Flashing system with tabs

Abstract

A flashing system configured to reduce moisture intrusion at an opening extending through an exterior treatment of a building structure. The flashing system includes at least one flashing piece having a main flashing portion and a sealing flange. The main flashing portion is configured to extend outward a distance from a periphery of the opening of the building structure to provide an effective moisture barrier and configured to be positioned against a wall having the opening defined therein. The sealing flange of the at least one flashing piece includes a top sealing flange, a bottom sealing flange, a first side sealing flange and a second side sealing flange each configured to extend outward from the main flashing portion and is configured to be positioned adjacent a peripheral-opening-structure at a respective top periphery, bottom periphery, first side periphery and second side periphery of the opening. The flashing system also includes a first top tab and a second top tab. The first top tab configured to extend laterally from the first end of the top sealing flange and configured to extend partially over the first side sealing flange. The second top tab is configured to extend laterally from a second end of the top sealing flange and configured to extend partially over the second side sealing flange. With this arrangement, the first top tab and the second top tab provide a mechanism to interconnect the top sealing flange to the first and second side sealing flanges such that the flashing system substantially reduces moisture intrusion at the opening extending through the exterior treatment of the building structure.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A flashing system configured to reduce moisture intrusion at an opening through an exterior treatment of a building structure, the flashing system comprising: 
 at least 3 flashing pieces, comprising a top flashing member and two side flashing members, each having a wall-contacting flashing portion and a sealing flange portion, said wall contacting flashing portion configured to extend outward from a periphery of the opening of the building structure a sufficient distance to enable reducing moisture ingress and configured to be positioned against a wall having the opening defined therein and behind an exterior treatment, said sealing flange portion being configured to be placed adjacent and to be sealingly coupled to structure comprising one of a brick molding and portion of one of a window frame, door frame, and another element extending through an exterior treatment and to be at least partially covered by an exterior treatment overlaying the wall contacting flashing portion, and said top flashing member further comprising tabs on said sealing flange configured to be placed over the sealing flanges of the two side flashing members, at a top portion of each, so as to reduce water intrusion at the opening.    
     
     
         2 . A system as in  claim 1 , wherein each of said side flashing members further comprise a tab configured to be positioned underneath the sealing flange of the top flashing member and intermediate said sealing flange and said structure comprising a portion of an element extending through an exterior treatment.  
     
     
         3 . A system as in  claim 1 , further comprising a bottom flashing portion having a wall contacting portion and a sealing flange, and wherein said side flashing members comprise tabs configured to be positioned underneath and outside said sealing flange of said bottom flashing portion, whereby the tabs of the top flange member overlap the sealing flanges of the side flashing members, and tabs of the side flashing members overlap the sealing flange of the bottom sealing member.  
     
     
         4 . A system as in  claim 1 , wherein the sealing flanges of the flashing members further comprise portions which extend inwardly over the one of a brick molding, window frame, door frame, and other element extending through said opening in an exterior treatment.  
     
     
         5 . A system as in  claim 1 , wherein the exterior treatment is stucco, and the flashing system is configured to cooperate with a moisture barrier and the stucco applied and the other elements of the structure to reduce moisture intrusion.  
     
     
         6 . A system as in  claim 5 , where the opening is a window.  
     
     
         7 . A system as in  claim 5 , wherein the opening is a door.  
     
     
         8 . A system as in  claim 5 , wherein the flashing members are formed of metal.  
     
     
         9 . A system as in  claim 1 , wherein the flashing members are formed of metal.  
     
     
         10 . A system as in  claim 3 , further comprising a drip flange extending downwardly outward from a portion of said bottom sealing flange, and configured to direct moisture away from the wall below the opening extending through the exterior treatment of the building structure.  
     
     
         11 . A system as in  claim 3 , wherein the bottom flashing member further comprises tabs depending from sides of the sealing flange configured to be positioned behind the sealing flanges of the side flashing members.  
     
     
         12 . he flashing system of  claim 1 , wherein said first side sealing flange includes a top tab and a bottom tab each extending laterally from a top end and a bottom end of said first side sealing flange, wherein: 
 said top tab of said first side sealing flange is configured to extend partially under said top sealing flange; and    said bottom tab of said first side sealing flange is configured to extend partially over said bottom sealing flange.    
     
     
         13 . A system as in  claim 3 , wherein each of said sealing flanges are connected to a tab extending from at least one of the opposing ends thereof, and said tab, in conjunction with said sealing flanges are configured to assist in interconnecting the bottom sealing flange, said first and second side sealing flanges and said top sealing flange together.  
     
