My friends in the home-repair industry tell me they see an awful lot of post-storm drywall damage from water that came in through open windows. It’s usually not because the homeowner forgot to the close them; it happens when someone thinks the window is shut tight, but it’s not quite.
Older windows and double-hung windows (the ones that you can open both from the top down and the bottom up) are prone to slipping out of the closed position when they are not securely latched.
If you have trouble latching your windows, or if any other window hardware is worn out or causes the window to “stick” when you try to open and close it, get those latches repaired before the storms hit. Driving rain can pour into your house through even a slight opening in the window, and the water can damage your interior walls.
Check to make sure the seal between the window frame and the exterior siding material is tight. Wind driven rain can enter through the smallest of cracks in stucco or between the frame and siding. Completely remove any old deteriorated caulking and replace it with a good high quality, long lasting polyurethane product.
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