We had a really heavy rain with a lot of wind, and I noticed some water dripping over a basement door between the brick wall and a joist that runs right along the wall. The door has a window directly above it on the first floor and low and behold, the window has a significant gap between the bottom of the frame and the brick. It can see through the gap and there is some wood and what appears to be insulation in places. Picture isn't great, but it gives an idea.

Clearly I need to properly flash and seal this. We've only been in the house 3 years (never really noticed water dripping in the basement previously), but presumably it's been like this since the window was installed (probably 15-20 years). After dealing with the window, should I also be ripping up the interior wall bellow the window and checking for any mold on the insulation or drywall? I haven't seen any wet spots on the wall, and I assume water is only getting in during windy rains where the water would be blowing against the house.

 

Can you provide another pic or two from further back?

 

Here you go. I checked the other windows in the house, and they all have caulking between the window frame and brick on the bottom (and the frame is also closer to the brick). This window seems caulked properly on the sides.

One of the bricks has a chip in it near the back, and I'm thinking that was probably helping water to flow back behind the wall (as the brick is generally slanted away from the house). The gap is probably 1/2 inch and I can see some insulation in places. The insulation looks dirty, but not like pictures I've seen of mold. The wood that is visible also looks dirty (and currently damp). You can barely see it in the first picture I posted. I can't get a camera to focus that close though to get a picture of it.





Here's where I saw the water dripping in the basement (right below this window). You can see the white spot in the center, that's where it was coming out between the foam and the wood.

 

OMG, who does that?

That gap should be cleaned with a wire brush then stuffed with the appropriate size of foam backer rod, then caulk and tool it so that it is concave. You can put masking tape on the brick and on the window to help you not make a mess while you tool it. Typically you want to keep that groove in the window clean. Vulkem 116 would be a good choice.

 

Knowing water can get in there in a bad storm and it’s presumably been like this for years, do I need to check the insulation and drywall under the window for mold? That will obviously be destructive.

No idea how this was installed like this or how the inspector missed it when we purchased the home. It does explain why a cabinet against that wall near the window and the floor under the window seemed so cold in the winter.