Can you post some pictures of the window and wall in question?

Hi,

Certainly!

This is the side of wall that would need to be redone along with the window replacement and flashing (the portion to the right of the corner and to the left of the chimney)

This is another side where water infiltration is suspected. It was recommended the stucco be broken down and windows replaced including the sliding door below.

This is the interior of the sliding door which prompted the contractor to suggest water infiltration. I don't know enough about construction to know whether this is accurate.

This is what some of the other windows look like.

Leak on the windows above would show at the head jamb of the door. Once it flows behind the stucco. Where did the top window leak? I would look into what is referred to as a "Frame Jump" installation.

We do not see a leak at the window head inside the house. The leak is visible in the living room ceiling which is located about a third of the way down between the top and bottom windows in the first photo (basically where you see the left "shoulder of the chimney").

Yes. I edited my post as I read through yours. Look up Frame Jump installation. Best and cleanest way to do it without disturbing the stucco.

WOW - Being on the east coast and probably not familiar with stucco, a "Frame Jump", "Zee Bar" etc. (it has many names) is not a solution if there is a leak. If it is the window(s), It will continue to leak since the old frame is still there. It may work initially but once the caulking/sealant wears away between the new frame and old frame, the trouble will resurface. Especially on the weather side which is where the problem is.

My recommendation since you are looking at a considerable investment is to determine first and foremost where the leak is coming from. It could be the roof. I have seen that when it seemed that the windows were at fault. Go up into the attic space and look for water intrusion and if none, then move to the windows and do a water test with the windows taped off to isolate the stucco/flashing. If you a certified tester, it can cost several thousand dollars but money well spent if you don't have to tear stucco off and replace windows. Good luck!

Actually we have stucco, albeit not the norm, here on the East Coast as well. Frame jumps, if done properly, will work just fine in this application if the leak is between the original frame and stucco. I am sure you know this as well already, so I am mostly stating this for the board consumers of information that are not as educated on application as you or I are.

If what the consumer can see, i.e. the connection between the stucco and frame, is otherwise well sealed and the caulking/sealant, is intact, the leaks are most often coming (in the case of actual window leaks...as many window leaks are mis-attributed to the windows) from the corners where the window are assembled (most are aluminum) or the weeping system.

Installing a new window, even in a frame jump application, works to abate that issue as it is providing a new "primary" weeping pathway that will empty the contents of the water accumulation OUTSIDE of the old window track.

This only applies to window that are ACTUALLY leaking at that interface. As stated, many "window leaks" are falsely attributed to the window are are from cracks or other roof related issues. In those situations, the source of the water must first be identified because a frame jump in that case, will NOT fix the leak and may actually worsen it by trapping water in the interstitial frame space between the two windows.

Frame jumps do work quite well on actual window leaks at the pathways that are mentioned above (i.e. frame or weeping pathway leaks) by move the water back out to the outermost plane of the home.

Thank you all for the comments, I appreciate it!

Looking at the third photo above, the cracked trim around the sliding door, does this suggest water infiltration? I’m just trying to determine whether the whole stucco wall above really needs to be redone or replacing the second floor windows would be sufficient. There is no other evidence of water leaking on this end as opposed to the other side (first photo) where we do see a section of the living room ceiling bulging.

Thanks again!

At this point, you probably need someone that understands stucco and all of its nuances before you start yanking stuff out.

Windows guys will want to replace windows and while they are sometimes the culprit, you can actually make things much worse if you get the wrong guy in there.