     
         14 . The flashing system of  claim 3 , wherein said drip flange comprises a folded-back portion wrapped around an under-side portion of said drip flange.  
     
     
         15 . The flashing system of  claim 3 , wherein said drip flange comprises a downward portion and an obliquely disposed downward-outward directed drip flange portion.  
     
     
         16 . The flashing system of  claim 1 , wherein said distance of said main flashing portion extends from the opening between approximately four to eight inches.  
     
     
         17 . The flashing system of  claim 1 , further comprising a sealing flange extension extending substantially perpendicularly inward from each of said top sealing flange, said first side sealing flange, said second side sealing flange, wherein said sealing flange extension is configured to extend at least partially over the peripheral-opening-structure at the periphery of the opening.  
     
     
         18 . The flashing system of  claim 1 , wherein the system cooperates with a moisture barrier to reduce moisture intrusion, and wherein the top flashing member is configured to extend underneath the moisture barrier and the side members are configured to be disposed over said moisture barrier.  
     
     
         19 . A flashing system configured to reduce moisture intrusion at an opening extending through an exterior treatment of a building structure, the flashing system comprising: 
 a bottom flashing piece having a bottom flashing portion and a bottom sealing flange, said bottom flashing portion configured to extend outward a distance from a bottom periphery of the opening of the building structure to provide an effective moisture barrier and configured to be positioned against a wall adjacent to the bottom periphery of the opening defined therein, said bottom sealing flange extending outward from said bottom flashing portion and configured to be positioned adjacent a peripheral-opening-structure at the bottom periphery of the opening;    a first side flashing piece having a side flashing portion and a side sealing flange, said side flashing portion configured to extend outward a distance from a first side periphery of the opening of the building structure to provide said effective moisture barrier and configured to be positioned against the wall adjacent to the first side periphery of the opening defined therein, said side sealing flange extending outward from said side flashing portion and configured to be positioned adjacent the peripheral-opening-structure at the first side periphery of the opening;    a second side flashing piece having a side flashing portion and a side sealing flange, said side flashing portion configured to extend outward a distance from a second side periphery of the opening of the building structure to provide said effective moisture barrier and configured to be positioned against the wall adjacent to the second side periphery of the opening defined therein, said side sealing flange extending outward from said side flashing portion and configured to be positioned adjacent to the peripheral-opening-structure at the second side periphery of the opening;    a top flashing piece having a top flashing portion and a top sealing flange, said top flashing portion configured to extend outward a distance from a top periphery of the opening of the building structure to provide said effective moisture barrier and configured to be positioned against the wall adjacent to the top periphery of the opening defined therein, said top sealing flange extending outward from said top flashing portion and configured to be positioned adjacent the peripheral-opening-structure at the top periphery of the opening; and    a first top tab and a second top tab, said first top tab extending laterally from a first end of said top sealing flange and configured to extend partially over said side sealing flange of said first side flashing piece, said second top tab extending laterally from a second end of said top sealing flange and configured to extend partially over said side sealing flange of said second side flashing piece.    
     
     
         20 . The flashing system of  claim 19 , further comprising a drip flange extending downwardly outward from said bottom sealing flange, and configured to direct moisture away from the wall below the opening extending through the exterior treatment of the building structure.  
     
     
         21 . The flashing system of  claim 19 , wherein said bottom sealing flange comprises a first bottom tab and a second bottom tab each extending laterally from respective first and second ends of said bottom sealing flange, said first bottom tab configured to extend partially under said side sealing flange of said first side flashing piece and said second bottom tab configured to extend partially under said side sealing flange of said second side flashing piece.  
     
     
         22 . The flashing system of  claim 19 , wherein said side sealing flange of said first and second side flashing pieces each include a top tab and a bottom tab each extending laterally from a top end and a bottom end of each of said side sealing flange of said first and second side flashing pieces, wherein: 
 said top tab of said first side flashing piece is configured to extend partially under said top sealing flange of said top flashing piece;    said bottom tab of said first side flashing piece is configure to extend partially over said bottom sealing flange of said bottom flashing piece;    said top tab of said second side flashing piece is configured to extend partially under said top sealing flange of said top flashing piece; and    said bottom tab of said second side flashing piece is configured to extend partially over said bottom sealing flange of said bottom flashing piece.    
     
