water from running down the siding directly onto the gap where the window shuts. My building's siding is vertically oriented, and water really POURS down the side of my building under certain heavy wind-driven rainy conditions.

My Association is giving me resistance, and saying that they would hate to install drip caps only to find out that the windows are the real problem. My opinion is that a drip cap should be present as a first line of defense. I think it is unrealistic for the Association to be expecting casement-style windows on the side of a building to be 100% water-tight when there aren't any drip caps.

Is expecting the casement windows on the side of a building to be 100% watertight a reasonable expectation without any drip caps? Is just the metal flange considered to be sufficient?

Thanks,

J

[Art]

Depends on the brand window. Is it a name brand window?

[jay]

I'm not sure what brand they are. Whomever manufactured them left no identifiable markings. These windows are roughly 17 years old. Someone said they look like Norco, but I don't know if that is really true. The person I spoke with when I called them said it didn't sound like their windows.

J.

[Norminn]

During hurricane? If that is only time it leaked, I would be inclined not to worry about drip caps. Caulk and paint. One of the more interesting effects of hurricane was to read about folks who had water permeating exterior walls of concrete block/stucco. The same kind of walls, but older, leaked less because they had more coats of paint on them :o)

We had a rather bad roofing job done in '97. Lots of shingles falling off, no wind needed. After a number of callbacks, and a couple of major reworks, the contractor had glued down a lot of tabs. Mansard and flat roof. Come hurricane time, it really held on - there are still shingles laying in the streets, and we lost very few compared to neighbors. What was surprising to me was to see concrete tiles removed by wind. Wow! We had a 5' x 15' plastic and aluminum skylight become airborne, and a dock piling move, but that was it.

Has your association considered hurricane shutters? They would probably solve the problem. The frame would probably divert your water, too.

[jay]

No, just during heavy rain when the wind happens to be blowing toward the side of the building.

J.