Butyl flashing has a wider temperature range than RA and sticks …
Butyl flashing has a wider temperature range than RA and sticks to more materials. Accordion-style butyl flashings can stretch at the corners of openings.
Roe Osborn
Solid acrylic flashings are designed to bond to substrates at th…
Solid acrylic flashings are designed to bond to substrates at the molecular level. They make the firmest bonds at the widest range of temperatures, according to some experts.
courtesy ProClima
Some flashing manufacturers require an adhesive primer on certai…
Some flashing manufacturers require an adhesive primer on certain substrates, the most common being gypsum sheathing, masonry, and the rough side of OSB. Primers come in spray-on and brush-on varieties.
Foschi Construction Corp.
Compatibility is a big issue with flexible flashing, so make sur…
Compatibility is a big issue with flexible flashing, so make sure that the flashing is compatible with all substrates it will contact. The safest route is to use a flashing and housewrap made by the same manufacturer.
Mark LaLiberte
Certain caulks and sealants may be incompatible with particular …
Certain caulks and sealants may be incompatible with particular flexible flashings. Silicone products, as shown here, should not be used with any type of flexible flashing.
Mark LaLiberte
This photo was taken on a jobsite in Denver, four to six weeks a…
This photo was taken on a jobsite in Denver, four to six weeks after installers had done their work, and the flashing is already failing. Incompatible with the vinyl window fin and the sealant, the rubberized asphalt flashing is pulling away rom the window.
Roe Osborn
Vapor-permeable tapes keep the weather out, but allow vapor from…
Vapor-permeable tapes keep the weather out, but allow vapor from the interior to pass through. Here the white vapor-permeable tape goes between the window and the opening, which is wrapped in black acrylic tape.
Mark LaLiberte
This is a good example of a common installation mistake called r…
This is a good example of a common installation mistake called reverse shingling. The flashing incorrectly laps over the Tyvek (rather than vice versa), and jamb flashing incorrectly laps over the head flashings.
courtesy DuPont
Flexible flashing stretches to seal around circular windows in a…
Flexible flashing stretches to seal around circular windows in a single pass. The housewrap then extends over the flashing.
Roe Osborn
Even the best tapes won’t work well when they have been in con…
Even the best tapes won’t work well when they have been in contact with a surface that is dirty or full of sawdust.
Bill Leys
Small staple penetrations in a supposedly self-sealing flashing …
Small staple penetrations in a supposedly self-sealing flashing used on a rooftop parapet wall started to let water through. Just 11 years after the home had been built, the wall below that flashing had completely rotted out.
Roe Osborn
Although some installers use hand pressure to seat the flashing …
Although some installers use hand pressure to seat the flashing to the substrate, most flashings need to be rolled using a J-roller for proper adhesion.
Roe Osborn
For places that are hard to get to with a roller (such as inside…
For places that are hard to get to with a roller (such as inside corners), use the butt of a cedar shingle to press the flashing tape firmly against the substrate on both sides of the corner.
If you need to make a custom window or door sill pan, or flash any pipe, wire, or deck Ledger there is not a better product than Elastoform. This is one of my favorite product finds of the past few years. I found this in Carlisle’s catalog when I was working on details for a house WRB using CCW 705 Peel & Stick. The video shows me using it on a porch install, and the photos in the slideshow are from my Perfect Wall house I recently completed. (See these posts here to learn more about the Perfect Wall project.) Carlisle makes this product for EPDM roofs and it’s originally intended for pipe penetrations and roof flashing purposes.
It has some similarities to DuPont’s Flexwrap that I’ve used for years to make window sill pans. However, it’s much thicker (it’s a 90 mil thick product) and it feels “bullet proof.” I love how it retains its shape when you flex it into a corner. I first used it on my Perfect Wall house for window sill pans but quickly realized its use for flashing: awning bracket, deck brackets, pipes, etc.
Elastoform is a premium priced product as you’ll find this running about $3 to $4 per LF. It’s also not generally stocked so you’ll need to special order it ahead of time. Some products are worth the premium price and I think Elastoform is one of those when you consider the cost of a callback or worse, the cost of defending a construction defect lawsuit
Risinger Homes is a builder and remodeling contractor based in Austin, Texas. Specializing in architect-designed homes and fine craftsmanship, Matt relies on an in-house carpentry staff and the latest building-science research to build dramatically more efficient, healthy and durable homes.
To read this original article click here. Be sure to check out his video blog on YouTube.
