Why Are your Wood Windows Rotting?

Brought to you by Atlantawindows.com
The pictures attached came from a recent window replacement job we completed this past week. Many Atlanta homeowners deal with rotted wood and give us a call to replace the old rotted windows with non rot vinyl windows or even pvc windows. But why is it that so many homes in Atlanta have rotted wood around the windows and even rotted sashes?

One reason is seen in these pictures here. The builder of the home that these samples were taken from took a major shortcut during the original installation. Every wood window has flashing installed on its top edge to ensure that water will run off the window and away from the wood to prevent rot. Usually the flashing is a sturdy thin layer of metal or pvc that keeps water wicking away from the wood components of a window. For this flashing to be effective it has to have good water tight seal and be installed correctly. However, if you’ll look a little closer you’ll see that the flashing that was taken from this house is not capable of properly protecting the wood beneath it because of the vent slits all through it.

This is a serious problem that brings up an important question. How sure are you of proper window installation around your home? There are a lot of great home builders in Atlanta who take the time to install quality products and make sure everything will last a long time. However, there are a lot of homes that we serve everyday that have experience the same poor craftsmanship that this home was subject to. There are a lot of steps builders can take to make sure wood does not rot but to many builders will not take the time to use proper techniques or in the case of this home proper flashing materials.

We regret that this home owner had to replace their windows because of negligence and sloppiness. We are glad though that the same homeowner now has replacement windows that are guaranteed to have been installed correctly by a company that can stand behind its work for a lifetime. We at Atlanta Area Window and Door use non rot window components such as pvc brickmold, sills, nosing, and blind stop with only the best caulk to ensure protection against water damage.

Great installation with proper materials done right the first time can prevent a mountain of problems.

For more information or questions visit us at Atlantawindows.com