When a homeowner calls about a leaking window that was replaced two years ago, the assumption is usually that they were sold a bad unit. Almost always, they weren't. Modern vinyl and fibreglass windows are well-made and heavily tested. What fails is the connection between the window and the wall.
Water arriving at a wall runs downwards, so every layer has to lap over the one below it like roof shingles. The sill pan under the window has to be sealed and sloped outwards, the housewrap above has to lap over the window flange rather than tuck behind it, and the two have to be tied together at the corners. Get the order wrong anywhere along that path and water is quietly directed into the framing instead of back out to daylight.
The second common failure is squaring. A window forced into an opening that isn't square will close and latch on the day it's fitted and then bind as the house moves through a season. Once the sash no longer meets the frame evenly, the weatherstripping stops sealing along its whole length and you get draughts first, water later. Shimming an opening true takes an extra few minutes per window and is the difference between a unit that works for twenty years and one that annoys you by the second winter.
If a window in your house is fogging, draughting or staining the wall below it, the fix usually starts with opening up the trim to see how it was flashed. Call Empire AH Home Improvement at (551) 219-7785 and we'll come and look at it.
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