Window Phantom Leaks Weather Barriers Tyvek Vapor Barriers Condensation
Windows, PHANTOM LEAKS, and the Big Box Stores
When Window Installations Seem To Leak??
Window Replacement Had To Be Done Over - Bad Installation - Costly Experience
Windows from the big box stores or the big retailers are not always the best deal no matter what the payment plan the fancy talking sales guy touts in front of you.
Case in point: Salesman said, “Lifetime Warranty.” He left out that it only covered certain parts of the window. The warranty on the installation was only what was legally mandatory, one year. We recently replaced an entire window job done a little over a year before by one of the biggest names in replacement windows on the East Coast of the United States. The new windows were drafty, and massive condensation was occurring on the inside of the windows with frost in the winter.
The Builder Grade Nightmare: In addition to the "big box" sales operations mentioned here, we routinely encounter low-grade builder's windows and doors that leak and destroy wall structures. While they may advertise superior glazing, their frames feature inferior weather stripping and are often simply screwed together and sealed with basic caulk.
These units utilize tracks designed to retain water until it drains out through weep-holes in the frame. When those weep-holes fail or freeze over, moisture backs up along the sill. The mechanical frames break down, allowing water to enter your home and deposit directly into the structural framing. For ongoing water intrusion issues, expert tracing window frame and upper-roof water migration in Philadelphia isolates whether the moisture originates from frame breakdowns or upper-roof transitions.
After the complete removal and disposal of the new windows, we were able to completely diagnose the problem. Elaborate brake work was done to create external stops and the capping retuned into the interior of the home, just behind a bead of caulk. These were originally metal framed windows that were ripped out, and no buck frames were installed, hence the fancy brake work. A fundamental lack of understanding of the concept of a “Thermal Break” was blatantly missing from the training of the crew. The fancy breakwork brought the cold metal into the warmth and condensation was enormous. The complaint was that the windows "leaked."
Long story made short: Who can you trust? It is sad that the homeowner had a one year warranty and after several return trips to caulk and attempts to band-aid fix the problem, they called FSI and paid again for the job to be done properly.
Update: Subsequently, this client did have a stress crack in one of our windows and we quickly had a remake made and serviced our customer free of charge. Our warranty is ten full years and the window warranty is lifetime. When our customers call, we respond and make sure they are serviced with the highest level of professionalism in the industry.
It is a shame that the times of the astute and caring career old world craftsmen that were aware of such issues has faded. What we have today is a majority of window installers that remain in the trade only a few years, never to really learn and to grow as seasoned journeymen and to mature in the trade and to pass it along to the next generation.
Other pages that may be of interest:
- The truth about Vinyl Siding ...a must read....The Plastic Man is Worse Than the Tin Man
- Vinyl Siding Myth #1 Shattered: Vinyl Is Not Energy Efficient
- We have the seasoned craftsmen that mentor our journeymen to maturity in thier trade.
- The best siding for your home.. and the best people to do it for you.
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