Windows on this Toll Bros. house cause severe rot.
These houses rot below the bottom corners of the window. First of all, the windows are pitched into the wall, instead of away from the wall. A gap is left around the window using casing bead to support the one coat stucco. The casing bead is 1/2 inch, and not the 3/4 inch like we use. Water that penetrates the stucco trickles dawn an is trapped by the big wide gob of caulking. The water trapped in the trough behind the top of the window runs down the sides of the window and rots the framing in the bottom corners of the window. To make matters worse, the gap is filled partially with absorbant foam backer rod which absorbs and traps water. For more details, check out the video on the July 2024 home page.
These windows are really designed to have trim around the windows and flashing over the top trim. If trim isn't used, Andersen windows can send flashing to go over the window, angled correctly, and even the same color of the window. We used pre made flashing from Home Depot. Just imagine, some inexpensive flashing would have kept this house from rotting.
The caulking does more harm than good. Also, All the caulking on these houses shrinks and cracks and just looks terrible.
These windows by Andersen leak at the post between the window. The water and mildew on the outside indicate what the wall looks like on the inside: wet and black.
Tell me this is worth a damn. Andersen maks a plastic cover to cover the top of the post. These do more to funnel the water in than to keep it out. A simple window cap flashing, pitched daown away from the house would have corrected the leak. Toll Brothers may have to spend $ 3 for flashing. Tell me this caulking looks beautiful. What kind of idiots do work like this ? America's luxury homebuilder.
After the stucco is removed, You can see the rot under these posts.
Here's a view of the water trough formed behind the window. The water that penetrates the stucco collects here, then runs down the sides of the window aqnd rots the framing below. The wagon wheel window is also multi part with leaking posts. We fixed this with protecto wrap tape and flashing. I promise it won't leak ever again.
The OSB has rotted off the bottom corners of the window exposing the studs. Toll Brothers slogan is "Quality by design". They don't tell you it's Low quality by design.
Window was fixed by cutting off the stucco above the window. We put on a drip flashing angled down so water exits out over the window, and not into the window. Top of flashing is sealed with tape and a piece of lath put on to support the patch.
We hid the patch by making decorative bands. Note the gap over the flashing for a water exit.
Bands are filled and finished with white. White was used for a contrast. If the color we put on didn't match exactly, the repair would be obvious.
I see this kind of work, like a gap around the window using casing bead filled with caulk, non existent flashing, windows angled into the wall, etc. I can't change the world unless someone reads this. If one person reads this and changes the procedure for the better, I will save somebody thousands of dollars. Now you see what I mean about the blind man walking toward the ditch.
Thanks so much dear readers, for reading all these years, and for all the comments.