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Extra Protection for Head Flashing on Windows and Doors

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Insert counterflashing into a reglet cut into foam wall sheathing

When you go the extra energy-efficiency mile by sheathing with foam, it can complicate window installation. Because there is no housewrap, there is nothing to tuck the head flashing under. You can use flashing tape, but . . .


MORE VIDEOS IN THIS SERIES


1. Self-Draining Sill Pans

2. Sill Pan Flashing Options

3. Sill Pan with Regular Peel-and-Stick

4. Sill Pan with Flexible Peel-and-Stick

5. Flashing Flanged Window Jambs

6. Flashing Pre-Cased Jambs

7. Head Flashing Windows/Doors

8. Counter-Flashing the Head


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Video Transcript:

If you don’t have a Z-flash lap that you can lap a piece of housewrap under to get a mechanical lap flashing over the top edge of the flashing tape for the head of the window, what you can do is put a piece of aluminum or other metal flashing that’s grooved into the foam itself. What I like to do is take a piece of metal flashing about 4 to 6 inches wide and just bend a 45-degree angle in it about 1/2- to 3/4-inch deep. Then use that metal as a straightedge to guide the knife blade. Now, these knives work a little better than an ordinary utility knife because you can extend it a little bit further and get a nice, steep angle on it. You only want to go about a third to halfway through the thickness of the foam; you don’t want to cut all the way through the foam. And that groove is not quite wide enough to fit my flashing up into. So I use a little flat bar that just opens that groove up enough so I can slip the…

One Comment

  1. dirkgently | | #1

    several years ago I worked a
    several years ago I worked a icf project and had to scramble to find details like noted here. I used this same method for a many doors/windows. There were many stick framed dormers on the house, I had to flash a 40' section like detailed here.Instead of utility knife I used my small battery circular saw to cut the kerf in the foam and it was much quicker. I backed up the kerf cut with silicone caulk as well.

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