Development of Industry Guidelines for Standard Practice of Fenestration Product Installation ✓ Most Recent

The requirements set out in building codes in the U.S. oblige window and door manufacturers to provide guidance on theinstallation of fenestration products, which includes proper integration with the building envelope. Historically, installation standardsin the U.S. such as the ASTM E2112 Installation Practice for Window, Doors and Skylights and AAMA InstallationMasters™ did not adequately address the wide variety of window and wall construction styles or the impact of exposure levelon the installation methodology (2007). In addition, these standards are not written in a format that is user friendly for field-use,as might be required of a general contractor or builder when providing instructions to a window or door installer. To addressthis need, the three major fenestration industry organizations in the U.S., the Fenestration Manufacturers Association (FMA),the American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA), and theWindow and Door Manufacturing Association (WDMA),formed a joint committee to develop a series of illustrated, step-by-step installation guidelines for windows and doors in specificwall configurations, initially focusing on extreme wind and rain exposure conditions particular to the southeastern U.S. Representativeinstallations from each standard practice were installed by committee members and tested to extreme exposure conditionsusing ASTM fenestration performance standards. Key discoveries were made as to the effectiveness and practicality of themethods that influenced the content of the guidelines. This paper provides details of the work of the FMA, AAMA, and WDMAinstallation committee in the development of guidelines for standard practices in theU.S. that have been published and also offersa brief summary of the future plans of this committee

Presented at Thermal Performance of Exterior Envelopes of Whole Buildings XII, December 2013