Leaking window?? How on earth do I fix this...?!

[Nomakeupselfish]

Hoping someone can help me. I have a small single pane window in my kitchen that I think is leaking. The plaster on the internal wall around it is bubbly in places and the paint is starting to peel off. The window itself is double glazed but pretty old now. It seems quite loose in the frame but here is never any water on window ledge.

Externally the wall is brick covered in render (? Not sure if this is the correct term) there are a few cracks in this also.

Now, due to a seriously lacking in DIY skills DP and low budget, I am going to attempt to fix this myself. But where to start? What materials do I need. Would filling in the cracks on the render and sealing the window be enough? Arghhh! I have absolutely no idea.....

You can get silicone stuff (you'll need to borrow or buy a mastic gun to apply it) in a tube for a couple of pounds that you can apply between the frame and the glass that will seal it, the water might be coming in there if the glass in loose in the frame. Get the clear stuff and apply it in a thin line bwteen the frame and glass and then run your finger along to push it into the space. Also worth sealing over any cracks with some exterior filler? Sometimes its really hard to know where the water is coming in but worth trying these quick and easy -Good luck!

Thankyou! I will try this at the weekend. I'm worried if I leave it too long it will become a massive and expensive job.

What kind of filler would I need for the exterior render? A trip to b&q is due I think....

And then, I'll have to fix the plaster inside around the window. Oh how I wish I had a handy man....

Is it a plastic window or wood?

Does it just get wet on rainy days?

How old is the house?

Is there a leaky gutter or drainpipe above it?

Or a bathroom that might have a leak?

Hi Pigletjohn - it's a plastic window, doesn't actually appear to get wet on the inside at all other than the plaster around it being bubbly in places. We're in a flat, ground floor, so I don't reckon the guttering would matter but in any case I can't see any sign of a leak. The building is about 50 years old I think....

Oh and upstairs is our neighbours kitchen but she has no leaks - her sink/ washing machine are not in that area of the kitchen at all.

have a careful look at the lintel above the window. There may be a ledge that rainwater lies on. Or there might be gaps around the window. You can pull the ornamental plastic trim or architrave off the inside to look.

Or there could be cracked and loose render that rain gets behind. Bang it and see if it falls off sounds hollow.

Not much point using sealant until you know where the defect is.

Like tiger says, with a tube of that silicon stuff. It did the job with our window during the storms. The hole wasn't actually by where the leak was though, so you may have to investigate to check you get all the problem filled in. Ours was behind a ledge and once we knew where it was it was quite easy to sort out.

Thanks all, I will investigate over the weekend. Pouring down just now - hope it dries up!