I am a homeowner getting ready to have new replacement windows installed. I have existing replacement windows that are being removed and replaced. I have had a few installer come to my house to give me estimates. Most of them say the old replacement window is going to be hard to remove, but they can do it. The outside of the house is vinyl siding, aluminum wrapped windows with j channel. Currently, the metal wrap sits on top of the j channel and is chaulked down. The installers say it is going to be very hard to get the chaulk off and reinstall the same way. They want to "jump the j channel", which means extending the metal wrap out past the j channel, essentially covering it. At first I was concerned that is was not going to look right, because it will add about 1/2 inch of metal wrap around the window. Then I got concerned about water leaks.
I just have never been faced with this decision, so I don't know what to do. Not even sure if I have any options short of getting them to replace the j channel, which will probably be very expensive and might damage my 20 year old siding. Is this an acceptable practice? Any thing I should know about this before I make the decision? Any alternatives they are not telling me about?
Aluminum Wrap around J Channel (Jumping the J Channel)
- Windows on Washington
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Re: Aluminum Wrap around J Channel (Jumping the J Channel)
Being that the J-channel is caulked, this is a fairly normal practice.
Re: Aluminum Wrap around J Channel (Jumping the J Channel)
thanks for the reply. not sure what you mean when you say the J Channel is chaulked. the edge of the metal wrap sits on top of the j channel now and it is chauked. They are going to remove this and replace the wrap, extending it over the j channel and completely covering it.
- HomeSealed
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Re: Aluminum Wrap around J Channel (Jumping the J Channel)
I'm not a big fan of it, but its possible that it could be the best solution given your circumstances. The key is to insure that you have a proper flashing detail above the window, so that water is directed away from the opening, not into it. More than half if the replacement window installs that I see direct water inward.
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Re: Aluminum Wrap around J Channel (Jumping the J Channel)
that is a very common install method and i would not worry about it.