Commercial building fenestrations—windows, doors, and skylights—can add aesthetic value to a project, but can also pose risks to an otherwise sound design. Any point at which a wall meets a window, the building’s water-resistive barrier is vulnerable to potential failure.
Air is always looking for cracks and openings to pass through—that’s just science. And since air carries moisture, any air leak can be a source of moisture intrusion to inside the building.
Window openings are notoriously difficult areas for contractors to get the water-resistive barrier right, often due to improper wrap and flashing installation. So, if air and water are going to leak through the wall anywhere, chances are it will be at the window or door.
To keep your design reputation from going out the window, make sure your designs maintain an optimal water-resistive barrier, while still looking just as you envisioned.
Step-by-Step Accuracy is Key
Understanding how to properly protect critical details of a water-resistive barrier and air barrier along window openings is essential to designing a tight envelope—one that won’t fail early in the life of the building.
Breakdowns in constructability from the design stage to implementation can lead to final design concessions and improper material use—leaving no one happy in the end. Therefore, it’s important to understand the necessary sequence of WRB-AB installation to work backwards when designing a successfully tight envelope.
After the exterior-side wall framing is assembled, the construction team will install the sheathing over the frame, cutting around all window openings and other fenestrations. Depending on the sheathing and WRB-AB materials specified, the contractors will then need to apply a self-adhered membrane, building wrap, or fluid-applied water-resistive barrier. But if you design the wall assembly to integrate the sheathing with the WRB-AB, you combine the installation of both systems into one step—saving the project time, labor, and material costs.
The most important aspect of protecting the building against water intrusion is creating a durable, reliable, and consistent barrier around the entire envelope—including at all fenestration openings. Using an integrated sheathing and water-resistive barrier system is the most productive approach to help ensure that the materials will work correctly together, without concerns about proper installation sequencing or incompatibility between products.
Perfect the Finishing Touches
You don’t have to sacrifice aesthetics for performance results. By utilizing wall and fenestration materials that integrate gypsum sheathing with a WRB-AB, you consolidate the design process with fewer materials for a more seamless envelope. When you select a fiberglass mat sheathing with a gypsum core, your building design reaps the benefits of both enhanced moisture resistance and durable versatility for a strong wall that pairs easily with today’s most popular cladding design choices—including brick, metal panels, rainscreens, EIFS, stone, and fiber-cement siding.
Using liquid flashing creates a flexible, consistent seal around rough openings. Contractors appreciate the ease of use and the ability to identify any application inconsistencies upon inspection as the envelope dries in.
Strengthen Your Defense
The materials you specify make a big difference in the success of your building’s WRB-AB—nowhere more so than at the fenestrations. Ensure your design exceeds expectations by including optimal materials with a successful installation approach.
Learn more about how DensDefy Liquid Flashing pairs with the DensElement Barrier System’s integrated sheathing and WRB-AB for long-term water-resistant performance.
