Have someone other than your siding guy inspect his work at the windows, please.

Improper flashing when the window was installed & subsequent water intrusion under the siding is possible. Is this window on the side of the house exposed to the prevailing direction of wind-driven rain? Or subject to water from a sprinkling system? Eaves & guttering?

It is on side of house and has limited coverage from roof as a result. It does get rain. I am not knowing where to start or if there is permanent damage. I have a dehumidifier in room right now. When I sniff around the window sill I can smell the musty scent even more. I THINK it smelled more musty after rain yesterday, I don't know anything about window installation. Does the window have to be removed ? Thanks for any help. I have a lot going on with my husband;s serious health issues and am almost in tears right now over this. It is the straw that breaks the camels back.

How can I tell if it is flashing ?

Pictures from the outside, including closeup of the top of the window. If this does not show anything, you have to have the siding pulled back around the window. If the head detail flashing is not correct the window gets pulled and set properly with head flashing.

This is a second story window. Not sure I can get picture, but I will try. I will have to do it from inside and hold camera out the window.

Is the picture straight on or from above the window.

Who would I get to do this work ?

The window contractor or an independent contractor ? I cannot imagine the window contractor will be excited about doing this.

Could it be a defective window ?

Thanks so much !!!

A handyman, small general contractor, maybe the window company if they will. Straight on and also the head of the window looking up. Defective window, very slight chance in my opinion, these things are 98% of the time installation error.

Don't think I can get picture that would help because of height and not having a ladder high enough. In addition, I am scared to climb that high.

What is a reasonable cost ?

Should I also have mold inspection ?

Sorry for all the questions, But I don't have any knowledge of this.

In addition to above questions - do the shutters have to be removed ?

"What is a reasonable cost ?"

No clue, to dependent on location, what the actual issue is, who you hire, etc, etc.

"Should I also have mold inspection ?"

Depends what they find behind the siding and when they remove the window if that becomes necessary.

"do the shutters have to be removed ?"

I would say absolutely they will need to be removed. If the window comes out the interior trim will be off more than likely as well.

All of this is pure speculation as you really have not given us much solid to go with.

Spot on feedback from MWM. Not likely a window issue, probably installation related and who knows how much damage there could be once its opened up. The company that installed this won't be excited to come out as you alluded to, however its their responsibility and they should fix it, assuming that this is under warranty (at only 3 years old it definitely should be).

You do not know who to call: Could you call a local realtor, explain you may have mold issues, does the realtor have a referral in their “Rolodex”?

I used a general contractor, with a couple of CA speciality licenses, he was in the neighborhood working. I asked the homeowner their opinion....they approved. I had termites and dry rot. His trucks advertised,” water damage specialists” or something similar. Call some local “water damage” contractors.

Please do; due diligence before hiring.

In many areas, contractors do not rely on the yellow pages, there are internet referral sites.

Are you in a city, or are you rural?

Rural southeastern Ohio. We are outside city limits.

If I remove the wood under the window sill, would I be able to see if there is mold ?

With COVID and wanting to protect my husband, this could not happen at a worse time. In retrospect, I think this was but now it is obvious.

Well, either you get your home fixed, or you don’t. It won’t (Covid and Mold) go away.

This is not something you can do yourself, you did not mention Covid, you asked for help with a musty smell.

I am sorry, Jim. I do understand the issue needs fixed. I was just stating in passing that the timing was not the best. I guess I was just thinking out loud. I will do whatever I need to do to find someone to fix this,

Tomorrow, call the siding installer, then make 4 more calls, asking for mold/water damage contractors.

Document things.

Google: Due Diligence.

Get er Done. One step at a time. First step tomorrow.

Re covid & having repairs done. Put your husband in the basement, open the windows in question & keep a fan blowing from inside the room to the outside, thru the windows. Keep the workers away from your husband.

Thanks for the advice to everyone.

It means a lot.

Thanks ci-lantro. That is a good idea. He is very vulnerable.

Some additional questions before the installer comes. I want to know what I am talking about and also be prepared to respond to potential attempts to minimize the problem.

The interior wood trim is original and 45 years old. Could that be a factor ?

The smell is VERY real and my husband (who does not have a good sense of smell) can smell the musty odor and can trace it to the window, especially under the trim below the

window ledge. The intensity varies and is more intense following a rain.

The smell was particularly intense recently. Because he has had a difficult time breathing, my husband sleeps in a recliner in the family room and I sleep on the sofa.

We kept the door to the bedroom (where the window is located) closed most of the time. When it was opened, the small was particularly intense.

It decreased somewhat when I placed a dehumidifier in the room. after the last rain.

But what if the smell is not as intense when the installer comes ?

I don't want him to think this is imagined or use his and his employee's inability to smell it as an "out". It is very real.

Should I outright request that he take the window out to examine the interior ?

Thanks for your help.

@rmdenoble, you can request anything you want, but be prepared to pay for the services if reasonable evidence isn’t found to support whatever action you request. Great advice again from MwM, and I agree that is a likely source.

