Rough openings are penetrations in the building enclosure, fitted with fenestrations that leak or will leak. It is critical to properly direct those leaks out of the enclosure. Materials specified for rough opening details. These include tapes, sealants or flashing materials that are water, air, water vapor tight or vapor open. When detailed and installed correctly, most of these materials prevent water from entering into the interstitial wall cavities. This allows the “leaks” to drain out of the building enclosure. Tapes, sealants and flashing components can fail over time. Improper installation allows water intrusion, trapped by vapor impermeable systems. By utilizing vapor open systems for rough opening materials, water that was once trapped by impermeable flashing systems can escape via vapor diffusive drying. This presentation will describe failures, correct installation methods and testing of rough opening flashing systems. Addresses current research on vapor permeable rough opening systems and how permeability enhances rough opening assembly performance.

Learning Objectives:

1. Explain rough opening installation systems as described by published guidelines
2. Understand rough opening testing
3. Determine proper sequencing, installation and products used for rough opening installations
4. Recognize drainage and drying mechanisms and the benefits of permeable rough opening systems.
5. Know the differences between vapor tight and highly permeable rough opening systems for fenestration flashing installation

Scott Wood

President, SWA Consulting; Senior Building Scientist, VaproShield

Scott D. Wood is the Senior Building Scientist at VaproShield, providing product support on manufactured materials and investigation/testing of properties for new product development. As a building scientist he provides technical support for the company’s representatives, clients, and assists in the development and updating product literature. Mr. Wood has created and presented many of the AIA presentations and technical documents for VaproShield providing thousands with knowledge and AIA learning units.

As president of SWA Consultants, a level III thermographer and decades of experience providing condition monitoring and building evaluations, has provided the expertise for numerous publications / presentations in building and thermography sciences. Since his creation of building science thermography training in 2003, he now provide the only level I & II Building Science Thermography classes for the application of thermography in buildings.