After a Capital Region winter, check weep holes, clear sliding door tracks, rinse road salt off door bottoms, inspect sills for rot from ice buildup, and check exterior caulk joints that freeze-thaw cycling has opened. Most items take under twenty minutes and cost nothing.
Winter here is hard on the openings in a building. Roughly a hundred freeze-thaw cycles, sixty inches of snow, and months of road salt all leave evidence, and spring is when that evidence is easiest to find and cheapest to address.
None of this takes long and most of it is free.
The checklist
- Clear the weep holes at the bottom of every window and storm window. These are small slots on the exterior sill that let condensation and rain drain out. Blocked weeps hold water against the sill, which is exactly where rot starts.
- Vacuum sliding door and sliding window tracks. Winter grit and salt in the track destroys rollers, and this is the single highest-value five minutes on the list.
- Rinse the bottom of every exterior door with fresh water. Road salt residue sits at the bottom edge all winter and is what corrodes a steel door from the bottom up.
- Probe window sills and door jambs at the corners with a screwdriver. Soft wood found in April is a cheap repair. Found in October it has had another season.
- Inspect the exterior caulk joint around every window and door. Freeze-thaw cycling opens these up, and a failed joint is how water gets behind trim.
- Check the threshold adjustment on every exterior door. Raise it if there is a gap at the sweep.
- Test every window for operation. Stiff sash and failed balances are easier to deal with now than in August.
- Install and inspect screens. Check the mesh, the frames, and whether each screen still fits its own opening.
- Look at the ground outside every basement window. If it slopes toward the house, that is why the basement is damp.
- Clear window wells of leaves and debris, and confirm they still drain.
What winter damage looks like
| Sign | What it means | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Staining on interior trim below a window | Condensation ran off the glass all winter | Address indoor humidity, check the sill |
| Peeling paint on exterior sill | Water sitting on the sill | Check weeps, recaulk, repaint |
| Rust bubbling at the bottom of a steel door | Road salt reached bare steel | No lasting repair, plan replacement |
| Gap opened in exterior caulk | Freeze-thaw movement | Cut out and recaulk |
| Sliding door harder than last fall | Grit worn into the track | Vacuum, clean, adjust rollers |
| Water stain on ceiling near a bay window | Ice dam on the bay roof | Insulate the roof cavity |
| Soft spot in a window sill | Standing water, blocked weeps | Repair now, before another winter |
The one item people always skip
Weep holes. Every exterior window and every exterior storm window has small drainage slots along the bottom of the exterior sill, and their job is to let condensation and any water that gets past the sash drain back outside. They fill with paint, insect debris, pollen and dirt. Once blocked, water collects in the sill channel and sits directly against the wood sill, which is the number one cause of sill rot we find. Clearing them takes a few seconds per window with a thin piece of wire or a small screwdriver. On a house with twenty windows it is a fifteen minute job that prevents a category of damage that costs hundreds of dollars per opening to repair.
Ranges reflect typical Capital Region projects and are for planning only. Every Sundog quote is written, itemized, and free.
Frequently asked questions
What are weep holes and why do they matter?
Small drainage slots along the bottom exterior sill of a window or storm window that let water drain out. When they block with paint, dirt or insect debris, water collects in the sill channel and sits against the wood, which is the leading cause of sill rot. Clearing them takes seconds and prevents expensive repairs.
How do I clean a sliding door track?
Vacuum it thoroughly including the corners, then wipe it with a damp cloth. Do not apply grease or oil, which attracts more grit. If you want a lubricant, use a dry silicone spray on a clean track. Doing this twice a year prevents most premature roller failure.
Should I recaulk around my windows every year?
No, inspect annually and recaulk only where the joint has failed. Good exterior sealant lasts five to fifteen years. Adding a fresh bead over a failed one does not work, because it does not bond to the old sealant. Cut the failed section out and replace it properly.
Why does my steel door have rust at the bottom in spring?
Road salt. Salted snow tracked onto the landing melts against the door and brine sits at the bottom edge all winter. Once the finish is breached, salt reaches bare steel and corrosion starts. Rinsing the bottom with fresh water each spring slows it considerably.
What should I do if I find a soft spot in a window sill?
Address it now rather than after another winter. Minor rot can often be consolidated with epoxy and rebuilt, typically $200 to $800 per opening. Left through another freeze-thaw season it spreads into the jambs and the framing behind, at which point the fix is a full frame replacement.
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