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There is no need to remove the clap- boards. But you should have one-inch- thick extruded polystyrene rigid insula- tion installed directly over the existing siding not only as added insulation - a perfect time to improve the energy A. Do keep in mind that a properly prepared surface painted with top-qual- ity paint should not need repainting for 10 years or more. And if your house has any interesting features or histori- cal value, covering it with a different siding may not be the best idea. Considering our age, is it worth the additional expense and work involved in removing the clapboards? - Burlington, Vt. Would removing the clapboards take away from the integrity and struc- tural strength of the house? (Continued from page 21) Window sill leak due to improper caulking ...........................‘.......................~...............a the glass does not Q. Last summer, I noticed a leak at the window sill in one of the bedrooms on the second floor. Not being able to locate the source, I called in a roofer who said it was the shingles. Another roofer said the shingles we're fine, but the leak was due to dis- integrating sealant around the win- dows. He applied it to four windows. For sometime afterward, there appeared to be no leaks but now, even during the winter, the wall is damp and the paint peeling. an efficiency of your house and start get- ting some payback on the improvement - but as protection against condensa tion behind the vinyl siding. WINDOW SILL LEAK paint peeling The plastic w 1 glass are w seem Indow arped frames holding but the water a through this attic, sets the insulation, and damages the interior finishes. The damage below the window sill in that one corner alone makes me believe water penetration may be due to improper caulking of the joint between the window frame and the sid- ing or a defect in the window frame They may be totally unrelated. The ceiling damage may be due to water backing up behind an Ice dam this past winter. Did you notice a buildup of ice at the eaves? Snow melt water gets under the shingles and penetrates the attic, sets the insulation, and damages I also have now a mild crack in the ceiling. The house is only 5-years-old. Please advise. - Brampton, Ontario A. The water damage the photo you sent me shows on the ceiling is certain- ly not due to a leaky window, but the damage below the window sill most probably is. (Henri de Marne, a remodeling contractor in Washington, D.C., for many years, is now a housing consul- tant and president of Henri de Marne Associates Inc. Send ques- tions to him in care of this newspa- per. Those of general interest will be answered in this column.) Copyright 1993, United Feature Syndicate, Inc. itself. It may occur only when the wind blows from a certain direction. You could check this out by turning on your garden hose and imitating rain first on the sash itself while someone watches inside and, later that day or the next, by directing the "rain" against the suspicious joint. Write again with more details, if you can provide any, for further analy- sis. lit'