What Damage Occurs From Leaking Windows

Water Damage

• Water damage is probably the most obvious problem caused by a leaking window. When water comes through a window, it gets on the items inside that the window should be protecting. This quickly turns into wet carpeting, wet furniture, wet clothing, wet valuables, wet books and papers and water stains on your paint and walls.

Structural Damage

• In some cases, the leak may not be evident on the outside of your walls or home but may be doing serious damage to your house's structure. Rot can destroy the wood that is located within the walls of your home and can cause damage to essential structural components, such as the the frame or wall studs. Water damage and rot in the interior structure of a home can be a serious problem that will lead to expensive repairs.

Mold and Mildew

• Remember all those items that got wet when the water leaked into your home through the window? If you do not dry them properly, that moisture can lead to mold and mildew problems. Mold grows in moist, damp areas. If your carpeting, bedding, furniture or even walls do not dry out properly, your items will mildew and mold will grow. Mold can cause a wide assortment of health problems as well as destroy your stuff.

Heating and Cooling

• You may not immediately consider increased heating and cooling costs to be a form of damage, but when the cooled or heated air you are paying for is escaping right out the leaky window, you are definitely doing some unnecessary damage to your finances. Furthermore, your heating and cooling system is going to have to work harder to maintain temperatures in your home, leading to additional wear and tear that can shorten the system's useful life span and rack up plenty of repair bills in the process.