Patent ID: 8302364

Claim:
A method of installing a window unit and a weatherproofing backer therefor in building structures having an exterior wall with a rough opening therethrough, said rough opening forming a cavity with an interior surface for receiving a flanged window unit having a flange and an inner frame thereabout, said wall being a substrate for a weatherproofing membrane and said flanged window unit, said flanged window unit and said weatherproofing membrane having a juncture, said method comprising the steps of: a. providing a weatherproofing backer of a self-setting foam web having two surfaces with a predetermined recovery rate and being self-setting with a compression set of 20 to 80 percent at 18 psi, said foam web selected from a group consisting of an open cell structure, a closed cell structure, and a structure of open and closed cells to mold to the exterior configuration of said flange with a pressure-activated adhesive layer, said weatherproofing backer extending beyond said window flange and engaging said weatherproofing membrane to form a sealed bridge between said window flange and said weatherproofing membrane; b. adhering said weatherproofing backer to the exterior surface of said wall and extending said weatherproofing backer beyond the region occupied by said flange; c. adhering said weatherproofing backer to the interior of said rough opening so as to form a lined sleeve for said inner frame; d. inserting said window unit into said sleeve with said inner frame compressively sealing thereagainst; e. securing said flange of said window unit to the wall with attaching hardware, said attaching hardware passing through and sealing against the said adhesive layer of said weatherproofing backer; f. adjusting securement of step e. to resiliently deform said weatherproofing backer with the surface plane of said flange being intermediate the plane of the wall surface and of said weatherproofing backer extending beyond said flange; wherein said steps a. through e. maintain said cavity between said rough opening and said window unit compressively filled over the temperature range of −70° F. to +180° F.