I have a problem with water entering the foundation walls when there's a driving rain. The house is 4 years old, the exterior of the house is stucco. It is only evident around 3 windows located in different sections of the house. I removed some of the damaged drywall around one of the windows. Removed the wet insulation and repaired all the damage. The exterior of all three windows have been caulked. Obviously I have not corrected the source as the water continues to come in and I believe mold is beginning to form. I would like to hire someone to resolve this once and for all but where should I turn?

Difficult to say without seeing the condition, but I'd suspect the cap flashing over the windows. The first question is whether there is any or not. The second question is whether, if there, it was properly installed.

Thanks for your input. What type of professional do you think I should contact? A window specialist; a stucco pro; home inspector???

Good question. A good experienced mason who does stucco would be one choice, and a good general contractor would be another. Problem is, there are dodos in all fields. Ask for recommendations from people you trust.

Hokie,

sorry to butt in but noticed 'leaky exterior' heading. Mr Hetzel imo is right on, only thing i could add is IF You want, you can get a hose and re-create a wind-blown-rain and run the water against certain/area`s around the window and elsewhere to.......find ALL openings where the water is gettin` in.

Ya say the 3 windows have been caulked but to 'find' where `n how water is till coming in ya may wanna use the hose/water-test, do a small area at a time, slowly, working your way from bottom....up. Maybe hv someone Inside to ogle where the water is coming in and where your squirting it outside, know what i mean?

Point is to find ALL problem areas NOW, so you don`t hv ta keep screwing w/it, and you REALLY dont know who ya need yet, maybe mason/stucco guy, maybe window guy, both `n others? See what i mean, hope my shtt helps a lil.

Unfortunately everything is covered by drywall so we can't actually see where the water is entering only the end result. Because the water also has to seep through the drywall or through the interior caulked seam, it may take a day or two before we actually see the water. I know at some point the drywall will have to be removed but I don't want to do this myself. I'd much rather hire someone who will take responsibility for not only finding the leak but also all the repair work as well.

Before contacting one of the trades to look at the issues you brought up, try to find a certified Thermographer in your area who has experience in building science. Thermography (Infrared Thermal Imaging) is a non- invasive, non- destructive method of detecting temperature anomolies in the exterior envelope. These differences in temperature usually indicate the presence of moisture, making it possible to trace and pinpoint the source of the leaks.

Would these type of folks be found in the yellow pages? Would they also be able to recommend a solution once they located the problem or would that require another contractor? I probably already know the answer to that question. Thanks for the information as this seems to be a non invasive way to go which is preferred.

To locate a Thermographer in your area, start with the yellow pages - building/home inspection services. Try some of the larger real estate agencies in your community. They may know of someone. Several of us have web sites and may be located near you. Do an internet seach on "Thermography", "Infrared Thermal Imaging", "Building Science", or "Stucco/EIFS Inspections".
Depending on what state you live in, the inspector/investigator will be prohibited by law from doing any repair work on the property he/she looks at. This is great protection for the homeowner as it keeps the inspector from "manufacturing work" for himself based on what he says needs to be done. It frees us up to give a totally unbiased report of our findings.
Your original post said the house was 4 years old. Is the exterior envelope traditional Stucco, EIFS or a hybrid. Just wondering what type it is.

Thanks again for all the info. This really sounds promising. As for type of stucco, the only thing I'm sure of is that it is not dryvit. I suspect it is either traditional or some sort of hybrid.

Let us know how it all turns out.

Hokie -
I am not an expert ... but a few stucco homes in our neighborhood, including mine, had the same leaky window problem. I had done a lengthy water test, spraying all around the windows ... no leaks. I had caulked around the windows anyway, and inspected them for any gaps ... didn't see any. But the next time we had a blowing rain, the windows leaked again. I really got suspicious when we got 10" of snow. Three days later when the temperatures warmed up, and the snow was melting, the windows leaked again. I have not gotten up in my attic yet ... but a couple of my neighbors repaired their leaky window problem by going up in the attic and either closing off the soffit vents on that side of the house, or redirecting the vent's airflow. Apparently the rain and snow was blowing through the soffit vents into the attic and running down the wall and funneling to the window area and leaking down through. Sorry I haven't actually fixed mine yet, but it did work for two of my neighbors. Good luck.