With that said, the fears you are describing are legit. That does happen. You have this issue that you’ve noticed, and when the installer comes to inspect there is no smell to be found. While that can be disheartening, it just means that you need to take some additional steps.

I’d suggest the following:

- have the original installer out. Let them know if your concerns. Have them inspect for that. Ask that they inspect the exterior of the opening for any signs or sources of water infiltration. You could potentially ask for the lower piece of interior casing to be removed as well. If they are resistant to this, gently let them know that you are very sure that this issue exists and you’ll have an independent third party out for a second opinion if they don’t find or address anything. Try to convey that in a non-confrontational manner, as the best case scenario is having them fix this under warranty and on good terms.

- if that doesn’t produce results, follow through on the promise to have someone else out. Don’t call another window company, you’ll end up with a salesman trying to pitch you on replacing these 3 year old windows. Call a specialist in indoor air quality. They will be able to test to either reinforce or debunk the perceived problem, and then help trace the source as well. If that leads back to the window installation then you can take that evidence and request correction from the installer. You may ask that they pay for that IAQ guy‘s services retroactively as well.... OR, if the problem doesn’t lead back to the window, you’d simply proceed in addressing whatever issue is found and let the window guy off the hook... and crazier things have happened. Anecdotally, I was once in a similar situation as the “window guy”. Customer swore up and down that the smell was coming from the window and we needed to fix it, yet upon removal of casings everything was dry as a bone. We later found a massive patch of mold growing in the corner of his closet behind clothes and suitcases that were stacked to the ceiling. He had that addressed and the problem was solved. I still think the window is a likely source here, but be sure to take a planned and measured approach.

Thank you !!!! This is so helpful.

How do I find a bona fide air quality specialist ? I am sorry if this sounds like a stupid question.

Did you make any calls today?

think of the internet as the old days yellow pages.

google: I want a

mold Remediation specialist .

do you know how to use google?

Do a search for indoor air quality testing in your area. A mold specialist may be able to help as well. You may find some overlap if you search both.

Thanks. so much for your help.

Waiting for installer to get back from trip. I got a moisture stick style meter. We had a brief rain. Dry wall below window sill was 13.5 before rain and 16,5 after. Is that significant ? It was a decent rain but not as hard as some we get and brief. Thought it might help to be able to quantify for the installer that there is an issue.

FYI windows are Vinylmax (company in Ohio).

@rmdenoble Did you get it fixed? What was the issue? I have similar problem on my windows :(

@HU-237115088 I’m having the same problem. Did you find out what caused the issue? I’m feeling very hopeless

@rmdenoble @HU-237115088 @HU-22866389 I wonder if any of you have found out the issue of your window? I am dealing with similar issue and hope your past experience can help.

We have the same issue too. 2nd story window. Had a moisture company come out and didn't detect any moisture on the outside. Had it resided with LP Smartside and installers saw nothing. My husband and I just ripped off the trim last night. I can't let my kid in this room anymore. We found one spot. Smack dab in the middle of the window between the two different panes. These are vinyl windows. The pictures actually look worse than in person. Could just this little bit make this big of an odor? Is this the install or the window. We just resided and wondering if they'll have to take the siding out and we'll have to redo that too. We're going to do whatever we need to do. Does anyone with experience think this is a flashing issue? A crack in the window. The water does weep out of the weep holes. It looks darker than it is because I did a bleach wash.

Need to see the exterior. How long ago was it re-sided. This isn't a window "smell". This is from the framing and that mullion being improperly flashed at the head or how the window is connected to the exterior plane.

Why does the first picture of the head of the window look as though it is not square? Looks like the center drops down.

Noting that there is no flashing on the rough opening. How old is the house? Have the windows been replaced?

We resided last year and the windows were installed 10 years ago. The house was built in 1972. You guys are amazing to help and try and figure this out with me. ***This didn't start with the residing. This has been going on for years. The siding actually resolved many of our window issues. This is the last one that we can't seem to get figured out. The crew that did the siding said they never saw anything, yet many of the window smells went away after we resided, like i mentioned.

" The siding actually resolved many of our window issues. "

No, it just masked the issues, kind of like a Band-aid. The issues are and will reappear and be ugly with a capital U when they show up. Obviously the smell is not the window but the moisture issues in the wall quite possibly starting to rot.

CGG:

You need to have every window and door penetration invasively examined by an independent consultant/contractor.

Ok, but we had a moisture test done before we resided. We had the smell-Same issue. The windows that indicated moisture on the outside didn't smell. It's just bizarre. And no moisture was detected. We're just confused. Should we just rip out the sheet rock under the window and just see? It's that top window. Does this mean the moisture will be found in the inside of the house, rather than the outside?

Drip cap above the trim is good on the new siding. Appears to be some lumped up caulking at the mullion. Mullions, especially H-mullions, will leak. That close to the roof line...I'd like to the the roof to soffit connection as well.