Windows and Air/Water Barriers: Non-finned window closures and the missing link

摘要

In the last issue of The Construction Specifier, this column looked at the dangers of improperly integrating air and water barriers with window assemblies (either in terms of design or installation). While finned windows were explored last month, this article examines failures with non-finned openings. Usually found in commercial applications, non-finned windows are designed to fit into a rough opening, leaving a gap that must be sealed (Figure 1). If this gap is not sealed, water and air may have a pathway from behind adjacent cladding, directly to the wall's interior (Figure 2).