Wood Window Sill Damage
The word wood and shower don't seem to work well in the
same sentence. Wood window sill damage can only be prolonged and rarely
prevented, if the window is located in a shower. This window sill damage
was from years of water splashing on it while someone was using the
shower.
If I was to guess, this bathroom didn't have a shower in it, when it was
built, but later on someone came up with a great idea to install the
shower. I'm sure that the wood window wasn't even a concern at the time.
Now though it seems to be damaged and is a concern, to the current
homeowner.
There is a very good chance that the framing beneath the window and
underneath the bathtub is damaged. There's only one way to find out, how
bad the damage is and that would require the removal of the bathtub and
wallboard surrounding the window.
Home Repair Advice:
1. You can remove the window completely and install a bathroom
ventilation fan in the ceiling.
2. You can replace the existing window with a vinyl window. If you
replace the window, make sure that the window flashing is installed
properly. The small protrusion or window sill area can create future
problems if it was ever to crack or become damaged. Small cracks or gaps
will allow moisture access to the wood framing and this could lead to
wood rot or termite damage.
3. Now what I would do? I would remove the window and relocated it
towards the top of the shower wall. Instead of having a window that's 30
inches wide by 60 inches in height, I would replace it with a window
that's 18 inches in height and 48 inches wide. Try to keep the bottom of
the window at the least 65 inches from the floor.
Any water that splashing off of your body or spraying from the shower
head onto a ledge, shelf or horizontal area, like your window sill, has
the potential to accumulate water and over time seep into any cracks, or
through the grout and sooner or later, working its way towards the wood
framing.