How To Repair Flashing Under A Door

Tech Warning: Best Exercise Flashing Requirements for Exterior Doors in Wood-Framed Construction

May eighteen, 2022 in Tech Alert

By: Frank Yellico -Field Consultant - Level 4

In contempo years, there has been a stiff emphasis made in social club to meliorate the quality of flashing around windows and doors in residential and commercial construction. When it comes to some forest-framed outside door installations, in that location seems to be a double standard in regard to flashing requirements. For instance, some builders/installers have fabricated comments such as:

"Nosotros don't have flashing requirements for outside doors."
"Nosotros don't flash exterior doors because they are typically protected by a porch roof or roof overhang."
"Nosotros provide a metal baste cap flashing over the exterior doors for waterproofing."

Some contractors follow upwardly such comments by stating:

"We have a flashing plan for window installations that we adhere to in all cases."

Although it is corking that many builders are recognizing the need to establish a flashing program for window installations, this is merely not enough. What many fail to realize, is that outside doors posses a larger potential moisture intrusion expanse than the average window, and therefore, the presence of an outside door flashing program is just as essential.

An affluence of issues with outside doors accept been observed in the field, which has proven that several builders have disregarded post-obit an exterior door flashing program. In order to illustrate the importance of this, the following stand out as some significant examples:

Imagine a architect who does not flash a dwelling house's front door entrance assuming that that a porch/roof overhang is sufficient enough protection. When the aforementioned architect installs a garage service door, the service door is not flashed other than with a typical secondary metallic drip cap flashing, since this is the practise that has been mimicked from the front door installation. The problem hither, is that a garage service door oftentimes has groovy exposure to moisture intrusion, since it generally has minimal overhead roof protection. Another example of where significant exposure to wet intrusion tin can be institute, is at the exterior door of a multi-unit condominium building. Often, the edifice plan lays out so that many of the doors are well-protected, while other doors go unprotected. Therefore, the tendency is not to wink the doors with anything other than a baste cap at the head.

Showroom 1

Exhibit 1 shows a double standard when comparing an exterior door installation to a window installation, where the door and window are installed in a protected area of the habitation's outside. As observed, the window is fully flashed, while the outside door does not show any flashing. Please note that the weather barrier does not count equally flashing, and because there is no flashing below the threshold of this door, a metallic drip cap will be installed above the door during siding installation.

Additionally, the exterior door's perimeter (where there is potential for leakage non related to flashing) is over twice that of the fully flashed window. This architect uses the same outside door installation technique on garage service doors, which are in an unprotected, high-wall area of the homes' exterior. Below is a motion picture of the garage service door in Exhibit two.

Exhibit 2

Exhibit iii

The weather resistive barrier in Exhibit 3 has not been properly extended over the head flashing strip.

Exhibit 4

Showroom 4 shows an exterior door in a covered patio area that is non properly flashed. An edge of this doorway is only 12 inches from air current-driven precipitation. This presents a problem because tempest moisture can easily reach this improperly flashed doorway jamb and threshold.

Quality Congenital recommends that builders and trade contractors prefer a consequent best practice program for the installation of exterior doors, and related items that penetrate the building envelope. Consistently installing flashing in a best practice method on exterior doors volition forbid an exterior door in a less protected location from creating a h2o intrusion problem. Exterior doors that are installed in more protected locations will benefit from a flashing arrangement that can not only forbid the occasional water intrusion, but minimize air infiltration and insect infiltration into the building. A tertiary-party quality assurance program can assistance to verify the consistent installation of flashings, equally required to create a complete weather-resistive building envelope.

Best Exercise Solutions

A all-time practice flashing plan should be adopted past all builders and merchandise contractors for the installation of exterior doors and all other items that penetrate the edifice envelope. This program should include mandatory flashing requirements for doors with pre-installed brick molding, or other pre-installed trim. Typical AAMA, ASTM, NWWDA, WDMA, and manufacturer's best practice flashing requirements should be met by this program. The steps for providing the best practice method of flashing installation at exterior doors will vary depending on the type of interface between the door and the flashing. Many outside doors do non have nailing flanges like windows, but instead have a brick mold or other trim that creates the transition to the flashing. Quality Built'southward recommendation is that the post-obit installation steps be followed:

Install cocky-adhered, membrane flashing below the door threshold. Installation of a sill pan below the door threshold is recommended.
Jamb flashing should exist installed on each side of the doorway. A self-adhered membrane flashing should be used. The jamb flashing should extend over the threshold flashing and extend a 6-inch minimum to a higher place the peak of the doorway opening on each side.
The door should then be installed with compatible caulking below the door threshold, and continuously effectually the back of the brick molding or trim. Advisable manufacturer'southward recommendations for door alignment and anchoring should be followed during installation.
Angled metal drip cap flashing material extending over the door head trim and returning at the ends should than be installed.
A self-adhered caput flashing strip should be installed across the top of the doorway and over the baste cap vertical leg. The caput flashing strip should extend a 6-inch minimum over the pinnacle of the side jamb flashing fabric.
The weather-resistive barrier (WRB) material should be installed over the top of the door caput flashing fabric.

Weather barrier material may be installed over the top of the doorway jamb flashing material or beneath the doorway jamb flashing material, depending on the installation sequence. If a weather barrier is installed prior to the head flashing beingness installed, then the WRB should be cut back at 45 degree angles in each upper corner of the doorway to allow the self-adhered membrane, and metallic drip cap at the caput of the door to exist installed. When the door head flashing has been installed, the WRB may be pulled downwards over the flashing. The seams in the WRB should then be taped with a tape that has been approved by the WRB manufacturer.

Best do exterior door installation procedures are provided in the FMA/AAMA/WDMA 300-12 Standard. This standard provides options for outside door installation, which include self-adhered flashing that tin can be installed directly on the door frame/trim prior to the installation of the door in the wood-framed structure. A flashing product of this type is manufactured past Dupont™.

Click Here to learn more well-nigh Dupont™ StraightFlash VF.
Click Hither to learn more than virtually all-time do installation methods for outside doors manufactured by Therma-Tru™ Doors.

Exhibit 5

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Frank is a degreed civil engineer with over 20 years' experience in residential land development and homebuilding. His technology experience includes design, construction inspection and construction management. Frank establishes a rapport with his clients and is successful in completing projects on time and on budget. He has previously operated a profitable residential edifice corporation for over 15 years and has received over xx awards for excellence in building and marketing.

Yous tin can accomplish Frank at: [electronic mail protected]