Recommendations for contractors?

Submitted by ladainia4147 t3_10oysxe in pittsburgh

I'm posting this for my mom about her house and really need some recommendations. Her kitchen window has been leaking from the top of it for quite a long time now, and it's clearly been leaking into the wall behind the window. We have no idea how bad it is, but we know that at the very least the kitchen window needs replaced. I'm not sure what kind of work needs done or what kind of company we need to contact, so I'm really hoping for some recommendations! Somebody trusted and reliable with fair pricing - she only works at a gas station and is already financially tight because we needed a new furnace this winter.

I'd really appreciate any help or recommendations at all! We're in Avalon, if that matters

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happyjazzycook t1_j6hqg4y wrote

Where is her house located in the area? Some contractors will only work in specific parts of the city.

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bakuryu69 t1_j6i0gm2 wrote

When you say the window is leaking from the top, do you mean from above the window frame? If you can get a clear idea of where water seems to be leaking and how it is leaking it can help with finding someone. It might be a simple as needing new caulk, or you might need to have the window replaced or if its particularly bad pull the section of the wall around it. If you have any electrical outlets in the areas where you think water is getting in, stop using them as well to be safe.

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ladainia4147 OP t1_j6jhwib wrote

Yeah, it's from above the window itself. You can see when it rains that water drips down from the top of the window frame, but there's no clear indication of where it's actually leaking from. It doesn't just leak from one hole or anything though, water drips down across the entire width of the window.

At the very least, the window itself definitely needs replaced, as well as the frame around it. They're old wooden windows so it's obvious that they're too damaged to be fixed at this point. We're not sure about the wall, we're just able to tell that it's gotten wet because the paint has little cracks and tiny bubbles on it so it's more than likely damaged some too. It's a brick house so we can't tell anything from the outside.

Luckily there aren't any outlets on that wall though, it's just our sink sitting under 2 windows with a cabinet on the wall in the corner

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PGHENGR t1_j6i02sh wrote

Make sure you get someone to actually open up the wall and not just replace the window. There's probably a decent amount of damage if it's been leaking for awhile.

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ladainia4147 OP t1_j6jigyf wrote

That's definitely what we're thinking too. We know it's at least gotten water down into it a bit since you can see the paint has little bubbles right under the window, but we can't tell just how bad it's gotten. She just really doesn't have the money to fix it but at this point there's no choice

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I_Drive_a_shitbox t1_j6iom7w wrote

You can look up @robertsonhomerennovations on Instagram or search for it on Facebook. Sean is his name, very honest and trustworthy guy. Also, a fantastic contractor/carpenter.

I've known him for over 12 years, solid dude. Might be worth it to reach out and see if he can come give you an estimate or maybe he knows someone who is better suited for the job?

Idk I call him for all my projects and he's never let me down.

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ladainia4147 OP t1_j6jhzj5 wrote

Thanks so much, I really appreciate the recommendation!

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1MagnificentMagnolia t1_j6hjqgi wrote

Can she file a claim with her homeowner's insurance? They should have a list of contractors they use.

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ladainia4147 OP t1_j6ji6ol wrote

She said she doesn't think it would be covered, but you know I'm actually going to look into it again myself. She's been paying that for decades now, you'd think basic wear and tear on an old house would be covered

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DennisG47 t1_j6lrymh wrote

Even if they cover it, and I cannot imagine that being the case, she probably has a pretty steep deductible (mine is $1500.)

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