Water coming from Top window

[Daniel Suarez]

Hey All, 

Pretty bad rain here today and I realized that water is coming from the top of the window (see picture) Any idea of where that must be coming from? What kind of professional should I hire to help me investigate (or is it something I can do) I'm thinking a loose siding? or maybe dirty gutters letting water in? 

By the way this window faces west from inside the house towards the street directly. It is in the main floor of the house (middle between top and basement)

I have exactly the same problem in the basement even though there is a deck on top but that's a different matter.

Thanks in advanced. 

[Jim K.]

Originally posted by @Daniel Suarez:

Thanks everyone for your help. This are the photos from outside. I can tell that the water is coming through that panel above the window so maybe just caulking will be sufficient? Which kind of professional would you recommend for looking at this problem? a window repair person?

 Your quickest and easiest solution would most likely be you on a ladder with a caulk gun, a couple tubes of clear 100% silicone caulk, and a roll of paper towels to wipe your finger, Daniel. Barring that, hire a general handyman service. Something is funny up there and water is getting in. Push enough silicone guaranteed for 30 years into whatever crack or gap you find in the trim or the sills and you're most likely set for the life of the rental. Make sure you caulk the top window while you're up there, too.

There's a small chance that it's something more serious that a generous amount of silicone won't fix permanently. It's a very small chance. Do your caulking first and monitor the situation carefully to make sure the problem is resolved. If it's not, you'll investigate further, but don't borrow trouble now.

If you bring someone out from a dedicated window or a siding company to look at it, you should know that these types of businesses have a very long history of terrifying homeowners into taking drastic and very expensive action of questionable long-term value.