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The drywall is water stained directly under the two lower corners of my window. So, I need to figure out where the leak is coming from. What steps should I take?

-The home was built in 1967. The window is on the second story and gets a lot of wind and weather as it is on a gable end.

-I removed the interior trim from the window. I'd like to spray foam the window. Should I wait to determine the cause of the leak or can I go ahead as the leak's origin is invariably on the exterior?

-When I removed the trim at the top of the window I noticed that there were a lot of small bits of pine needles and detritus that had somehow worked their way in. The material appeared to be dry.

-After removing the lower window trim, I noticed that there were a speckles of mold on the drywall-- very few, only a handful. But, obviously water had penetrated.

-The lower storm window sash was open for almost a year. (I just noticed that it was open). The regular lower window sash was closed. Could this be the source of the leak?

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    The problem may not be so much that water is getting in as it cannot get out the way it was intended. Many windows have weep holes so what water does get in has a path back out. These can become blocked, resulting in leaks into the interior. What type (sounds like double hung?) and material are your windows?
    – bcworkz
    Jan 20, 2013 at 18:46
  • Thanks bcworkz. I got up on a ladder and found that the top corner of the window's exterior was rotted and water can penetrate behind it. Also, there was no cap or flashing on the top of the window. The weep holes are probably shot as well.
    – Laxmidi
    Jan 21, 2013 at 15:15

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It turned out that the top corners of the window were rotted and water was penetrating behind it.

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