My wife and I are building our dream home in Pennsylvania. I noticed after the nail flanged windows were in that there was zero window flashing. Also they dont tape the seams of the building wrap. We are currently in dispute with them regarding this and the building inspector is involved. What really concerned me was all the water pouring through the windows with some rain we got. There is currently no siding on the house but it really concerned me how much water was getting in. Do I have every right to be concerned or am I over reacting?
Video of why I am so concerned…..
https://youtu.be/rOLhUDdDbjM
Update: Today the building inspector released their findings and are allowing the builder to proceed. They are basically allowing the builder to just place flashing tape over top of the window flanges. So no pan/ sill flashing will be done because the builder had an engineer seal their drawings. Im shit out of luck I guess. I filed a complaint with the PA state attorney general but that will prolly get me nowhere. Now that this is over and I didnt get the resolution i was hoping for I am releasing the builders name. Keystone Custom Homes out of Lancaster, PA. If you know anyone in the PA or MD area considering them I will stay far far away.
Thanks for your support.
Zac
Replies
You're right. Not only is it very poor construction practice your inspector should have caught it and stopped all work until it was corrected. If the windows are leaking now they will always leak. NO water should be getting in. I'd be hiring an engineer or experienced home inspector to find out what else the contractor has screwed up.
You are not overreacting at all. Print out your window manufacturer install guide for more backup in the dispute, their warranty certainly won’t be worth squat as they hang on your wall now.
FHB among others also offer in print on the proper install of windows. Search This Is Carpentry.com, I know they’ve had articles on the procedure.
Best of luck.
?
Kinda funny you mentioned that because this is on every window in the home but the builder claims they are only reccomendations we dont have to follow them lol. I am really disgusted with how they have ruined this exciting time for us.
I read all the articles on details for window flashing in FH. Then I watch all the "custom" builders in my high end DC region neighborhood ($2 mil 5-8k sq ft homes) cut an x in the tyvek, throw the window in, put tyvek tape around it, and call it a day. The tyvek that has 10 million staples in it. I can't for the life of me understand this. And I pleaded with my neighbor who is having 70k of windows put in to make sure they were on top of this and...tyvek, x cut, tape, done (no caulk, no head flashing, just tyvek tape). Some of the windows got sill flashing at the bottom and that was that.
From an inspector's point of view, if the mfg. 'recommends' it, that's the same as saying 'requires' it. Must follow mfg. instructions.
Yep right there /\/\/\/\/\ a copy has to be on site of all product install requirements.
Work should stop until this situation is corrected !!
You have a much bigger problem. That "looks like" sub par building wrap.
And the biggest problem you have is that you need to fire your contractor. If you keep him you need to be made an additional insured on his insurance policy, standard process for people who know what theyre doing. which means one in a hundred. you need insurance and workmans comp copies for each sub.
you can put a stop to work and request documentation of completed work and what portions of other work has been done. Walk into each room and take a photo of the whole wall in high res, turn and get the next wall then end with the ceiling. All the way through the house. Start at the front door and go left, easiest way to keep track is to take a notebook and put the name of the room and wall number on it in the picture.
Sorry to say you have very low quality work there. It may wreck your year but get another builder.
He only does high end and you can't afford it all but go watch Matt Risinger on YouTube. the flashing concepts are pretty easy to do with commercial sealants from Tremco and others, you just have to buy them from a supply house not home depot. Polyurethane only.
Good Luck
i suppose all they missed was the sill pan as they are still able to flash top and sides properly
Here in Minnesota, if the siding is reasonably water-tight then the big worry is air infiltration. Failing to tape the seams around windows can make a BIG difference in air infiltration, with the window manufacturers being unfairly blamed.
You might consider contacting the window manufacturer and see if they want to add their two cents to the discussion with your contractor.
But, as others have said, you can't trust this contractor as far as you can throw him. At the very least watch him like a hawk, and consider that you might need to employ an attorney.
Considering part of being a Professional Engineer is being liable for what you stamp, I would (preferably with an attorney’s help) put that engineer personally on notice that he or she will be held accountable should any issues arise.
fire contractor
More easily said than done. Contract is part of the word contractor. And that's a legal document that can only be terminated within certain provisions.