Have you ever was in between making decision to cap or not to cap your wood windows?
Or you are making your mind right now if you should or not to make this to your windows.
Thank God you are reading this, therefore you will have on honest opinion on it.
What is capping?
In construction capping or window capping (window cladding, window wrapping) refers to the application of aluminum or vinyl sheeting cut and formed with a break to fit over the exterior, wood trim of a building. The aluminum is intended to make aging trim with peeling paint look better, reduce future paint maintenance, and provide a waterproof layer to control the infiltration of water.
Therefore it seems obviously, that capping should protect your window frames and sells, practically it has opposite effect.
However it is really good idea to do this when you have vinyl window install, a lot of contractors picked up this practice for wood and half wood windows, what actually not protect them, but destroy them.
Capping is really popular in some regions, especially in Philadelphia area.
As homeowners we all looking for ways to save money on a lot of things around the house. Although there is some stuff can not be safe on. Your wood windows are required constant maintenance, painting, cleaning, checking on rotten parts etc. Sometimes it is a little overwhelming, for homeowners, so capping comes in handy, because you can simply cover window and forget about all maintenance and work that should be done on windows.
But for how long?
In a long run you will pay more for fixing problems that capping will create.
You see, when you have your wood windows wrapped, you can not see what is going on under it. Wood as natural material what has to “breath”. When wood is cover with vinyl or metal it is disposed to sunlight during the day and it’s cooling down at night time, what naturally create moist between wood and capping material.
Wood Rot – A Cover Up Story
You can read a good article from the picture
shown below: Wood Rot – A Cover Up Story
As well as no matter how good was capping there is no way that it will protect wood 100% from additional water and air perversion, what will speed up wood deterioration.
Those processes are going to repeat every single day.
How long do you think it will take to good wood under cap to go bed and start rotting and, what is more dangerous, mold?
Surroundings under cap is perfect for mold forming, which with time with get to your walls and can get into your house.
Worthless to say, that you won’t be able to safe wood that was under the caper, replacement will be necessary.
How much it’s going to cost? I believe more than yearly wood window maintain.
We often tempted to make a decision so fast, especially, when there is a salesman in front of us, describing, that what he is selling is the best solution for us and our house.
Not realizing that they will find enough facts to proof that earth isn’t round, just to sell their product or service.
Remember! Capping is hiding a problems no fixing them, so before you make decision to wrap your windows, think if it worth all of the problems and expenses that coming right after in less than 5 years.
If you are buying a house, you have to be aware of this as well, because it may looks perfect from outside, but have a BIG problem from inside, that you’ll have to deal with.
Now you asking yourself a question, what should I do ? Give us a call @ 224 – 300 – 0266 for a FREE Estimate, so we can help you with it.
