ᐅ Improper installation of windows and doors not meeting standards
Created on: 15 Oct 2020 18:06
H
Hausbau-Sanny
Hello dear fellow home builders!
Since June of this year, we have been building our house using timber frame construction. Due to COVID, we really had a lot of time and were present during every step of the work.
I have two concerns:
1.) Our windows were installed without flashing tape, only foamed in place. I know this is not up to code, and we were absolutely misadvised here; we have no warranty – please don’t lecture me about how we could have done it better. I would simply appreciate if you could suggest solutions for what we can do now without having to remove all the windows again. The interior walls are already plastered and painted, and the connections to the windows are done. On the outside, the primer coat is already applied.
Our wall assembly is as follows:
From outside to inside
60 mm (2.4 inches) Steico wood fiberboards
20 mm (0.8 inches) Steico wood insulation
15 mm (0.6 inches) OSB board (all joints glued with tape)
40 mm (1.6 inches) battens (for the installation level)
15 mm (0.6 inches) OSB board
12 mm (0.5 inches) drywall
Why were we advised so incorrectly? My father-in-law’s former colleague, who is now self-employed selling and installing windows, is convinced – as part of the old school – that the house would become too airtight if the windows are installed with flashing tape. A friend of my father, who installed windows for many years at a well-known window company, shares the same opinion. Every company that visited our construction site was shocked about the windows only being foamed in place. Everyone says the same thing: buildings used to be less airtight, everything was different before. Today, buildings are constructed much tighter. I am really at my wit’s end. My father-in-law is helping us a lot with the build, but it feels like talking to a wall. I begged to have the windows installed with flashing tape – okay, that’s another story…
2.) Next week, our front door will be installed. Currently, we do not have a Purenit base (insulating sub-sill) but a larch wood base that prevented the screed from leaking out. (Our foundation slab has concrete base blocks that are flame-treated, on which the timber frame house stands.) My plan was to remove the larch wood base and have a code-compliant Purenit base installed. I had also ordered this from the mentioned window installer. Today, I get a call from my father-in-law saying he has sorted everything out and that we don’t need a Purenit base – the larch wood base is sufficient. Two hours earlier, the window installer stressed how important the Purenit base is since it has zero give, while with the larch base it can happen that it sags and the door won’t open anymore. I am just completely exhausted – it’s like talking to a wall. Yes, I know we are the homeowners, but when my husband called the window installer again, he said after talking to my father-in-law, no, no, the larch base is fine. Our front door costs $7,000, and “no, no, that’s fine” is not enough for me – a 180-degree change of opinion. I kindly ask, can anyone help me? How important is a Purenit base really? Do you have experience?
Thank you, I am grateful for any advice – this is our first house, and I have tried to inform myself as well as I could.
Best regards
Since June of this year, we have been building our house using timber frame construction. Due to COVID, we really had a lot of time and were present during every step of the work.
I have two concerns:
1.) Our windows were installed without flashing tape, only foamed in place. I know this is not up to code, and we were absolutely misadvised here; we have no warranty – please don’t lecture me about how we could have done it better. I would simply appreciate if you could suggest solutions for what we can do now without having to remove all the windows again. The interior walls are already plastered and painted, and the connections to the windows are done. On the outside, the primer coat is already applied.
