On an inspection that I did today, in rainy weather, I lifted up a 4 sale sign that was on the window sill, and saw standing water in the window track. It looks like rain blows in through the screen, and travels along the window track to the interior track of the fixed window. Is this normal? What is the weep screed for?

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Ron Bishop
Shasta Lake, Ca.

It's normal for a lot of windows. Just make sure the weepholes are clear or the water will run inward onto the sill.

Sometimes the holes are visible and sometimes they aren't. Usually, I just check the sills for water damage and if there's none you have to assume the holes are working. And also check them from the outside. As a side note on new construction I regularly scrape mortar/grout out of the holes that was slopped over when the stone siding was installed.

I'm slightly confused by your description as that photo appears to show a slider window and that is the track area where the slider opens to. Yet, you said it was a fixed window ... with a track ... ????

*IF* that is a track for a slider, then, yes, it is normal for water to get in there as it is just like a sliding glass door - water enters the track under the slider and flows to the fixed side. Weep holes are *supposed* to be there to allow the water to drain out to the outdoors.

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Jerry Peck, Construction / Litigation Consultant
Construction Litigation Consultants, LLC ( www.ConstructionLitigationConsultants.com )

Thank you

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Ron Bishop
Shasta Lake, Ca.

I don't know if this is anything or not, but I can not remember ever seeing the movable window in the outside track. Could the windows be in the wrong tracks? If they are, would that cause a problem?

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Rick Cantrell
Columbus GA

Rick,

As best I can tell from the photo, the photo was taken from inside to outside, with the slider not shown at the right in the photo, and the fixed window is what you are looking at / through.

I've never seen a slider with the slider on the outside either, but, if one were designed that way, the water in the track would all be outside the full dam between the slider and the fixed window and would all drain outside. There would be no water building up inside. Seems to me that it would work better for resisting water entry, however, with the slider outside, the slider would not be able to open all the way as the handle would need to be left graspable from inside. With the slider inside, the slider can open to expose half of the window opening, that gains, what, maybe 1 to 1-1/2" in opening?

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Jerry Peck, Construction / Litigation Consultant
Construction Litigation Consultants, LLC ( www.ConstructionLitigationConsultants.com )

I've seen them installed with the slider on the outside. It's backwards and wrong.

It is "backwards and wrong" if not designed that way, but, the question was (my question was) 'they could be designed that way, could they not' in which case they would not be wrong - might actually be made better?

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Jerry Peck, Construction / Litigation Consultant
Construction Litigation Consultants, LLC ( www.ConstructionLitigationConsultants.com )

Had sen one actually made with the slider on the outside. Maker claims better drainage, and better sealing under high wind conditions. As I recall, it was not a manufacturer I recognized.