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This is the fenestration episode of Building Resilience: Installing vinyl windows and a three-panel multislide patio door unit
00:00 Introduction to the show
02:15 Window Installation Tips
04:08 Multislide patio door installation
PRO Window Tips:
Windows are made out of all kinds of materials, including vinyl. And there are a few reasons why vinyl windows are worth considering. Well, the first is they don't rot. Vinyl doesn't rot. And if we're putting a window on the outside of a structure where it's exposed to all the elements, having something that doesn't rot easily or at all is probably a good idea.
The other is vinyl is a poor conductor. It doesn't transfer energy very well, which makes it very energy efficient for a fairly low price point. And that same property also means that it's very condensation resistant. Both are bonuses.
The other is that vinyl is a fairly resource-efficient material, and it is also very lightweight. And on the install side, having a lightweight frame, well, that's a good thing.
Now, windows can also be made, uh, poorly. So whether it's wood or fiberglass or vinyl, selecting a high-quality, a well-made unit is really what matters most.
The other half of making sure that your window doesn't leak is the installation. And over the years, we've worked hard to come up with some methods that we think, uh, make for a more successful window install.
So first, we take the sash out of the frame. Why? Because this makes the whole operation much easier. The frame is fairly light, and it's easy to maneuver and square up without also trying to manhandle that glass. And when you're working one or two or three stories up, well, especially when you get to Triple glaze, those units get pretty heavy. So step one is to take the sash out of the frame.
The second bit is to level your sill first. So we start by shimming and doing whatever we need to so that we have a nice level surface to set the frame on. This makes squaring the window also much easier.
The third thing is that we tape our sheathing to our framing so we get a nice airtight seal all the way around the unit.
The fourth thing is we apply a bead of sealant to the outside of the opening on three sides: the two sides and the top, not the bottom. When we set the window, that flashing flange or nailing flange is going to seat itself in that adhesive, giving us a good seal on the backside of that flange.
Five, when we go to seal the face of the window, we're going to use our flashing tapes, and we're going to go from the sheeting over that flange and onto the frame of the unit itself. And this is super critical because that little nailing flange or flashing flange thing, it sits in a little groove, and that is not a watertight connection. So it's absolutely critical that you bring your tape from the sheathing over the top of that flange and onto the frame itself. And that is how you get a watertight seal.
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