Our wall assembly is as follows:
From outside to inside
60 mm (2.4 inches) Steico wood fiberboards
20 mm (0.8 inches) Steico wood insulation
15 mm (0.6 inches) OSB board (all joints glued with tape)
40 mm (1.6 inches) battens (for the installation level)
15 mm (0.6 inches) OSB board
12 mm (0.5 inches) drywall
Why were we advised so incorrectly? My father-in-law’s former colleague, who is now self-employed selling and installing windows, is convinced – as part of the old school – that the house would become too airtight if the windows are installed with flashing tape. A friend of my father, who installed windows for many years at a well-known window company, shares the same opinion. Every company that visited our construction site was shocked about the windows only being foamed in place. Everyone says the same thing: buildings used to be less airtight, everything was different before. Today, buildings are constructed much tighter. I am really at my wit’s end. My father-in-law is helping us a lot with the build, but it feels like talking to a wall. I begged to have the windows installed with flashing tape – okay, that’s another story…
2.) Next week, our front door will be installed. Currently, we do not have a Purenit base (insulating sub-sill) but a larch wood base that prevented the screed from leaking out. (Our foundation slab has concrete base blocks that are flame-treated, on which the timber frame house stands.) My plan was to remove the larch wood base and have a code-compliant Purenit base installed. I had also ordered this from the mentioned window installer. Today, I get a call from my father-in-law saying he has sorted everything out and that we don’t need a Purenit base – the larch wood base is sufficient. Two hours earlier, the window installer stressed how important the Purenit base is since it has zero give, while with the larch base it can happen that it sags and the door won’t open anymore. I am just completely exhausted – it’s like talking to a wall. Yes, I know we are the homeowners, but when my husband called the window installer again, he said after talking to my father-in-law, no, no, the larch base is fine. Our front door costs $7,000, and “no, no, that’s fine” is not enough for me – a 180-degree change of opinion. I kindly ask, can anyone help me? How important is a Purenit base really? Do you have experience?
Thank you, I am grateful for any advice – this is our first house, and I have tried to inform myself as well as I could.
Best regards
bauenmk2020 schrieb:
You often read in the forum: "If the company builds with material XY, you shouldn’t change anything here. Or hire a company that uses the desired material XX" (or something like that). You see this here often because I write a lot. Other users rarely express my credo with similar intensity: "Use the building material your contractor masters effortlessly (or, if a different material is absolutely fixed for you, then find the right contractor for it)." But don’t be misled by my presence here into thinking that other approaches can’t also lead to satisfaction—even with garage interior doors (just not for those without a basement paired with a semi-detached house neighbour who has one).
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
T
Trademark18 Oct 2020 12:5011ant schrieb:
You see this a lot here because I write extensively. Other users rarely express my credo with the same passion: "Choose the building material your contractor knows inside out (or, if you have already firmly decided on a different material, then find the right contractor for that)." But my presence here should not mislead you into thinking that other approaches can’t also be successful – even with intermediate garage doors (just not in basement-less houses paired with a semi-detached house that has a basement). To put it bluntly, this would imply that everything was done correctly here. The window installers of the “old school” used foam insulation, because that is the building material they know inside out.
Trademark schrieb:
The window installers "of the old school" used foam insulation because it’s the material they know like the back of their hand.Installers from the old school still master the installation process and definitely don’t belong to the spray-foam crowd.https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
T
Trademark18 Oct 2020 14:2611ant schrieb:
Installers from the old school still know how to properly install, and definitely don’t belong to the shortcut crowd Almost like window installation for health-conscious people = the genuine old school.
I’m curious how it will go for us. But 7,000 € for a front door is certainly not cheap. Ours will cost about half that, made of solid wood, but without fingerprint recognition. When installing, I wouldn’t just take an “oh, we’ll manage” approach, but rather follow the manufacturer’s recommendations. Given the cost, I would definitely have it professionally installed...
H
hampshire18 Oct 2020 16:36Ask Gaulhofer for an installation recommendation for the front door. Give this to your husband and your father-in-law. State that improper installation may lead to damage and void the warranty.
This would be a factual argument supported by technical expertise. If Gaulhofer has no issues with the wood, I would also have no concerns.
I cannot assess the window installation based on the description alone and without any pictures. Non-compliant with standards does not automatically mean poor quality.
This would be a factual argument supported by technical expertise. If Gaulhofer has no issues with the wood, I would also have no concerns.
I cannot assess the window installation based on the description alone and without any pictures. Non-compliant with standards does not automatically mean poor quality.