Besides adding aesthetics and bringing in natural light into the house, windows and doors serve a few more purposes. Doors and windows allow for natural ventilation therefore improving indoor air quality especially in bathrooms and kitchens where moisture can accumulate.

A properly designed and insulated doors and windows can help regulate temperatures by allowing heat to enter or escape as needed. In the winter months, properly placed windows can allow heat in from the sun while in the summer months they can bring a nice breeze in allowing to cool the house down.

In case of an emergency, windows allow for a secondary egress point. During fires, windows provide another means to exit the building if the doors are blocked. This also becomes a way for fire and rescue teams to access the building for any trapped occupants.

Doors and windows come in different styles. Doors can swing in or out and the handles could be on the left or the right side. Windows can be fixed (doesn’t open) or can slide left, right, up or down. It can also wind a handle to open, or even open like a bifold door. No matter your vibe, ensure that the doors and windows are at least double-pane (2 glass with a space in between creating an air pocket), as well as it is intended for the type of framing members used. That means if your building is framed with 2×6 studs, then ensure that the door and windows are for a 2×6 wall.

When installing doors and widows, it is always wise to double check the size of the opening it is going into. Best practice is to have ½” space all around the window or the door so that the gap can be filled with a generous amount of insulation. Prior to installation, flashing tape must be installed at the bottom sill of the opening. Put a bead of silicone on the outside of the opening as a secondary protection from any leak. Ensure that the window/door is level, plumb, and square. Nail the window/door onto the exterior using roofing nails and the nailing fin of the window/door. Use flashing tape to seal the nailing fins on the sides and the top, never the bottom. This enables an escape route if water ever gets past the tape/silicone. If using housewrap, make sure that the top nailing fin is behind the housewrap. This helps direct the water onto the outside and not in behind the nailing fin into the inside of the house.

Here are my tips for doors and windows:

  1. Remember that any opening will radiate cold air.
  2. Make sure that windows in bedrooms meet the egress code. 
  3. With some exceptions, all doors must be at least 36”.
  4. Proper installation is key to optimum performance.
  5. Make sure you have help installing. These things get very heavy.

Good luck!

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