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Mold under transom window. From where?

last year

We recently moved into this house, and our inspection report noted that our transom windows should be replaced because the glass panes had become cloudy. Just about a month ago we had the transoms replaced, but today we looked up and saw mold.

Im pretty sure this didnt happen over the last month, but is it safe to assume since we replaced the transoms this should no longer be a problem? I guess the seals were broken.

Is there something else that should be checked?

The window company replacing the transoms didnt mention anything to us.

Featured Answer

PRO

Windows on Washington Ltd

last year

Ah...I see the leak you are referring to. Need to see some pictures from outside, but its possible there is a seal that is no longer intact. It is also possible that the cladding on that window is poorly designed (assuming its an aluminum clad wood window) and you should start budgeting for replacement windows sooner than later.

Comments (9)

PRO
Windows on Washington Ltd
last year
True divided lites...expensive. Typically, as a representative sample, if you start having several failures in a given window, more are coming down the pike. That said, there is nothing you can really do to cut off the failures at the pass.
millworkman
last year
They replaced just the transoms? Frame and all? How are they flashed? You have water leaking in. Take a better pic from the exterior and maybe we may see something but probably need to remove the siding and the interior finishes and reinstall the windows with the flashing correctly installed.
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notnyc
Original Author
last year
This is a photo from the exterior
notnyc
Original Author
last year
From a roofing/gutters standpoint, I dont think I have a drip edge. This whole area is kind of flat and theres not much to divert water away from the windows and house. Thoughts?
PRO
toddinmn
last year
Hard to tell by the pics, the fascia board on top of the siding is interesting.

The transoms can still be be problem, did they replace just the glass or the window sash? They may have solved one problem and created another.

The problem could start at the roof exposing flaws in the flashing, it could ne just the flashing or the transom itself. kind of hard to tell by the pics.
notnyc thanked toddinmn
notnyc
Original Author
last year
I’m new to window terminology, but I am pretty sure they replaced the whole sash. It was replaced barely two months ago and with this amount of wood rot, this had to have happened with the old transoms.

what do you mean could start at the roof? Because there is no overhang?
PRO
toddinmn
last year
I meant the roof since water goes down , probaly not the cause though. Could be the flasing or lack of since water will get behind the siding . Might also be the window or how they insalled it. Pretty hard to decipher from the pics.
cat_ky
last year
Seems the old ones needed to be replaced for a reason, and now the new ones are also getting damaged. That water had to be coming in there for quite a while, and thats why the others had to be replaced. The water intrusion problem wasnt fixed, so water is still coming in just like it did before. Call, a good window company, and have them come out and see if it needs sealing anywhere. If all is good there, then someone needs to inspect higher up.

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