Builders and homeowners learn how to avoid water intrusion and damage through better installation while getting the latest information on products

As both builders and homeowners are painfully aware of, a poorly installed window can cause major damage. But when properly installed, a watertight window helps prevent mold, moisture, and costly damage to a home’s walls while providing better energy efficiency.

On that theme, Truitt and White recently offered two window clinics to packed audiences that focused on proper installation methods. The November clinic, geared toward homeowners and presented by Andersen Windows and Dupont Tyvek, showed homeowners techniques ranging from papering and flashing, to window installation and adjustment. The December clinic, aimed at contractors and sponsored by Dupont Tyvek and Truitt and White, presented builders with the latest techniques in proper flashing and window installation for use on the jobsite to help prevent water intrusion.

Participants at each clinic included seasoned window and door installers who wanted the latest and greatest information, to homeowners interested in how to properly install an airtight window without introducing water and mold into their home.

Marc Silveira, a representative for Tyvek and a presenter at both clinics, felt there was information offered for all levels of builders and homeowners, whether they were veteran contractors or first-time DIYers. “A lot of people came up to me afterwards with lots of questions. I was there for about an hour after each seminar,” he says. “That’s always a sign you’re really onto something.”

One segment of the seminar that particularly excited participants was the simultaneous use of Tyvek’s HouseWrap© and FlexWrap©. “It helps eliminate the chance of water getting behind and infiltrating inside the structure,” says Marc. “This new standard of flashing with DuPont FlexWrap and StraightFlash© helps eliminate the possibility of window leaks if installed correctly,” Marc adds. 

Wright Miller, a door and window installer in the Bay Area for over 30 years, attended for a specific reason. “I’m building a duplex and was interested in a procedure for installing a window over a wall that’s already been wrapped,” he says. Wright learned great tips and techniques for dealing with the procedure. “I also learned a lot, I saw the products, and I got the information I needed,” Wright says.

Seasoned contractors weren’t the only ones who benefited.

Whatever the participants’ skill level, they each took away the same message: it doesn’t matter if you have the most expensive product on the market. If it’s not installed properly it will fail. “If you’re spending the money on high-performing and energy-saving windows like Andersen, you still need to ensure that the installation is done correctly,” says Loralyn.

Given the enthusiastic response to and interest in these seminars, Truitt and White will have a series of window and door seminars and clinics for both homeowners and contractors in 2005. The first homeowner clinic will be held on Saturday, January 22, and the contractor clinic on Wednesday, January 26. For more information about these and other upcoming seminars, visit the Truitt and White website early next year.

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