Hello!
It looks like the builders never installed J-channels around the windows, and we’ve noticed some water coming into the house through the window frame during heavy rain and wind. The internet tells me it’s possible to slide some J-channel under the existing siding but I can only find videos on doing it before the siding goes on.
Any help would be appreciated :)
Edit 1: this only happened one during a very intense rain, not all the time.
Edit: Figured I’d update in case it can help anyone. I got in touch with someone to come take a look, and it turns out these windows have built-in J-channels so that wasn’t the issue at all.
The problem was where the house wrap actually went behind the window, making that J-channel useless basically. While it was still taped across, that’s really the only place water could have come in so there must have been a gap in the seal. So he sliced the wrap, inserted another barrier under it and layered it so that water could never get behind it again.
Also confirmed no water damage/stains around the windows so it’s likely all the water that came in was caught inside by our towels.
If you’re getting water inside, Jchannel is probably the least of your concerns. Something isn’t sealed correctly. Unfortunately, if you have water getting in, you have water in your wall. Even if you seal the window, you could end up with a mold issue.
If it was me, I’d pull the window, ensure all flashing and housewrap is in place, the reseat the window in a thick bead of silicone. Assuming the window is still in good shape. Otherwise, a new window is needed. Once the window is in place, trim, jchannel, and siding would be put back.
Once the window is properly installed, I’d focus on the inside. Pull the trim and drywall around the window, letting it air out for a day then coat the inside sheeting with mold killing primer. New insulation would be added before new drywall is put in. Then mud, sand, paint, and reinstall the trim.
It’s a decent amount of work, but not insurmountable. My concern is, if it was installed incorrectly, chances are, your other windows were too. I’m not trying to be doom and gloom here, just trying to forewarn you. It’s something to keep an eye on.
All of this is assuming the problem isn’t something like a window left open or something like that.
Thank you so much for all the info! Scarier than I thought, I’ll admit, but better to find out now than in 10 years.