Hokie, I agree with Peggy.Have the same problem.Also on carpet inside very wet. Graded the outside so h2o flows away from house.Helped a lot but no cure.Attic seems dry.Roofer suggested h2o blowing under eves running down wall inside.He weatherproofed ridge, no cure but better.Think PeggyA may be on right track.However all stucco porous try coating/painting side of house with waterproof seal and seal eves at juction wall and roof,goodluck

Hokie,

I think opidave's way is the way to go.

If it is leaking from the attic, thermography will be able to spot it. The equipment is very expensive but it is the perfect diagnostic tool. Home inspectors generally don't have this type of equipment, but regularly find this type of problem by carefully observing walls and floors around and under windows. A lot of inspectors are really gadget guys and live and breathe building science and might have the equipment.

Poorly flashed windows, brick, roofs, etc. cause a lot of cosmetic damage, mold, wood rot, etc. There have been several lawsuits related to improperly installed EIFS. Experienced real estate agents may have been forced to deal with solving this nightmare before. Check with a Realtor you trust in addition to all the other suggestions above.

Best of luck

Peggy,
Building products that are made of different materials will shrink and expand at differing rates. If your caulking was note rated for the type of window frame(s) that you have i your house, gaps can occure at the first major temperature drop (or rise). Also, since stucco does allow moisture penetration, to paint it or seal it would trap any moisture that does get behind it. There would be no way for the moisture to escape.
Your post said that when you hads snow thhe leaks showed up. What did the, what did the leaks look like. Was the window sill wet and stained, was it only on the frame, was the wall and floor wet or ??? Were both the left and right sides of the window showing moisture??? It may be a good case of condensation combined with poor insulation.

As far as my window leaks, I have a Great Room with a 19 ft. tall ceiling. There is a row of 3 windows directly above a lower row of 3 windows. All the windows are the same size. I first noticed the problem when I saw puddles of water on the window sills of the lower 3 windows. I put towels on the sills and watched. I could see a small stream of clear water falling from the top of the window frame at the center. It only happens when we have a blowing rain or blowing snow. When the precipitation falls straight down, no leaking occurs. The top row of windows do not leak. My neighbors DID fix their leaking problem simply by redirecting the soffit vents.

Just thought I'd drop a note and let everyone know the cause of my problem has been identified. The worst leak I had happened to be in our laundry room so I decided to tackle it myself since it didn't impact "living" areas. I removed a fair amount of drywall from around the window to find saturated insulation. Removing the insulation I could see through to the flange mounted to the plywood. I went outside and did the water thing. Almost instantly the water was flowing from the top flange. This is a true indication that there is either no flashing or improperly installed flashing. These are BF Rich windows and the installation for these windows also required an adhesive sealer be installed on the inside of the flange. Frow what I can see, there is no sealer. This is how I plan on fixing this problem.

I do not really want to screw with the exterior stucco so how about just applying a silicone sealant all around the window where the flange meets the exterior plywood. Then blow in some of the expandable foam insulation. This should keep the water between the exterior plywood and stucco and not let it penetrate to the interior side. Any flaws in my idea?

Several problems exist with that method. First sealing to the finished surface of the stucco will not work. It has in it polymers that resist the sealant from sticking. Athough it may work for a short while, as the adhesive failure takes place moisture will wick into the area quite quickly. In fact the tigher the crack the faster the water will enter. second is you need to use a sealant approved by the manufacture of the stucco applied. Silicone is not the proper material to use. That is what the builders are using and it always fails. Proper caulking methods require bead breaker tape or backer rod with the proper sealant applied in an hour glass shape for it to perform properly. Check with the window manufacture to see what methods of sealing are required with their windows. Most likely they will require sill and cap flashings. Seveal of the larger window companies "Anderson and Pella" void their warranties if installed in a stucco home. Good luck

Two quick questions:
How old is the house?
Did you buy it new?

I would not recommend doing what you want to do as a fix. It will not last and may open up other negative issues down the road. If I am visualizing what you are describing, the only long term fix for this condition is to be accomplished from the exterior - that means having to deal with the exterior envelope. I ask the two questions with the thought that you may have the potential for filing a construction defect claim.

In NJ if the house is EIFS you cannot get homeowners insurance with the top carriers. Also if you decide to sell it through a relo company they will not handle it.