Contractors must make sure their building components are compatible
to avoid damage to construction and reputation.
It's the phone call that no contractor wants to get. The one where a subcontractor who is flashing the windows calls when the new sealant he is using comes in contact with a self-adhesive flashing product, and adhesive starts coursing down the walls like a waterfall. When the contractor arrives to check it out, there's adhesive and sealant all over the place-except where it belongs. The worst part of it all: There's no way to get it fixed without spending a ton of time and money to figure out what went wrong.
Obviously, preventing water intrusion is very important. Yet, equally important-but oftentimes overlooked-is the compatibility of materials used to protect against moisture damage. Weather-resistive barriers, window flashings and sealants must be effectively integrated with sheathing materials and window fenestrations in order to form a comprehensive moisture control system that keeps water out.