Vinyl windows on exterior foam panels
tuckerspohr
| Posted in Green Building Techniques on
How do you install vinyl windows on 2 inch exterior foam?
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Tucker,
Your question is vague, and it's hard to know whether you are an experienced builder who has already installed hundreds of windows, or a homeowner facing your first window installation.
All windows need to be installed in a rough opening that is drained to the exterior and properly flashed. The flashing that is used to keep the rough opening dry needs to be integrated with the water-resistive barrier (WRB) installed on the wall. In your case, that might be housewrap, or it might be the rigid foam itself.
If you are new to the topic, I suggest that you read How to Install Rigid Foam Sheathing.
That article includes information on window installation:
"There are several ways to install windows in a foam-sheathed wall. If your foam is relatively thin, it’s possible to nail or screw the window flanges through the foam to the rough framing. If the foam is thick, you’ll probably want to install a “picture frame” around the rough opening to provide secure nailing, or to install a cantilevered window buck (usually made out of plywood) to hold your window. If you go the window-buck route, you have two options: the windows can be installed as “innies” or “outies.”
"To learn more about installing windows in a foam-sheathed wall, see Nailing Window Flanges Through Foam and ‘Innie’ Windows or ‘Outie’ Windows?
"A great resource containing lot of specific recommendations for installing windows in foam-sheathed walls is REMOTE: A Manual from the Cold Climate Housing Research Center."