[psychomti]

All,

Sorry I haven't been on here in a while. I've been working on my roof and got it all good to go. However, I do need some advice before I jump in head first on finishing the sides of the addition I just built.

Let me try to explain first what I have completed so far. If I have gone a step ahead of myself, please let me know.

1. Framework and sheeting is done
2. Windows are installed

Now, I am not sure if I should have waited on the widows or not, but they are already in there. The rest of my house has foam board insulation right over the old siding, then has vinyl siding on top of that. they took 1x4s and put them around the windows so that it would be enough room to stick out for adding the flashing. So, this is what I am asking...

When I put the foam board on the outside of the house, it is almost perfectly even with the outside of the window edge. So do I need to take the windows out and put 1x material, then put the windows back in, which would push the window out even further, or can I simply put a 1x or 2x material around the window, then put the aluminum trim over that? By putting the 1x around the window, I think that will give me enough room to do the alumimum flashing.

Also, I have been told both ways of doing this, but need some suggestions on the housewrap too. The windows are installed, but should I have put housewrap prior to the window installation or can I simply put housewrap all the way up to the edge of the window, then use tyvec tape to seal the edges.

Any suggestions before I start this??

Thanks!!

[russko]

Hello Psycho, I just joined this group and will assume you are done tyhe work. However, what I do is build out the perimeter of the existing windows and cap them in aluminum this will keep the window in its position and create a new built up brick mold which will be proud of the siding j's / flashings.

[psychomti]

Russko, I am simply a DIY peep and trying to make sure everything is done right before jumping head first into it. Before I do this, let me ask you how you do the buildout process. Do you put the 1x material on the sheeting, then put the window on, or just around the perimeter of the window. I know that you said the perimeter, but just wanted to make sure before I start this. Do I put housewrap first, then put the windows in, or does it matter if the windows are already in there. I would think housewrap first, but I want to double check. Also, for the build outs, if I am using 3/4" foam board and then putting the J-channel, so, should I use 2x4s instead of 1x4s? One last question and I'll hit submit. HAHA! When I build the wall, everything was straight and level, however, I guess somewhere in the process the window openings weren't 100% square. The walls are still level as well as everything else, just not the window openings. So, this is what I've got... If I put the windows in and ensure they are 100% level, it looks as though the window is sitting crooked. Imagine this... You have the opening, the window is installed, and the bottom right of the window is good, but the top is touching just a little bit. To make it easier down the road, is it going to be worth it to take the windows out and make them square with the window? It won't be obviously crooked, but once the sheetrock is put in, it will probably look alot better if it were to be square with the window. Hope that made sense.

I will try and upload a couple of pics to show what I am talking about. I took them with my phone, so hopefully it looks alright.

[psychomti]

Here is the top part of the window. If you look at it, you can see how the bottom and the top aren't perfectly square with the window opening, however, the window itself is perfectly level.

[russko]

Originally Posted by psychomti

Russko, I am simply a DIY peep and trying to make sure everything is done right before jumping head first into it. Before I do this, let me ask you how you do the buildout process. Do you put the 1x material on the sheeting, then put the window on, or just around the perimeter of the window. I know that you said the perimeter, but just wanted to make sure before I start this. Do I put housewrap first, then put the windows in, or does it matter if the windows are already in there. I would think housewrap first, but I want to double check. Also, for the build outs, if I am using 3/4" foam board and then putting the J-channel, so, should I use 2x4s instead of 1x4s? One last question and I'll hit submit. HAHA! When I build the wall, everything was straight and level, however, I guess somewhere in the process the window openings weren't 100% square. The walls are still level as well as everything else, just not the window openings. So, this is what I've got... If I put the windows in and ensure they are 100% level, it looks as though the window is sitting crooked. Imagine this... You have the opening, the window is installed, and the bottom right of the window is good, but the top is touching just a little bit. To make it easier down the road, is it going to be worth it to take the windows out and make them square with the window? It won't be obviously crooked, but once the sheetrock is put in, it will probably look alot better if it were to be square with the window. Hope that made sense.

