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Free Field Guide

Is it the window — or the wall?

The 7-Point Window Leak Checklist
Jimmy Cruz · Window Testing & Consulting
Free Guide · PDF

Before anyone gets blamed, run the checklist.

Most window "failures" aren't window failures. In this short guide, Jimmy Cruz — who runs an accredited fenestration test laboratory — walks through the 7 questions he asks before a single drop of test water flies, so you can tell a product problem from an installation problem from a wall problem.

Instant download. No spam — one useful email, and you'll hear from Jimmy only if you reply. [Wire form to email service — see docs/deployment.md]

What's Inside

The same first-pass diagnosis a test lab would run

1When does it leak? Rain type, wind direction, and timing — the fastest way to separate window from wall.
2Where does the water show up? Head, jamb, sill, or below — each points to a different failure path.
3Is the window even the right grade? How to read a NAFS label and check it against the building's exposure.
4Was it installed per the instructions? The 4 installation details that cause most "product" failures.
5What does the weep system say? Blocked weeps mimic window failure almost perfectly.
6What has already been "fixed"? Why caulk-everything repairs destroy evidence and often make leaks worse.
7What would a test prove? Which ASTM/AAMA test answers your specific question — and what it costs to guess wrong.

Written for attorneys, property managers, contractors, and owners who need to understand a leak before deciding what — and who — it will take to fix it.

Who Wrote It

Not marketing. Lab experience.

Jimmy Cruz runs the laboratory at FTL, an accredited fenestration test lab, and consults independently on water-intrusion investigations and construction-defect litigation. The checklist in this guide is the same mental model he uses on [hundreds — confirm] of real specimens and site visits.

More about Jimmy

Already past the checklist stage?

If you have an active leak, claim, or case, skip the guide and talk to Jimmy directly.

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