What to Do with Wooden Windows Before Installing Vinyl Siding?

Staining and Sealing

• The first step to ensuring the longevity of your wooden windows is staining and sealing the wood. This is usually done before the window is installed. Stain colors the wood, and the sealer helps protect the exposed sections of the window frame from the elements. Water damage causes rot, which leads to structural failure, so sealer is a required element for wooden windows.

Flanges

• Flanges hold the window in place within the framing. The flanges wrap up over the gap of the window cutout and mount onto the wall of the home. The fastest way to install flanges is to simply nail them in place, but the best method is to screw on the flanges. This is because, if you ever need to remove the window, the screws make it far easier to do rather than prying out the nails.

Flashing

• All windows need flashing; and while the exact methods for installing flashing vary by manufacturer, this material is required for wooden windows, just as much as for vinyl. The flashing covers the flanges of the window around the entire perimeter and work together with the waterproofing for the siding, as well as the siding itself, to keep water from penetrating through the screw holes or nail puncture areas where the flanges mount the window to the wall.

Waterproofing

• Waterproofing for the siding can range from sheaths to simple sheets of plastic or tar-based felt paper. In all window installations, the waterproofing for the siding works together with the flashing to help protect the wall and the window from water penetration. The goal is for the siding to shed the majority of the water from the side of the home, but condensation and wicking -- water that eventually seeps through the siding -- are a reality for all types of siding, and the flashing and flanges for the window need to work together with the waterproofing for home protection.