My window was installed in 1998 by Pella and was quite expensive. Pella will only look at the window if I pay a $90 service call which is steep for me. The water is between first and second board before the window seat. If not wiped up will pool on the window seat. I wipe it about three times a day and there is about 1/8 cup water each time. Pella said sounds like it was a cauking problem. Any ideas on what I can do? I am very upset as I am 72 and on a fixed income - I thought if I bought I was buying the best and it would last. I have windows in my home that are from 1945 and are fine. I've become whiney in my old age, haven't I. Joycy

 

I have warned people for years about Pella, but is matters not. This is not what you want to hear. My first reaction is a bad installlation, for which you probably have some recourse. Unfortunately, it may cost you more than they want to fix the problem. Catch 22.

Is this moisture from the inside, condensation on the inside of the windows?? That has to do with humidity in the house, from cooking, lots of house plants, very cold weather in combination with all the above, etc.

I have serviced more than a few clad Pella windows where the outside cladding has pulled away from the glass and water gets behind the cladding. This will eventually rot out the sash frame. This fix involves caulking between the glass and cladding, but may need periodic redo.

 

You really haven't provided enough information to help us figure out what the cause might be. I'm not sure if you have a digital camera or not, but pictures are always helpful so that we can see what you are seeing.

A picture of the interior where it is wet, and also a picture of the window from the outside would be helpful. You have to upload the pictures to a website like photobucket so that they are on the internet. Once they are, you can copy the link to the photos and paste it into your next reply.

It's hard to say where the water is coming from without that information. JustBill has had a hard life dealing with his Pella problems, and gets upset whenever anyone mentions that brand name. So don't use the P word around here any more than you have to. We're not sure if he has any hair left or if he has pulled it all out by now.

You can't blame them for wanting to charge for a service call, since it would probably be 2 hours round trip to just look at it. But I agree with JustBill that regardless of where the leak is coming from, the glass probably needs to be reglazed on the exterior side of the glass where it meets the aluminum with a fine bead of clear silicone. This is something Pella says needs to be inspected yearly, but not many people do it, and it's kind of a loophole for them if they don't want to stand behind it. If you have a favorite painter, perhaps they would be willing to do the caulking for you.

There is also a possibility that if you have ice on the roof, that you have an ice dam that is making water leak in above the window, where it would run down the space between the windows and puddle on the bottom.

 

Thanks so much for your reply. It is too cold to caulk outside now. When it warms up I will try caulking the window or bite the bullet and have "P" come out.

 

I have been installing pella products for many years in the cold northern climates. Many times, i am called upon to diagnose improper installations by our local pella dealer. What you are discribing sounds like a lack of insulation in the area above the head board of the bay. I am guessing, that warm moist air is rising through the head board and then condensing on the cold surface in the space above the bay unit. There may be insulation up there, but it may be sparce. What can happen is, condensation will form ice if there is enough heat loss. Ice will form on the plywood above or on the little bit of insulation that may be there. This can happen for many days, if you have a cold snap. Then, when the temperature warms, the ice turns back to water and looks for a place to go. Any slight pitch toward the house will cause the water to run toward the interior trim. If this water does not come when it rains, or during the summer months, then this could be your problem. Someone suggested that you caulk the glass to the cladding. This won't help at all if the water is coming from the top of the bay window.