I will try and upload a couple of pics to show what I am talking about. I took them with my phone, so hopefully it looks alright.

hi. Well first of all, if it is not too much trouble i suggest you pull the windows and re install. By not doing so it will be hard to have your exterior and interior wall finish look square and true. By build out I would have you install your house wrap tape/seal the windows and then apply your build out. A general rule i use for build outs is that you want your exterior wall finish, ie: vinyl siding , to be recessed back from the build out approximately 3/4" and what ever build out this requires could be a 1x on top of a 1x ect.
Cap the build out in custom bent aluminum and you are set. Drip flashing above both the window and the aluminum and seal the inner and outer edges of the build out.
Hope this makes sense.
I have applied siding to houses where the windows were less than 1/2" out of square and depending on which part of the siding ends up sliding into the upper and lower j-trim it could be unsightly.

[psychomti]

Thanks!! It does make sense. I may post some more pics tonight of the foam insulation thickness beside the window and maybe you can give me a couple more pointers before I start. I probably won't start until next week anyway so I have plenty of time.

Thanks!!

Mike

[psychomti]

Russko,

Here are the pics I just took. Before looking at the pics, I have to explain something. My entire house had vinyl siding and I removed the siding off the back of the house in order to build the addition, so I have alot of the siding left. The first picture you will see where they put a 1x4 on top of the existing 1x4 trim that was there before. This built the window out so that they could put the metal trim around the window as you talked about before.

The 2nd picture shows the way the windows are currently, which I am going to take your advice and removed them prior to the housewrap and build out. You can see from the pic that it only sticks out a little, however the 3rd pic shows just how close to the edge the foam board insulation is. So, should I put 1x material around the window opening (on the outside of the house obviously) then attach the window to it, or should I just put 2x4s around the window, which would still push it out just enough to make it look right. Either way the window is going to be built out, just one will be built out further than the other. Which one do you thing would look better from both the inside and the outside:

1. Attach the window to the outside sheeting then trim with 2x4 around the edge of the window
2. Build out using a 1x underneath with the window attaching to it, and then adding a 1x on the outside around the window vs the 2x4.

Thanks for your help, I really do appreciate it. Believe it or not, this IS helping.

[russko]

Hi. I suggest putting the window in first because it is always better to have the glass closer to the warm side. (inside). Put your house wrap on and then your insulation up tight to the window. Then apply the proper thickness of wood to create the appropriate build out and cap with aluminum.
Biggest thing is to seal the windows on the exterior perimeter or all of your work will be for not.

[Gary in WA]

Foams with vinyl and/or house wrap: http://bct.eco.umass.edu/publication...n-the-outside/

http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=...z5KEzgJVBCTo-g

Have a good drainage plane: http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=...WrZBbBZoIUXgxw

Windows: http://www.finehomebuilding.com/how-...x?nterms=63740

Gary

[Tom Struble]

its not sealing,cause your never going to be able to seal,its drainage thats important

[russko]

Yes absolutley Tom. I had assumed he was well past that as he did have the windows installed already once and one can also assume he leaves nothing to chance. lol

[psychomti]

Originally Posted by russko

Yes absolutley Tom. I had assumed he was well past that as he did have the windows installed already once and one can also assume he leaves nothing to chance. lol

Alright, I'm back in the saddle again. Sorry, I've been offline for a bit. I took out all the windows, did my housewrap put the windows back in, sealed everything around the windows, and did my 2x4 build outs. Electrician is going to be done tomorrow, framing inspection is Monday, insulation is going in next Wed, then gonna start doing foam board insulation on the outside and start putting the vinyl siding up. Starting to really move alng and wanted to show ya some pics!! Thanks for all your advise!!!!

[psychomti]

Hey, I have a quick question concerning the last pic I posted. As you can see, then vinyl siding stops, which is where the corner post was before I built the addition. Now, would it look utterly rediculous if I just continued with the vinyl siding, or should I go back about 3 or 4 feet on every other peice so it looks staggered like the rest of the house. Keep in mind that the the seam would be noticeable from the back of the house but not the front. I just don't know if it would be worth the hassel of taking that many peices off to make it look right. What is your opinion on this...

[kwikfishron]

You need more nails on your trim. 1 nail on the ends is no good.

I have to assume your wrapping the trim in aluminum otherwise you wouldn’t have 3 pieced the sides of the door trim.

[Tom Struble]

you should remove the siding you need to then fill it in the right way

its details like that that really improve the looks of the job and its not that much work,

plus having one long seam encourages water to get behind the panel