Searched the forum a bit and was surprised I couldn't find an answer to this - so I'm making my first post: Just got in a shipment of Jeld-Wen triple pane vinyl windows for my new construction. The house was wrapped very late last fall and otherwise sealed-up, and I sheathed right over the window openings, figuring to wait until spring (which has not yet really arrived in this part of Wisconsin). Reading through the manufacturer's install instructions, I find this preface for window placements into open-stud construction:
"The wall framing must be covered by backing support before the window can be installed. The window will be mounted with the nailing fin / exterior trim flush against the applied backing support. This backing support should be a non water-degradable, thin (max. 1/8" thick) sheet material such as vinyl sheeting. Completely surround the rough opening with he backing support. Backing support must be applied before building wrap."
Of course, as I said, the house is already wrapped, and before wrapping I had never heard this exact term "backing support" applied to windows. In fact, searching the whole web I cannot find these nebulous words associated with windows anywhere except in Jeld-Wen's own instructions and a couple of documents obviously pirated from those same (lots of hits on quilting and art-framing sites, though). This "backing" is not related to the drain mat or normal flashing, and I have no clue how it is to be applied or even exactly where - though from context I assume it goes directly over the exterior sheathing. Wierdest of all, a page later the step-by-step portion of the instructions begins with "cutting back the house-wrap"... Exactly where I thought I had to begin anyway.
Help! Does anybody know what the heck they are talking about?
"The wall framing must be covered by backing support before the window can be installed. The window will be mounted with the nailing fin / exterior trim flush against the applied backing support. This backing support should be a non water-degradable, thin (max. 1/8" thick) sheet material such as vinyl sheeting. Completely surround the rough opening with he backing support. Backing support must be applied before building wrap."
Of course, as I said, the house is already wrapped, and before wrapping I had never heard this exact term "backing support" applied to windows. In fact, searching the whole web I cannot find these nebulous words associated with windows anywhere except in Jeld-Wen's own instructions and a couple of documents obviously pirated from those same (lots of hits on quilting and art-framing sites, though). This "backing" is not related to the drain mat or normal flashing, and I have no clue how it is to be applied or even exactly where - though from context I assume it goes directly over the exterior sheathing. Wierdest of all, a page later the step-by-step portion of the instructions begins with "cutting back the house-wrap"... Exactly where I thought I had to begin anyway.
Help! Does anybody know what the heck they are talking about?
