The Glazing Joint is the glass to metal joint right around the windowpane.
– Most of these are installed with a standard factory rubber gasket. Over time this gasket:

• dries out
• gets brittle
• shrinks
• allows for water intrusion

– The caulk in a repaired glazing joint can also degrade and allow for water intrusion.

– In the case of a factory gasket we:

• trim the gasket back
• clean the joint
• re-caulk the entire joint around the window

– For a re-caulked joint we:

• remove the existing caulk with a utility knife
• clean the joint
• re-caulk the entire joint around the window

You will frequently see poor repair jobs where someone:

• only caulked the affected corner
• has not removed old caulk

We do not recommend partial caulking repairs, as the caulk will not adhere properly and water can penetrate.

Project materials include:

• TremCo Tremsil
• Dow Corning 795 Silicone Sealant

The Perimeter Joint is the joint around the outside of the window as it connects to the building structure. So, this is generally a metal (from the window frame) to brick, block, stucco, EIFS, etc joint.
– The caulk in these joints can also:

• dry out
• get brittle
• pull apart because of building movement

– In this case, we have the same process:

• remove the existing caulk
• clean the joint with xylene or isopropyl alcohol
• re-caulk the full joint with a masonry silicone caulk or hybrid caulk
• dry tool the joint for neat appearance

Once again, partial repairs are a bad idea.

• This caulk needs to be cut out using a utility knife, and in some cases we are required
  to use an electric tool called a Fein tool to remove the caulk.
• Xylene is the preferred cleaner, but with much of our work in hospitals, we use isopropyl alcohol to avoid the powerful xylene smell.
• When hiring a waterproofing contractor to work on window perimeter joints, please make sure they remove the old caulk first. Caulk needs two clean surfaces for proper adhesion. Having old caulk in the way creates a situation where the caulk is going to fail quickly, and you’ll be right back to square one.

Project materials include:

• Dow Corning 790 Silicone Sealant for Masonry
• Sikaflex 1a Polyurethane Sealant
• Tremco Dymonic FC

Silicone caulk has an approximate lifespan of 20 years, under normal conditions. The polyurethane and hybrid caulks have an approximate lifespan of 7 – 10 years. The blazing Florida sun and long-term heat sometimes reduces this lifespan.