     
         23 . The flashing system of  claim 19 , wherein each of said bottom sealing flange and said side sealing flange of said first and second flashing pieces include tabs extending from opposing ends thereof, said tabs in conjunction with said first top tab and said second top tab configured to interconnect each of said bottom flashing piece, said first side flashing piece, said second side flashing piece and said top flashing piece together.  
     
     
         24 . The flashing system of  claim 20 , wherein said drip flange comprises a folded-back portion wrapped around an under-side portion of said drip flange.  
     
     
         25 . The flashing system of  claim 19 , further comprising a sealing flange extension extending substantially perpendicularly inward from each of said top sealing flange and said side sealing flange of said first and second side flashing pieces, wherein said sealing flange extension is configured to extend at least partially over the peripheral-opening-structure at the periphery of the opening.  
     
     
         26 . The flashing system of  claim 19 , further comprising at least one laminate configured to overlay each of said bottom flashing portion, said side flashing portion of said first and second side flashing pieces and said top flashing portion.  
     
     
         27 . The flashing system of  claim 20 , wherein said bottom sealing flange extends outward beyond the peripheral-opening-structure at the periphery of the opening but not so far out as a bottom portion of a frame extending from the opening.  
     
     
         28 . The flashing system of  claim 20 , further comprising a downward extension between an end of said sealing flange and said drip flange.  
     
     
         29 . The flashing member of  claim 27 , further comprising a downward extension between an end of said sealing flange and said drip flange.  
     
     
         30 . The flashing system of  claim 19 , wherein said flashing system comprises a metallic material.  
     
     
         31 . The flashing system of  claim 19 , wherein said flashing system comprises a polymeric material.  
     
     
         32 . A flashing system configured to reduce moisture intrusion at an opening extending through an exterior treatment of a building structure, the flashing system comprising: 
 a main flashing having a top sealing flange and a bottom sealing flange, said main flashing configured to extend outward a distance from a periphery of the opening of the building structure to provide and effective moisture barrier and configured to be positioned against a wall having the opening defined therein, said top sealing flange extending outward from said main flashing and configured to be positioned adjacent a peripheral-opening-structure at a top periphery of the opening, said bottom sealing flange extending outward from said main flashing and configured to be positioned adjacent a peripheral-opening-structure at a bottom periphery of the opening;    a first side flashing piece having a first side flashing portion and a first side sealing flange, said first side flashing portion configured to extend outward over a portion of said main flashing, said first side sealing flange extending outward from said first side flashing portion and configured to be positioned adjacent the peripheral-opening-structure at the first side periphery of the opening;    a second side flashing piece having a second side flashing portion and a second side sealing flange, said second side flashing portion configured to extend outward over a portion of said main flashing, said second side sealing flange extending outward from said second side flashing portion and configured to be positioned adjacent to the peripheral-opening-structure at the second side periphery of the opening; and    at least one tab configured to extend laterally from an end of each of said first side sealing flange and said second side sealing flange.    
     
     
         33 . The flashing system of  claim 32 , further comprising a drip flange extending downwardly outward from said bottom sealing flange, and configured to direct moisture away from the wall below the opening extending through the exterior treatment of the building structure.  
     
     
         34 . The flashing system of  claim 32 , wherein said first side sealing flange comprises a top tab and a bottom tab, said top tab extending laterally from a top end of said first side sealing flange and configured to extend partially under said top sealing flange, said bottom tab extending laterally from a bottom end of said first side sealing flange and configured to extend partially over said bottom sealing flange.  
     
     
         35 . The flashing system of  claim 32 , wherein said second side sealing flange comprises a top tab and a bottom tab, said top tab extending laterally from a top end of said second side sealing flange and configured to extend partially under said top sealing flange, said bottom tab extending laterally from a bottom end of said second side sealing flange and configured to extend partially over said bottom sealing flange.  
     
     
         36 . The flashing system of  claim 32 , further comprising a sealing flange extension extending inward from each of said top sealing flange, said first side sealing flange and said second side sealing flange, wherein said sealing flange extension is configured to extend at least partially over the peripheral-opening-structure at the periphery of the opening.  
     
     
         37 . The flashing system of  claim 33 , wherein said drip flange comprises a folded-back portion wrapped around an under-side portion of said drip flange.  
     
     
         38 . The flashing system of  claim 32 , wherein said distance of said main flashing extends from the opening between approximately four to eight inches.  
     
     
         39 . The flashing system of  claim 33 , further comprising a downward extension between an end of said sealing flange and said drip flange.  
     
     
         40 . The flashing system of  claim 32 , wherein said flashing system comprises a metallic material.