Install window drip cap

Protect your home from the elements with this guide on the different types of flashing material and how to install it around doors and windows. Flashing refers to thin sheets of material installed around a home's exterior to prevent water from seeping inside.

Any window trim that has the potential to be exposed to moisture—either from inside or outside—has the potential to succumb to wood rot. A window trim drip cap can help avoid this costly problem by directing moisture away from the window from the top down. Preformed window trim drip caps are easy to find and install as a quick and easy project that will pay dividends in window maintenance costs down the road. Since the window trim drip cap will serve as a sort of awning over the top of your window, the main measure that must be taken is the width of the window. While measuring, be sure to check to see whether wood rot is already present in your windows. If this is the case, the compromised wood will need to be replaced immediately. Once measurements have been taken, purchase preformed window trim drip caps from a home improvement center.

Install window drip cap

Even when a window is properly sealed to prevent water from reaching the sheathing, it still makes sense to direct bulk water away from the building. But water can still flow off the sides of the flashing, where it soaks the joint where siding meets the casings. It takes about 5 minutes to do both ends, and all you need is a pair of snips, a wide-mouth sheet metal clamp, and a hammer. Make sure the piece of flashing is 4 inches longer than the trim it will cover, then pencil in the cut lines. Scribe a line across the face of both legs of the flashing 1 inch in from the end, then a second 1 inch away. Pencil in the other lines as shown [1]. For clarity, the drawing shows dashed lines used for layout purposes, but you will cut only on the red lines. Now comes a series of bends to build the end dam. Start by positioning the sheet metal clamps at a degree angle, with one corner tight into the inside bend of the flashing [3A]. With a firm grip, bend the metal upward, creasing it along the pencil line you made across the face [3B]. To bring the corner together, work from the back to pinch together the V-shaped pouch created by the first bend [4]. Use a block and few light taps with a hammer to flatten the triangular fold flat. To reinforce the end dam, use the metal clamps to grip the top half of the end dam along the pencil line, then bend the metal back on itself [5]. Reset the clamps as needed to press this fold flat.

Such latent consequences take the form of rotted sheathing, trim, and siding, or perhaps deeper structural degradation and mold growth. Read the current issue View the digital archives.

Each day, our editors assemble the latest breaking industry news, hottest trends, and most relevant research, delivered to your inbox. Drip caps are an essential component of a waterproofing system that includes properly installed exterior cladding , trim, a weather-resistive barrier WRB , and flashing tape. They should be used wherever water can get behind the horizontal edge of an exterior finish material or assembly to help mitigate water intrusion. Such latent consequences take the form of rotted sheathing, trim, and siding, or perhaps deeper structural degradation and mold growth. When it comes to drip caps, what we see done right and wrong is consistent among builders , and avoiding mistakes is simply a matter of paying attention to a few key details. Most siding installers today fabricate their own drip caps to ensure these qualities, and you should include and verify those standards in your construction guidelines and details. That additional bend in the drip cap ensures water drips off the edge of the metal rather than being drawn behind it.

Protect your home from the elements with this guide on the different types of flashing material and how to install it around doors and windows. Flashing refers to thin sheets of material installed around a home's exterior to prevent water from seeping inside. Helping to direct water down and away from your home, this waterproofing technique is especially important to use on roofs and around windows and doors. In many areas, installing building wrap and pieces of drip-cap flashing over the tops of windows and doors is acceptable. However, some manufacturers and building codes call for more elaborate door and window flashing to protect the sheathing, studs, and interior walls.

Install window drip cap

Any window trim that has the potential to be exposed to moisture—either from inside or outside—has the potential to succumb to wood rot. A window trim drip cap can help avoid this costly problem by directing moisture away from the window from the top down. Preformed window trim drip caps are easy to find and install as a quick and easy project that will pay dividends in window maintenance costs down the road. Since the window trim drip cap will serve as a sort of awning over the top of your window, the main measure that must be taken is the width of the window. While measuring, be sure to check to see whether wood rot is already present in your windows. If this is the case, the compromised wood will need to be replaced immediately.

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Finally, using any brand of sealant graded for external use, seal the top edge of each window trim drip cap in order to ensure that no water will be able to seep under the cap. At this point, you are finished, and you should be left with a window that is secured against the elements and wood rot. Read the current issue View the digital archives. More in Category Business Management. Trim Windows. Sign In. In many areas, installing building wrap and pieces of drip-cap flashing over the tops of windows and doors is acceptable. Jessica Bennett. Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! They should be used wherever water can get behind the horizontal edge of an exterior finish material or assembly to help mitigate water intrusion. Business Management.

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Email Address. At this point, you are finished, and you should be left with a window that is secured against the elements and wood rot. The bookmark icon allows you to save any story to your account to read it later. One of the most effective steps a home builder can take to establish and maintain a reputation of quality is to become the "builder of choice" in the eyes of trades and suppliers. Add new comment Drip caps are an essential component of a waterproofing system that includes properly installed exterior cladding , trim, a weather-resistive barrier WRB , and flashing tape. Just like wood, right? When you consider the potential for failure that a bit of extra scrutiny can eliminate, drip caps have one of the best returns on investment of any material you specify. How to Frame a Bay Window Roof. Subscribe today No, thanks. Now comes a series of bends to build the end dam.