How to Replace Water Damaged Window Sill and Trim

In this video, I fix my rotted wood window sill and trim. Parts of the wood were so saturated with water that they felt like a sponge so I decided to change out all four pieces. I wanted to make sure that this window was water proofed as much as possible so I added a few extra things. To the top I added a rain cap then extra caulking and Flex Tape to seal the window.

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Videos produced by The Fixer are provided for informational purposes only. All material provided within this video is for informational, educational, & entertainment purposes only. Some of these projects, materials, and techniques may not be appropriate for all ages or skill levels. Please use all safety precautions while following any instructions or concepts provided by this video. Viewers must be aware that by doing projects on their homes they are doing it at their own risk and The Fixer cannot be held liable if they cause any damage to their homes. It is the sole responsibility of the viewer to educate themselves on their local codes and regulations before undertaking any sort of project. Always have safety in mind and have fun!

[drebelbisengineering]

I am a professional engineer specializing in forensic engineering for over 30 years. Among other engineering specialties, my practice includes moisture intrusion and resulting damage to the substrate. First, I observed that you correctly diagnosed the problem: water intruding at the head of the window because it lacked flashing to direct water out of the wall. I also observed that the base of the trim along the jamb was sealed. This holds trapped water and rots the trim and the substrate. Seal the sides and the top but not the bottom. I observed that you correctly sealed the substrate (sheathing) with waterproof tape. The greatest problem I observed was the absence of a moisture barrier (Grade D building paper or house wrap, e.g. Tyvek), not a vapor barrier, beneath the shingled siding. Remember that all veneers (siding, shingles like your house has, brick, stucco) leak. Attempts to prevent moisture intrusion by keeping water out of the wall is called the barrier method. As a moisture protection system, it doesn't work. The trick is to create a drainage plane that will intercept the water and carry it to a location where it can drain out. Incidentally, this is required by code. I advise folks that it is not the water you keep out of the wall; it's the water you get out of the wall. I hope this helps and I hope you have successfully solved your water intrusion problem.

[skitzochik]

whoever is behind the camera is doing an excellent job, they anticipate what your audience needs to see and show it accordingly.

[longshooter]

Both you and the camera person are professionals. No cutting corners for you. You do top quality work that could be easily trusted. A rare thing these days.

[BFVsnypEz]

Nice Job, only recommendation I would have, coming from a window install/weather barrier exterior guy, is that the bottom flange/sill of a window should practically never be caulked or taped shut, in fact it's highly recommended to push a few horseshoe shims up under the flange to leave a drain space. On this sort of fix, your best bet without pulling the windows entirely is to at least try to slip that tape up underneath the bottom flange, and then tape the top and sides, that way you also don't end up with an exposed backwards lap/ horizontal extrusion like you have with the bottom tape, which is also a big no-no, even with most real weather barrier systems' tape, because when the glue ages, or if it's not fully adhered, water WILL get behind it. I highly recommend that people not take lightly the process of doing your windows right, because done wrong, water or moisture will 100% be either seeping into your house from around the window, or sitting rotting out your sill. I was doing this work in Washington state, so yeah let's just say I seen some rain a time or two.

[jeanduncan]

This is really helpful and validating about how darn long these "little" jobs take.

[lennyf]

28:55 that hole really should have been pre-drilled. The screw threads are biting into the sill more than they are pulling into the plywood behind it. The general rule is, you drill or nail from the smaller timber into the larger timber, but since you cannot in this case, it's even more important to pre-drill.

[Fireworxs]

*Remember back in the day when High Schools taught a little thing called "Industrial Arts"? Learning how to do this kind of work was part of your education. Today, people rely on Youtube Videos. We live in a weird world*
*This was a good video. Concise & Informative...Thanks* 🔥

[xlnpdpn]

I do appreciate your distinction of working with a table saw and circ saw when alone. Many/most of us will be working alone.

[faridjahed]

Your videos are so addictive
Can't stop watching
I got to do my rotted garage doors with bondo

[bjlong]

First time watcher. You have great delivery and explanations without all the unnecessary chit chat. Love how you talk through what you are doing and why as you move through the project. Excellent videography as well. I may have a little confidence now to fix some of my own dry rot. Will check out your other vids as well. Nice job.

[lazybbones]

I never would have thought I could make my own window sill and custom trim. You make everything look so easy, and make so much sense.

[craigsmith]

Great job!
If you do any more windows, leave a gap from the bottom of the shingles and the drip cap. This way water won't wick up behind the shakes. I had to redo a couple of mine because they were touching and wicking water up behind the shakes in heavy rains - fortunately I saw it before any permanent damage was done.

[robertmickatavage]

33:30 Glad to see you primed the cut edges (especially the end grain which soaks up water like a sponge). Many new homes are built with carpenters neglecting to do this. As if the painters can prime them after the trim has been nailed ~ not! Eight years later and the trim has to be replaced.. remember, this new growth wood isn’t as tightly grained as the wood homes were built with in the last centuries. I’ve subscribed to your channel!

[citrinwarren]

I'm a home owner/DIY, and working on a window project. You have built my confidence in completing my project. Thanks.

C. H. Warren

[paulpeligri]

Like usual, your work is impeccable and your video is extremely informative and detailed. Great work, Matt.

[skyhawaii]

Great video brother. I see this problem every day of my life as a professional painter. Very few people know how to attack this problem.
Respects

[judithcatlett]

This was a no joke fix it. Nice job. Someone will come along in 100 years and think, someone was not messing around with this repair.

[cejanuary]

I have painted cedar shingles from the 1890s on my house, so I really appreciate this video! You don't see very many tutorials that incorporate what to do with this type of siding.

[Torbox]

Looks great and wow was that trim rotten. Just a suggestion from what I've always been told, the drip cap on top of the top trim should have a 1/4" to 3/8" gap above it so that water can run out easily and won't wik up keeping the bottom of the siding shingles wet.

[henryhoward]

Thank you my friend. I just encountered the same exact thing on gable side window (no rain cap). I was thinking "I'm not sure I can do this repair". Now, I know I can (and will) using your great tips and technique.