I my vinyl windows there is a black caulk-like strip around the outside of the window. On some of the windows this caulk-like strip has cracked and pealed away.
I would like to re-caulk if possible. Does anyone know what this stuff is called?
Is there really a break in the seal or did only the squeeze-out around the frame come off the glass surface w/ time? Unless you have actually had a failure of the window seal, I'd wonder if it would be only a cosmetic "repair" you'll be making, not anything that will matter functionally. And, if it is an actual leak path, how old are the windows and were you original purchaser or was there a transferrable warranty? Might be worth checking--some of the better ones had pretty long warranty periods.
If you do need/want to go ahead, you can find black caulks suitable for the purpose to at least reasonably match the color.
We had a storm here about a week ago. The wind was roughly 80km/h (49 mph). Water was leaking from the wood that surrounds the vinyl window. This is the wood that touches the window. The actual leak inside was between that piece of wood and the frame around the wall. The vinyl part of the window wasn't leaking.
It seems that the caulk around the outside of window had failed because it is cracking and in some places it is gone.
I figure the high wind that was beating on the window was driving the rain into the small gaps? This is the first time that window has leaked. It was rained before without any problems. It just seems that the high wind is the only difference from other times it had rained.
Wind can certainly drive rain water directly into very small gaps and cracks. However, bear in mind that wind can also blow water into areas that might normally be sheltered -- from there, the water can drip down and cause problems via an indirect route.
Sometimes it's really hard to figure out the real path of the water. Making a *really* careful visual examination is the first step.
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