Repair Window Sill Behind Siding

You want to keep eight inches off the ground of wet ground contact.

Repair window sill behind siding.

Paint can hide wood rot so poke the siding with the tip of the. But if you plan to surround the window with trim choose 9 in wide flashing to protect behind the seam between the trim and the siding. Get rid of any rotted wood behind the apron and sill. Use your chisel or multitool and get rid of any wood that s rotted crumbling or punky.

If your home has wood siding examine the siding around and beneath the windows for signs of swelling or discoloration. Keep the sill in one piece so you can use it as a model when cutting the new sill. A very common rot would be around your window or lower sills. Before you pry break the caulk seal with a utility knife to avoid leaving wood chips from the trim.

Drill pilot holes every 16 inches or so through the new sill s front and back edges. Do not cut the vinyl off. Use a utility knife and if necessary a hammer to carefully break and remove any caulking or sealant that s binding the old sill to the window frame. Remove the pieces of vinyl siding from around the window area.

Extract nails keeping the vinyl pieces in place in order to prepare vinyl pieces to be removed. Use the crow bar or chisel to slowly pry the windowsill off the window. Even though a hive nestled inside the wood aluminum or vinyl siding is hard to actually reach these are in fact some of the easiest and safest types of nests to get rid of because they require no contact. If the sill was pretty rotted there s a good chance that water worked its way in behind it and rotted siding and possibly even framing members.

Repair any rotten spots on the old sill with epoxy. Run a bead of waterproof marine grade adhesive along the old sill. Siding is often textured and if you slide the tip of the tube along the bumpy texture the bead of caulk will. Pry the trim away from underneath the sill and from both sides of the window with a pry bar.

If you re siding right against the window. Do ride the smooth edge when caulking a seam between a window and textured siding. Common places for bees to hide and build nests include overhangs cracks window frames shutters door frames and underneath the siding. Cut the tape to length with a utility knife and peel a little bit of the backing free and stick it to the top of the window.