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
I can’t follow you at all. By the tape, you probably mean compression tape, that much I understand. I looked up Purenit, but what on earth is a larch baseboard, where is it supposed to go, and why would it prevent the screed from leaking (where to), and which concrete bases is a slab supposed to have, why, and what do you use to flame-seal them?
I add up your wall construction to 162 mm (6.4 inches), who builds walls like that?
Seven thousand euros is not a small amount for a front door, actually quite a lot. I didn’t see which material you mentioned (?), so I would expect a professional company and no sloppy work, but clear, verifiable installation instructions. Compliant window installation seems to be a rarity nowadays. Foam is applied generously everywhere and often used as an alleged proper substitute for accurate measuring and precise fitting. You write that you have too much time to constantly hang around the construction site – yet you let the botched work continue until everything is installed in a way that correcting it would cause more damage than anything else. May I ask, what is your native language?
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
I add up your wall construction to 162 mm (6.4 inches), who builds walls like that?
Seven thousand euros is not a small amount for a front door, actually quite a lot. I didn’t see which material you mentioned (?), so I would expect a professional company and no sloppy work, but clear, verifiable installation instructions. Compliant window installation seems to be a rarity nowadays. Foam is applied generously everywhere and often used as an alleged proper substitute for accurate measuring and precise fitting. You write that you have too much time to constantly hang around the construction site – yet you let the botched work continue until everything is installed in a way that correcting it would cause more damage than anything else. May I ask, what is your native language?
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
H
Hausbau-Sanny15 Oct 2020 20:34Dear 11 ant,
My native language is German. I have no experience with house construction. I have tried to educate myself on the topic as well as possible. If you have more experience with house building, you will surely know how extensive it really is. Yes, I am a layperson and have trusted acquaintances who have worked in these areas for a long time—not amateurs but experienced professionals.
If you don’t know why a wooden house is built on a concrete foundation, what that looks like in detail, or what Purenit is, I assume you are not familiar with this field either. Thank you for your reply.
I would appreciate constructive advice and no accusations—let those without mistakes cast the first stone! I don’t know any construction site without flaws. I am just trying to find a way now to have these defects corrected.
My native language is German. I have no experience with house construction. I have tried to educate myself on the topic as well as possible. If you have more experience with house building, you will surely know how extensive it really is. Yes, I am a layperson and have trusted acquaintances who have worked in these areas for a long time—not amateurs but experienced professionals.
If you don’t know why a wooden house is built on a concrete foundation, what that looks like in detail, or what Purenit is, I assume you are not familiar with this field either. Thank you for your reply.
I would appreciate constructive advice and no accusations—let those without mistakes cast the first stone! I don’t know any construction site without flaws. I am just trying to find a way now to have these defects corrected.
H
Hausbau-Sanny15 Oct 2020 20:44Hausbau-Sanny schrieb:
Our wall construction is as follows:
From outside to inside
60mm Steico wood fiber boards
20mm wood insulation by Steico
15mm OSB board (all joints glued with tape)
40mm battens (for the installation layer)
15mm OSB board
12mm drywall
SORRY, typo, we have 200mm wood insulation
H
Hausbau-Sanny15 Oct 2020 20:4711ant schrieb:
I can’t follow you at all. By the tape, I assume you mean compressible sealing tape—I’m with you so far. I looked up Purenit, but what on earth is a larch baseboard, where is it supposed to go, and why would it prevent the screed from leaking (where to), and which concrete bases should a slab have, why, and how do you flame them off? Your wall construction adds up to 162 mm (6.4 inches), who builds like that? Seven thousand euros is not a small amount for a front door—actually, quite a lot—and I didn’t see which material it is (?), I would expect a professional company and not some careless, vague approach, but clear, verifiable installation instructions. Compliant window installation seems to be almost a rarity these days; foam is applied liberally everywhere as a supposed proper substitute for accurate measuring and precise installation. On one hand, you say you have plenty of time to keep going back to the construction site—on the other hand, you let the botched work continue until everything is installed in a way that any correction would cause more damage than good. May I ask, what is your native language? —SORRY typo, our insulation is 200 mm (8 inches)
—The door is a solid oak door from Gaulhofer with a glass panel and fingerprint lock.
H
Hausbau-Sanny15 Oct 2020 20:49Pinky0301 schrieb:
Do you want to achieve KfW standard? Then there might be issues with the blower door test. It has already been suggested to consult an expert. Maybe they can help clarify things with the window installer.Please forgive me, but I am not familiar with the "KfW standard." I looked it up and found information about passive house standards. We do not want a passive house.Similar topics