ᐅ Improper installation of windows and doors not meeting standards
Created on: 15 Oct 2020 18:06
H
Hausbau-SannyH
Hausbau-Sanny15 Oct 2020 18:06Hello 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
H
Hausbau-Sanny15 Oct 2020 18:10PS: Or has anyone had positive experiences with installing windows without hinges in a timber frame construction?
H
Hausbau-Sanny15 Oct 2020 18:56Of course, we are paying for everything and we live in the house, and yes, I have said this often enough. Normally, I find it quite easy to assert myself. I can’t explain it myself, but in this case, I had zero chance. Has anyone had similar experiences?
H
Hausbau-Sanny15 Oct 2020 19:37It would really help me if someone could explain the consequences of both situations. This way, I can persuade my husband not to accept his father’s opinion and to consult an expert. You can’t imagine how difficult it is for a woman to assert herself on a construction site.
Similar topics