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I have 2 questions that have been bothering me lately.
Question #1 – concerning vinyl window installation. I always insert the window with the nailing flange over felt at the bottom and under felt at the sides and top for drainage….but I never apply a sealant to the nailing flange. I got flamed for this by a homeowner recently, but I don’t recall ever seeing anyone do this. Is this something I just missed the boat on? I have installed 150 to 200 windows this way and have never once been called back for leaky windows (air or water), but have I just been lucky?
Question #2 – concerning covering new flatwork in hot weather. In the past I have covered concrete slabs with visqueen to slow down curing time but every time I wound up with a slab that had various discolorations in it and the discolorations took a long, long time to fade. Now in a basement or somewhere that will be covered up with carpet, etc. I guess that would not be a problem, but on a front porch or a garage apron, it sure doesn’t look too good. So I went back to trying to keep it wet with a sprinkler instead of covering it up. What am I doing wrong?
Thanks for your remarks. RayT
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Hi Ray,
Q#1 I always install the felt around the window openning first, carefully molding it to the contours of the studs or jacks. Then I apply a silicone sealant around the entire perimeter and then a press the nailing flange against it to form a good seal. Finally, after the flange is properly nailed on, I use tuck tape around the perimeter, over the flange, overlapping on the sides. You're probably lucky that you haven't had any call backs on the windows. But remember, your siding installation is the first line of defence from leaks and IF it holds up, you shouldn't have any leaks at the windows.
However, it makes an awful difference in the sealing of the house against interior leakage.
Q#2 I'm not familiar with this product, but if it's an additive, it's not uncommon for the chemical discoloration to fade out. I've always relied on covering the exterior concrete with burlap and then spraying to keep it from drying out too fast.
Gabe
*Hasn't anyone ever heard of window flashing? Window flashing is fiber reinforced resin paper, about 8" wide. In California where housewrap is still rare, the application is a strip under the nailing flange at the bottom, strips over the nailing flange at the sides and then the top. The felt goes under the flashing and flange at the bottom and over everywhere else. The path of water from the outside to inside is, therefore, from the felt onto the flange to drain. Any water that makes it all the way around the flange must then make it past the window flashing, too. Housewrap has always made me uncomfortable because I believe in mechanical rather than chemical barriers. Without sealants housewrap does not provide redundancy at openings.
*RayT,
Joseph FuscoView Image
*Actually Mike, I had never heard of window flashing before your posting. (But it sounds like a good idea) Keep in mind when posting that techniques vary greatly from place to place. People around here would find it hard to believe that you don't use housewrap.
*I used bituminous tape on tyvek for the first time recently after reading about it in an FHB article. I was impressed with it. I think in the article they used the tape on the bottom and side flanges but slit the tyvek over the top flange and inserted felt. I just used the tape over the top too because I didnt want to slit the tyvek. Its about 4" wide and I just couldnt see anyway water could get behind it. Only trouble I had was explaining to my supplier what I wanted. Anybody else using this stuff?JonC