We are having a problem with the kitchen window leaking. The water is coming in right at the top of the window and the wood above it (on the inside of the house) is being damaged. We haven't called anyone to check it yet, we've been trying to put it off for 2 more weeks until I get my financial aid refund from the university, that way we'll have more cash for whatever the problem is. My husband thinks its the window causing the problem but my mom suggested having the roof checked out. I'm pretty worried if it's the roof that it will cost us more money than we can afford. How likely is it that its just the window? I really want to repair the wood (patch it or something), it looks awful, but I don't want to mess with it until we take care of the leaking.
What about stapling heavy plastic in and or outside the window. depends on how accessible it is.
It is really hard to say what it is without seeing it, but my best guess would be not the window or the roof but the window flashing. The flashing will be under the finish material of the exterior of the wall. It could be metal but it is probably a tar paper based product. Moist Stop is popular today, while Siselkraft was the standard 15 to 20 years ago. You can test with a garden hose on a dry day to see where the water is entering, then analise and repair.
