I recently passed by a house being built. All the plywood was installed and some Tyvek was in place. There were no roof shingles installed.
As I drove by, windows were being installed. I found this process to be out of sequence based on the fact that without shingles, the house would leak. I would think that the windows should be installed after the shingles so moisture would not accumulate in the house. The house has only the interior framing in place no dry wall ( I went back and looked).
Would it be better to wait until the roof is on before the windows are installed? My thinking tells me that without any windows installed, the weather (winds and warm air) passing through the house would keep the house dryer especially after a rain.
How’s my thinking on this issue? Thanks
Replies
Depends on how long it's left that way and how much it rains, I suppose.
The roof sheathing is reasonably waterproof, the main hazard being that rainwater that leaks through could pool on the floor sheathing and cause some of it to warp. But that's a risk the builder is apparently willing to take.
Probably more rainwater would come through unfilled window openings than will leak through the roof. So installing the windows is probably wise.
nk
Was the roof papered?
Vinyl or wood windows?
When we framed a long long time ago-we'd set the windows in the walls b/4 we tilted them up. Beats wallowing in the mud. As soon as the roof was framed, we papered it. We were a framing crew-others shingled and sided.
I always roofed before installing windows. Best practice, I think. On the other hand, if the windows are on the job, I install them, roof or no. They're less likely to get legs if they're nailed up.
Windows
Get the roof on!!! But, roofers schedule, window installers busy, it happens. Like stated above, in single wall construction, the windows were installed into the hole when the walls were still on the deck, still done this way on most tract-style homes.
Best option......ROOF!
I agree with gbaune on this one. My first instinct would always be to get the roof done before leaving it. I understand that delays are a part of the game but I would not recommend just leaving a home to be exposed like that. Maybe with this weather you would be lucky, but it’s still a gamble.