On the shimming front, I get the urge to just “make it fit” and move on, especially when you’re racing daylight and the weather’s threatening.
Honestly, you nailed it with “off-grid life keeps you humble”—that’s the truth. I’ve had my own battles with painter’s tape and caulk, and timing really is everything. I still end up with a few wobbly lines, but at least the windows aren’t leaking like a sieve anymore. Those foam backer rods are underrated, too. I thought they were just for pros, but they made a huge difference last winter. Sometimes it feels like every little shortcut comes back to haunt you once the temps drop... but hey, at least we get good stories out of it.
Yeah, I get what you mean about shortcuts coming back to bite you. Last fall I rushed through a window install because the forecast said rain by noon, and it was a mess. I thought I could get away with just a quick bead of caulk and a couple shims, but by December I had this weird draft that made the whole room feel colder than the rest of the house. Ended up pulling the trim back off and stuffing in some backer rod and low-expansion foam. That stuff really does make a difference—funny how something that looks so basic actually works better than half the “fancier” solutions.
I used to think shimming was just about getting things level, but now I’m a little obsessive about checking for plumb, too. If you don’t, that window can end up binding or not closing right, and it’s a pain to fix after everything’s finished. I’ve learned to keep a little stash of plastic shims around, just in case the wood ones swell up from the humidity. That was one of those “didn’t see that coming” things the first year I was out here.
Funny you mention painter’s tape—I tried to use it for a crisp caulk line and ended up pulling half the paint off with it. Guess you can’t win them all. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that nothing ever goes as smoothly as the YouTube videos make it look. Especially when you’re working by yourself and the wind’s picking up.
I’ve also started using those little adhesive flashing strips around the sill before I set the window. It’s maybe a couple bucks extra per window, but it’s saved me from a lot of headaches with leaks. That and a decent level—my first year I was using an old torpedo level I found in a drawer, and let’s just say the results were... not great.
Anyway, you’re right about the stories. Every window has its own saga out here.
- Totally get where you’re coming from about the shims and foam—sometimes the simplest fixes really do last the longest.
- Those adhesive flashing strips are underrated. I used to skip them, but after one bad leak, I’m a convert.
- Had the same issue with painter’s tape once. Maybe it’s just the cheap stuff, but yeah, it can be more trouble than it’s worth.
- YouTube makes it look like a one-person job, but fighting wind and gravity is a whole different story.
- Keeping a mix of shims on hand is smart. I’ve had wood ones swell up too, especially during the spring thaw.
Honestly, it sounds like you’ve learned a ton—trial by drafty window, right?
- Wind is always the wildcard—one gust and you’re chasing a window across the yard.
- Flashing tape’s saved me more than once, but only if you roll it down hard.
- Shims: plastic over wood every time, especially off-grid where moisture’s unpredictable.
- Foam’s great, but don’t overdo it or you’ll bow the frame.
- YouTube makes it look way too easy... nothing replaces a second set of hands.
On shims, I’ve got to push back a bit—plastic’s fine but I still stick with cedar if I’ve got it. Maybe it’s old habit, but I’ve seen some of those plastic ones slip when things flex in high temp swings. Out here where the weather can go from 80 to freezing in a day, wood just seems to hold a bit better, especially if you cut them to fit. Yeah, you have to watch for moisture, but if you’re flashing and sealing right, they’ll last.
Flashing tape—totally agree there, but don’t skip the pan flashing. I’ve fixed too many jobs where water snuck in underneath because folks just taped the sides and called it good. Even off-grid, a bit of extra time on the sill goes a long way.
And foam... careful is right, but honestly, I’ve stopped using expanding foam around windows unless it’s low-expansion and I know exactly how much is going in. Got burned once—frame bowed so bad I had to pull the whole window and start over. These days, mineral wool or backer rod gets me better results, especially if I need to pull the window for whatever reason later on.
Wind—no argument there. Best trick I’ve found is to pre-set stops or blocks on the inside before you even take the window out of the truck. That way, even if it’s gusty, you can set it in place and not worry about it getting away from you.
YouTube’s got its place, but yeah—it never shows the part where you’re holding a window with one knee while trying to keep your hat from blowing off...