Jul 12, 2014 1 min read

Q. Recently, my wife and I had a carpenter install new energy-efficient Andersen windows and a new slider into our house. The carpenter told me that he put in some insulation around the new windows and door. We are doing some interior work on the house and a person at a local insulation company suggested that I purchase some low expansion insulation foam. My carpenter said spraying the insulation can make windows hard to open, by gumming up the mechanics. What’s your take on this insulation?

P

A. These units are installed as one unit, with caulking on the back of the casing for a good seal. He should remove each unit to check, and if there is no caulking, put in plenty of an adhesive caulk to make a good seal as he reinserts them. The offer to insert low-expanding foam is wrong; there is little room between the unit and rough opening to allow enough to get in there to be worth the effort.