Window Resealing after an Earthquake

Since it's Friday, let's talk about something besides Autodesk technology.

In 2015 we replaced all of the windows in our home. In addition to reducing our energy costs, the circular window in our family room leaked, and we wanted to remedy that. We have been very happy with our new windows. At the end of 2017, our energy costs were 51% of what they once were. So imagine our surprise when my wife recently cleaned the windows, and she discovered that that same window had a leak.

When I inspected the window I saw:

We know the window was not in that condition when the installers completed the job in 2015. In fact, here's a picture from 2016:

The trim used to be fully contiguous and completely sealed. So what happened? Our best guess is:

April 2018

As far as earthquake damage goes, this is a trivial matter and is easily fixable.

• I purchased some DAP Kwik Seal Plus from our local hardware store. I love that we have a hardware store that is walking distance from our home.

  

  I picked this sealant because it is paintable.

• Though the sealant was white when applied, it dried clear.

  

• To finish the job, I applied some paint in the trim color, but oops, I started to paint too much.

  

  Only the front face (X/Y plane) of the trim is the trim color. The thickness (Z dimension) is the siding color.

• Fortunately, in addition to having some trim paint on hand, I also had some on hand in the siding color. It was a quick fix, since I had only painted the top portion when I realized my mistake.

  

  Over time, the newly painted siding will fade to match the rest of the siding.

The problem has been corrected, but it is sobering to know that even the smallest of earthquakes has enough force to jostle a house such that the window framing can become misshapen. Don't mess with Mother Nature.

Resealing is alive in the lab.