Water intrusion prevention method and apparatus

Abstract

A method and device are presented that creates a channel adjacent a nailing flange of a window in between the window and the rough opening that receives the window. The channel is created by establishing a barrier that prevents foam insulation inserted into the space between the window and the rough opening from reaching the nailing flange. The channel then ensures proper drainage of water that enters the window cavity down to the window sill. A gasket is presented that can be attached to the window or the rough opening to create the barrier. Alternatively, a disintegrating object or a wicking object can be used to impede the flow of insulation foam and to create the appropriate channel. The present invention is equally applicable to doors or other framed objects received into the exterior shell of a building.

1 . A building comprising: 
 a) a rough opening;    b) a framed object inserted into the rough opening, the framed object having 
 i) at least one external face, and  
 ii) a nailing flange substantially around the circumference of the framed object;  
   c) a space between the rough opening and the external face of the framed object;    d) a barrier that divides the space into an interior space and an exterior channel; and    e) foam material in the interior space but not extending significantly passed the barrier into the exterior channel.    
   
   
       2 . The building of  claim 1 , wherein the building has an interior and an exterior, wherein the framed object further comprises a nailing flange and the barrier is found between the nailing flange and the interior of the building.  
   
   
       3 . The building of  claim 2 , wherein the barrier is a flexible gasket fixedly attached to the framed object.  
   
   
       4 . The building of  claim 1 , wherein the barrier is an outer surface of a decomposing object, and further wherein the exterior channel is formed by the decomposing object after decomposing.  
   
   
       5 . The building of  claim 1 , wherein the framed object is a window.  
   
   
       6 . A building comprising: 
 a) a rough opening having a header, two sides, and a sill;    b) a framed object inserted into the rough opening, the framed object having 
 i) an interior side, an exterior side, a top face, two side faces, and a sill face, and  
 ii) a nailing flange running proximal to the exterior side of the framed object on at least the top face and the two side faces, the nailing flange being used to attach the framed object to the rough opening;  
   c) a space between the rough opening and the framed object;    d) a gasket extending between the rough opening and the framed object in the space along at least one face of the framed object, the flexible gasket effectively dividing the space into an exterior channel adjacent the nailing flange and an interior space; and    e) foam material in the interior space but not extending significantly past the gasket into the exterior channel.    
   
   
       7 . The building of  claim 6 , wherein the gasket is fixedly attached to one of the rough opening and the framed object, and further wherein the gasket extends across the space to contact the other of the rough opening and the framed object.  
   
   
       8 . The building of  claim 7 , wherein the gasket is fixedly attached to one of the rough opening and the framed object using one of the following methods: a protrusion in a first surface fitting into a groove in a second surface, a nail, a staple, adhesive, and stretching an elastic gasket around the framed object.  
   
   
       9 . A window unit for insertion into a rough opening of a building comprising: 
 a) a window frame surrounding one or more glass elements, the window frame having an interior side, an exterior side, a top face, two side faces, and a sill face;    b) a flange on the top face and two side faces, the flange being proximal on the exterior side; and    c) a gasket positioned on at least the top face and the two side faces running essentially parallel to the nailing flange on the interior side of the nailing flange.    
   
   
       10 . The window unit of  claim 9 , wherein the gasket is flexible.  
   
   
       11 . The window unit of  claim 10 , wherein the gasket is on all four faces of the window frame.  
   
   
       12 . The window unit of  claim 10 , wherein the gasket extends essentially perpendicular away from the face of the window frame on which the gasket is positioned.  
   
   
       13 . The window unit of  claim 10 , wherein the gasket extends outward away from the face of the window frame on which the gasket is placed and curves around back toward the window frame.  
   
   
       14 . The window unit of  claim 13 , wherein the curve of the gasket is at least two hundred seventy degrees.  
   
   
       15 . A method of installing a framed object into a rough opening of a building comprising: 
 a) inserting the framed object into the rough opening, thereby creating a space between an exterior face of the framed object and the rough opening;    b) positioning a barrier in the space thereby dividing the space between an external channel on the external side of the barrier and an internal space on the internal side of the barrier; and    c) inserting foam into the internal space up to the barrier, wherein the barrier prevents the foam from filling the external channel.    
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the step of positioning the barrier is accomplished by affixing the barrier to the framed object and then inserting the framed object into the rough opening.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the step of positioning the barrier is accomplished by affixing the barrier to the rough opening and then inserting the framed object into the rough opening.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the barrier is affixed to the rough opening by cutting a strip of gasket to an appropriate size, and then affixing the cut strip of gasket to the rough opening.  
   
   
       19 . An window installed into a rough opening of a building having and interior and an exterior comprising: 
 a) a framed window unit;    b) a space between the framed window unit and the rough opening; and    c) means for excluding foam inserted from the interior of the building from entering an exterior channel within the space;    thereby allowing moisture that enters the space to drain from the space without interference from the foam.    
   
   
       20 . An window installed into a rough opening of a building having and interior and an exterior comprising: 
 a) a framed window unit;    b) a space between the framed window unit and the rough opening; and    c) a wicking object in the space adjacent the exterior of the building,    d) foam inserted into the space from the interior of the building;    whereby a surface of the wicking object prevents the foam from reaching to the exterior of the building, and further whereby moisture that enters the space will be wicked down to an outlet from the space without interference from the foam.