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Shop siding question

My shop addition (21'x60' added on to an existing 40'x60') has been complete for a year and after many trips by the contractor it still leaks at the windows. I do want to mention that of the 21x60 feet, 21x24 is for the machinery. Installed radiant tubes in the concrete slab and heavily insulated walls and ceiling. The remaining 21x36 is finished space with carpeting, drywall, pool table, 9 pinballs, juke box, piano, saxophone, popcorn machine,etc. In other words I cannot tolerate leaks. BTW, metal siding. Everyone of the six windows has had some degree of leakage. The manufacturer admits that using "C" channels and flashing is not enough to seal the windows. Seems like the top "C" channel catches the water but when it goes down the side "C"'s there is no incentive for the water to jump back out to the exterior of the metal siding. The only solution has been to add more and more caulking around the windows.

I would like to take some spare siding (corrugated metal) and make simple bent awnings over each window so the only place I would ever have to caulk would be the 'awning-siding' interface. I would like to, for example, place a 6 foot long awning a few inches above one of the 5 foot windows. If it were not for the corrugations I would simply bend a 30° to 45° angle in a

10"x72" strip about 2 inches in from the long edge. BUT because of the corrugations this is not a simple bend. Seems like my choices are to make it up from 2 pieces, scribed together, and MIG them together. Of course I would have to remove galvanizing and repaint the whole assembly. Lots of work times 6 windows.

Anybody have a better idea?

Thanks,

Ivan Vegvary, in wet Oregon

Reply to
Ivan Vegvary
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Sounds like a crap building job - he should have known better, assuming he lives/works in the area....

mm - how about getting some siding same profile as the walls, (assuming its steel/colurbond/zincalume) notching out the ridges to the depth of the wall ridges, folding along this line at 45 degrees (or whatever) and then riveting it to the wall. Then cover with a line of "flash tac"

- its whats its called here, anyway - made by 3M, used for sealing round airconditioners etc. Heavy foil one side, bituminous tape the other.

It works - had the same problem here with the workshop door, the idiot who assembled the shed (not me!) didnt do the frame square, so theres a 0.5 inch gap one end. it leaked ......

Andrew VK3BFA.

Reply to
Andrew VK3BFA

Thanks Andrew! I do have metal of the same profile. I was going to cut, hold at 45° angle and then scribe. But your method of notching out the ridges sounds a lot easier. Thank you.

Ivan Vegvary

Reply to
Ivan Vegvary

Remove the siding above the windows, install a drip cap, which is a simple flashing under the siding and extending out over the top of the window with a slope to direct water away from the window frame.

/ ___/ /

Kinda like this ASCII art for a section. It should have been done from the get-go. I've been installing windows for 30 years and not one leaker. Get the contractor to do it. He screwed up. Tom

Reply to
Tom Wait

Tom, thanks for the drip cap idea. It would be nice if I could install the drip cap past the left and right edges of the window. I suppose I could just use some RTV at those corners. Your drip cap idea sounds like a good solution and would also look a lot better.

Ivan

Reply to
Ivan Vegvary

If the siding is installed correctly, you can. If it's not, your contractor should fix that, too. Welcome to "why I'm doing my own work on my shop, even though I'm very slow and it's not exactly fun anymore". I've contracted out three items, and two of them have left me disinclined to contract out more, as doing the job right was evidently not a priority for the contractors. The guy who did it right did his part right in spades, but it's a total crapshoot.

Reply to
Ecnerwal

You can, I usually do. It only takes a 1/4" or so. You can also turn down the ends of the drip cap at the corners of the window. These turned down flaps are over the side channels. If the siding and accesories are installed correcetly, that is from the bottom up, and lapped over, there will be no leaks. Its hard to do it after the fact. Tom

Reply to
Tom Wait

You said a mouth full. I've been involved in building projects for several years now----and I've concluded that If I want it done right, I have to do it myself. The chances of hitting on a good craftsman, even with references, is way too hard to accomplish. It definitely is a crap shoot.

I'm slow as can be, and hardly a master of all trades, but I can do the work----to MY satisfaction (and it meets or exceeds code). Far too many have no pride in what they do and are interested in grabbing the money and getting lost. One such even left some of his tools behind. I always wanted a stainless drywall pan and knife!

Harold.

Reply to
Harold and Susan Vordos

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