Installing a vinyl window

D. Rich

I am having a vinyl window installed in my bedroom for egress purposes. It is a 46" slider. Is there anything I need to watch out for when these people install the window. They are supposed to be experts but, I know people like to cut corners and I would like not to become a victim. Any advice would be extremely appreciated. They will be arriving tomorrow to do the install.

Oh one more thing, they will have to step onto my roof because this is on the second story and my roof has those spanish clay tiles on it and from what I understand is that they can break very easy.

D. Rich

kwikfishron

Did you check to see if your contractor is licensed?

Did you verify that the contractors insurance, bond and comp are up to date?

Did you check out the page of references he printed out for you?

If you answered yes to all of these questions you should/may be in good shape.

Tiles break very easily and also can be easily be moved out of the way.

Without any details of the type of installation it’s kind of hard to comment.

Take pictures and post them here.

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D. Rich

Yes they are licensed, bonded and insured. The reason I ask is that I originally told them I wanted a 46" window and they kept bringing me a 32" window. I am thinking, "of course", it would be easier to cut one stud instead of two and not making the correct header. They keep calling it a retrofit. I thought a retrofit was installing a window where a window was before. There is no window in this wall at all so the proper framing will have to be installed first and I am not sure what to watch for.

AgentW

Beyond what was already posted, here are my recommendations based upon my current experiences with my contractors.

First, make sure your contractor understands and follows the window manufacturer window installation instructions. Failure to do so could result in loss of warranty.

Make sure appropriate window flashing is used over the sill of the rough opening and applied in an appropriate shingling fashion (over the sill first, then overlap that flashing on both sides going up the jack stud about 6").

Make sure contractor applies a 3/8" bead of caulk around nailing fin.

Make sure the contractor uses the appropriate nailer for installing the window (if they use a high pressure nail gun, they will almost assuredly crack the nailing fin, unless they adjust the pressure appropriately).

Make sure exterior nailing fin flashing is done in proper shingling fashion (sides first, then top over the sides, going beyond the window trim by 4").

Make sure the flashing is securely stuck down around all portions of the window, and there are no large noticeable bubbles/creases.

I am building a new home and, luckily for me, I'm doing a lot of the work myself. Due to this, I was able to notice the shortcuts the contractor took with my window installation (unfortunately, post installation and after 80+ % of the siding was put up). I experienced two leaks during a rain storm and know that I currently only have two types of windows in my home. Those that have leaked, and those that have yet to leak. I'm in the process of attempting to get my contractor to fix these, but I'll never be able to get the caulking issue resolved, unless the entire window is removed and replaced.

Watch what they do and make sure they do it right. A pretty nasty leak can go unnoticed for years, as insulation, drywall, and wood suck it up before you actually notice it.