Newly installed windows leaking
Our window/door crew finished up today just as storm rolled in, which was fortuitous because it acted as a good stress test. The house is framed with Zip-R and the roof is shingled, but the drainage matrix and siding aren’t on yet, and neither are gutters.
Out of the ~30 windows and doors in the home, I spotted 4 leaks. I’ve notified the builder, but I was hoping for advice on the fix. These are tilt and turns I imported from overseas, and the crew basically does nothing but installs and replacements of euro windows. We installed the windows as outties. This particular crew was picked by the builder because they were recommended by a local tilt-and-turn manufacturer that I wish to god I had found before I imported….I watched them flash the ROs, install and level the units, place the backdams and foam around the perimeter on the inside with low-expansion foam, and tape all exterior.
Here’s some video of the leaking units:
As always, advice is greatly appreciated!
EDIT: It’s sadly funny that none of the bottom-of-the-line fixed Simonton windows we threw in the detached garage are leaking, but one of the fixed tilt-and-turns in the house is.
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David,
I don't mean to diminish the seriousness of the leaks, and hopefully your builder can identify the flaw that lead to them, but as long as it wasn't the windows themselves that were at fault I wouldn't be that surprised, or particularly worried. The cladding is the primary layer of protection for walls, the flashing and WRB are secondary ones. It's asking a lot for those parts of the assembly to stop wind-blown rain on their own.
In part because I live and work in a high-wind zone where horizontal rain or even upside-down rain is not uncommon, I strongly believe that a house should be 100% watertight before any cladding is installed. The cladding is there as a "wear layer" and does most of the work, but if the water control layer--typically a WRB of some sort--can't keep water out, I don't trust that cladding will be the solution, especially on a brand-new home.
How are the windows currently flashed into place? Are the window faces flush with the sheathing surface or are they bucked out? Are the window bottoms detailed with a draining sill pan or with the "full barrier" method? What are typical conditions where you are--i.e., in your videos, is it a gentle rain or a windy rainstorm?
I'm with Malcolm. I would not worry about it. Most likely there are some fish mounts on the top window tape which is channeling water in. This is a non-issue once siding is on. Another strip of tape over the top of the existing tape also rolled won't hurt though.