How To Wrap Window Trim With Aluminum

When it is fourth dimension to update your siding of your habitation, depending upon the type of siding you are installing, it is ofttimes recommended that y'all accept the forest trim around doors, windows, fascia, soffits, etc wrapped with aluminum. This type of wrap is designed to exist formed around your trim to take the identify of having to paint your wood trim every so often and reduce the corporeality of time yous spend on maintaining the exterior of your home.

MY Job:

My chore during a home inspection is to seek and find any exterior component that is not operation similar it should, is not watertight and is causing damage due to leaks and needs repair. Below are the installation guidelines your aluminum wrapping installer should follow to ensure the longevity and water tightness of the wrapping. When I come across these things, I know at that place is a actually good chance the wrapping is functioning like it should:

1) Avert wrapping pressure level-treated lumber. Aluminum in contact with pressure-treated lumber can deteriorate fast. If information technology is necessary to wrap treated wood, a protective layer of business firm wrap should exist practical first.

2) The aluminum should non be installed too tightly. It needs room for expansion and wrinkle or information technology volition ripple, buckle, or bulge. To help prevent this rippling effect, the installer should too do the following:

a) Use a thicker and stiffer textile.

b) Hem the wrapping to thicken the edges and stiffen the material.

c) Drill oversized holes where nails will exist placed to allow for expansion and wrinkle.

d) Limit face-nailing the wrapping as much every bit possible by inserting the top of the wrap under the edges of other flashing material.

3) Where there must exist joints, the joints need to be overlapped in the proper management and overlapped the proper amount to ensure the joints are water tight. At rakes, windows, and doors, the wrapping needs to be installed in pieces from the lesser up with each slice overlapping the other so that water drains from 1 piece to another.

iv) The wrapping should cover all underlying wood, and caulk should be practical where necessary to forbid h2o penetration backside the wrapping.

5) Wrapping door and window trim: As already stated, the material needs to be installed from the bottom up with each piece overlapping the other and then that it drains from one piece to another.

a) The window sill: The sill is the bottom trim. When forming the material effectually the sill, the ends will need to be snipped into tabs and secured at these tabs.

b) The vertical trim: The vertical trim pieces are installed over the tabs of the sill pieces.

c) The top horizontal trim: The height horizontal trim is installed over the vertical trim and the corners are mitered.

See diagram beneath:

6) The wrap should always be installed over solid forest that is in skillful status. If in that location is any rust-covered wood, information technology should be removed and replaced prior to wrapping information technology.

The following are a few concerns I am on the search for when inspecting any aluminum wrapping installed on a home.