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PioneerStandard t1_j1p8slx wrote

Google is not lying to you.

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BringsHomeBones OP t1_j1p917k wrote

But it doesn't provide any real shelter from rain and shade that the eaves don't already provide. Unless I'm missing something

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PioneerStandard t1_j1p9d1l wrote

I don't mean to be an ass, but that installation is a classic build method. During inclement weather such a feature shall maintain the integrity of your home.

It was not put there for looks.

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Ok-disaster2022 t1_j1pa8t1 wrote

It's actually amazing how much of an improvement even a small overhang can do for keeping water out.

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BringsHomeBones OP t1_j1paj3z wrote

I'll have to make sure any awning I install provides equal cover.

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bms42 t1_j1rxyw1 wrote

It prevents essentially all wind driven rain from running into the top of the window. It definitely helps. That said, a properly constructed window using modern materials doesn't require this.

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halfevil84 t1_j1pnzr5 wrote

It is stopping rain/ water from entering from top of window and ruining your internal walls me personally would trim it down slightly and build awning above it

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colin294 t1_j1qa79b wrote

Its a drip cap. Not a particularly well constucted one. If its raining, even a slight breeze can blow the rain against the exterior wall and it then runs down the wall. The drip prevents it from flowing into the small gap betwwen the top of ghe window or door and ingo your house

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DeepThinker392 t1_j1qu8wx wrote

Water running down the wall is the issue for older windows. Rain is not the main issue because any water, including from a garden hose or high pressure sprayer, can cause water to run down the wall of your house.

You'll notice the window has a similar ledge on the bottom of it to divert water running down the window away from the bottom edge of the window in order to prevent water from seeping in under the window into the wall. Similarly, this ledge above the window is intended to divert water away from the top edge of the window so it doesn't run down the wall and seep into the wall above the window. These design features are common in older windows that were installed flush with the exterior of the house. In even older buildings, windows were recessed in thicker walls which eliminated the need for these ledges, as long as the lower part of the wall was canted to drain properly.

This water seeping in around windows has historically been a major issue of failure in buildings and was solved in modern construction windows by including a flange as part of the window frame, so any water seeping down the walls is stopped at the flange. It works so well, no one builds these drip ledges anymore.

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[deleted] t1_j1pbima wrote

[removed]

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BringsHomeBones OP t1_j1pnmtb wrote

Not ineffective. But the eaves of the house cover the window further out. Plus, it's the only window in the house that has one.

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