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What's your BuildIQ: Mold Prevention - Windows

What's Your BuildIQ?

November 3, 2004
Housing Zone

You can't deny it; a house has the right ingredients for mold growth: one-part food source, one-part temperature, and one-part moisture. But that doesn't mean you should let this disastrous duo get together. Mold growth is destructive to a home's structure, its occupant's health, and your bottom line. The key to preventing this destruction is to leave moisture out of the equation. You can't eliminate mold spores from the air, but you can control water intrusion.

Moisture, in the form of rain and groundwater, will inevitably get through the exterior finish and wall cladding. Any water that gets behind the exterior finish around the opening will flow down the drainage plane and pond at the tops of windows, finding its way into the home's interior and deteriorating the construction materials around the opening. Openings in the wall are the easiest way for water to intrude and cause serious damage. Windows installed in openings are bound to leak, but those leaks can be controlled with water management techniques. It can't be said enough, flashing is critical. Flashing helps guide water around openings, and gives it a path away from the home. Be careful though, incorrect flashing can make the situation worse and guide water toward the home.

Do you know the best practices for flashing and preventing mold through window water management techniques? The following questions will test your BuidlIQ. Stumped, or want to learn more? Visit hz.buildiquniversity.com.

1. Which of the following explains why a flap of house wrap overlaps the header flashing?

	A.	So that caulking can be applied at the header
	B.	So that the flashing is layered shingle fashion with the drainage plane
	C.	To protect the water-sensitive material of the header flashing

2. The window installer is flashing a window in a sheathing with a built-in drainage plane. Which of the following is true?

	A.	The flashing can't be layered shingle fashion with the drainage plane material.
	B.	The jambs shouldn't extend past the bottom end of the sill flashing.
	C.	The sill flashing shouldn't wrap around the corners of the opening.

3. Which of the following is true?

	A.	Water flows downward, and follows the path of least resistance.
	B.	Flashing, even if it's installed incorrectly, can't guide water toward the home.
	C.	You flash windows and doors in exactly the same way, regardless of whether the drainage plane is installed before or after the window or door installation.

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