I can’t put off installers of new windows much longer…. They are installing alum-clad wood windows, and their SOP is to clad the casing with alum also. Question: Is this a good idea? The alum on the window is extruded, but I worry that cladding on the trim will trap moisture and eventually rot the wood.
SOP also is to use pine for the trim…. Would using cedar for the trim be overkill? Three of the windows (2 casements+picture) are on a wall with brick facade and I worry about moisture wicking from the brick into the trim.
The salesman who sold the windows is no longer with the company, I suspect that will lead to some interesting interactions…..He told me there would be no problem with using foam to insulate the cavities (I have my own foam gun)…..I know, I should have got it in writing….They just stuff FG in there and I’m not spending this much money on windows just to have the air blow around it…… Has anyone used Illbruck foam or know where to get it?
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I don't recommend aluminum cladding for much of anything, but that's only because I see the effects of poorly installed coil stock for trim, constantly. Whenever I replace windows/doors where coil is wrapped around the casings (usually on a house sided with vinyl,) I'm firm and ademont the the replacement trim is a cellular PVC product like Azek or NeverRot. These are available as either standard casing such as brickmold (908 casing) or in 1x boards that can be machined like woord, and like infitately better than aluminum.
For exterior trim that calls for wood replacement, I use cedar - clear - almost exclusively. It wears well and accepts primer/paint well also.
Illbrock foam? Not familiar with it. Anything like this? http://www.energyfederation.org/consumer/default.php/cPath/21_28_1268
"I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul." Invictus, by Henley.
Thanks. I'm leaning towards Azek or cedar trim. The Azek may look too plastic and the mitered corners wouldn't match the existing trim on the other windows. As for pine, I figure all it takes is one leak (a crack in the paint) and it's gone. I presume that's why these pine windows usually come with alum cladding.I have the Pageris gun and Todol foam, I saw a reference to Illbruck on a windows forum. I've also heard of this, Hilti CF812, which is designed to be flexible so gaps won't open up between the foam and the wood as it expands/contracts seasonally:http://www.us.hilti.com/holus/modules/editorial/edit_singlepage.jsp?contentOID=172599I believe there's a cheaper Dow version. The two standards I've heard for foam in fenestration are ASTM C 1620 and AAMA 812.Edit: okay here's the Dow stuff, like Hilti CF812 it's low-pressure (not just low-expansion) so it won't bow the window. http://greatstuff.dow.com/greatstuff/pro/window.htm
Edited 4/28/2006 11:53 pm ET by Taylor