Rain leaking through aluminium window frames — how to seal?
The few rainy days we get, water seeps in along the bottom of the aluminium window frames in one room. The glass itself is fine. Is this a re-sealing job or something structural?
3 answers
Rarely structural — it's almost always one of two things:
- Blocked weep holes. Aluminium windows have small drainage slots on the bottom outer edge of the frame that let trapped water escape. In the UAE they clog with dust and sand, so water backs up and comes *inside* instead. Find them and clear them with a thin wire — this alone fixes a lot of leaks.
- Perished external sealant. The silicone bead where the frame meets the wall dries and cracks in the sun. Rake out the old sealant and re-apply a proper exterior-grade neutral-cure silicone.
Do the weep holes first (free) before anyone sells you a re-sealing job. If it still leaks after that and the sealant is cracked, then re-seal. Only if water is coming from *behind* the frame is it a fitting/waterproofing issue.
Weep holes were completely packed with dust. Cleared them and re-did the outside silicone bead. Next rain — bone dry. Brilliant, thank you.
The same principle applies to any roof/wall glazing leak, not just windows: the water usually gets in at the seal or flashing at the junction, not through the glass, and it often tracks along before it drips inside — so you trace the real entry point and re-seal/re-flash rather than siliconing where it drips. If it's a skylight/rooflight leaking (and maybe fogging), there's a thread on repairing a leaking skylight with the same find-the-flashing logic. Leaks are nearly always the junction, rarely the glass itself.
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