The window and door blink

When people think of replacing windows and doors, they simply assume that the old one is taken out and the new one is put in. Chances are if your old window was only a year or two old, this may be the case. But on the other hand, why are you replacing it so quickly? Could you be the last person to not install it correctly? In a new frame, it's fairly easy to put in a window and plumb. But without knowing the basics of flashing, the window replacement you put in is likely to leak and let air in. That's why window installers insist on spending extra money to get the proper flashing suggested by the window manufacturer's specifications. There are some really good products on the market today for window flashing and it would be worth the extra time and money to use them on your replacement window. Let me walk you through proper window flashing and installation. See https://windowsanddoorswhitby.ca

The window area is one of the main areas where walls will leak. As rain collects on the horizontal surfaces of the siding and penetrates through an improperly glazed window, it goes under the moisture barrier and onto the wall. You want to prepare the window opening before the window installation. What I mean by this is that I want to make sure that the window is separated from the original sill, creating a space for moisture to go up the rough sill to find its way out through the sill trim. I cut a piece of sloped siding so that it slopes outward creating positive drainage on the outside of the wall. Therefore, it is important to make the rough opening slightly larger or order replacement windows slightly smaller to accommodate the extra bars.

When flashing windows, you start at the lowest point of the window and work your way up to the highest point of the window, like a ceiling. This way, all the moisture will go down from the flashing to the ground. I like to use the flex wrap for my flashing because I find it creates the best moisture barrier and when you drive a nail through it, the flex wrap automatically seals around the nail. So I cut the bottom or flashing flex rap baseboard twelve inches longer than the rough opening and placed it six inches up either side of the rough jams. Now remove half of the paper from the sticker and stick it so that it adheres tightly to the bottom sill. Push the corners out until you form a small radius at the bottom corners. Now pull out the second half of the sticky paper, fold it over and stick it to the outside of the moisture barrier. This will give you sealed corners where moisture is likely to enter.

Now it's time to install the window. Place the replacement window in the rough slot and center it in the slot. The bottom sill should already be level, so you should be able to press the side of the window and lock it in place. And you want the top of the window sill to be below the house's moisture barrier so it hangs over the top of the window instead of behind it. This will prevent water from flowing under the top flange. Finish nailing the window according to the nailing schedule provided by the window manufacturer. And cover both vertical nail flanges with your flexible protective flashing. You want to extend the flashing at least two inches above the head of the window and at least to the bottom of the flexible casing seal at the bottom of the window.

You are ready to install the final piece of flashing. You want to place this flashing below the moisture barrier so that it adheres to the bare sheets of the house and covers the window flashing beyond the edges of the vertical flashing. Now pull the moisture barrier over the top of the flashing and nail it down. Remember that the flashing will automatically seal around the nails and the moisture barrier over the flashing will send moisture to the floor instead of the wall. Now you are ready to wrap.