I would try to get something in there like the dental tool and loosen it. Maybe brake it up into small pieces shop vac'ing with a crevice nozzle at the same time. If that doesn't do it, at least if you could drill some holes in the foam with a long bit to make channels, that could work as well. I think sill pans are most critical with brick veneer and stucco exteriors, probably not so much with lap sidings. If your windows are flashed properly, you might be okay unless you have brick or stucco, then you definetely need a place for moisture and water to channel out over the sill pan.

Thank you all so much for your concern. I really appreciate it as DH and I are still pretty ignorant about the whole process of building, although we've been taking a crash course in window flashing and installation online, this past week! I have followed the links all of you have kindly sent and decided to spend the $67 and download the ASTM E2112 window installation chapter. It is too technical for me and DH to grasp, but what we can understand is that it says the window openings require flashing prior to window install. DH contacted the window dealer again, relayed our interpretation of the document, and that our opinion was that the windows need to be reinstalled correctly! Surprisingly he didn't even have a copy and requested I send him a copy of the pdf file! So it will be interesting to see if it's still 'acceptable' to him. We will be letting the builder know that we want the windows installed properly! I don't understand why window installation is not in the building code! With all the 'mold' litigation going on, how can building inspectors say it's not an issue of health and safety. This is how they look from the interior.

A simple solution would be to leave the existing flashing in place, pull the fasteners on the bottom nailing flange and up the jamb(sides) nailing fins in order to slip the felt under the bottom flange. Run the feltover the nailing fins on the jamb (sides) and header (top), keeping it about an inch fron the window and run new flashing up the sides and over the top.As kellyeng stated, the felt should coincide with the flashing install. Since yours isn't,this is a simple solution without too much trouble involving completely removing all, which isn't necessary.imo.You are dealing with moisture/condensation issues, not actual physical running water which makes it important for all laps to let that moisture run down without intrusion.Pulling the windows loose at the sides and bottom also allows to run a bead of caulking under the fin as worthy stated, which is just a little extra insurance and helps with lessening air infiltration.A correct felt/flashing install can be done caulk free, but throwing a bead in there cant hurt.

Judy, You are obviously doing a good deal of research about your house before making plans, which is a very good idea. I am attaching a link to the entire Preservation Brief series, where you will find a wide range of topics covered, including the most up-to-date editions (available, now, for free on the net). I have a couple of comments about your proposed plans. For your attic I would suggest adding additonal layers of fiberglass on the outside thirds of the attic floor. You can just lay it right over what you have there. (You may need to poke around a bit to discover where you can safely walk on the joists to get the material all the way out to the edge.) For the middle third, I would pull the floor, and insulate that cavity. It's OK to use a combination of materials. In my plastered house I have a thin layer of fiberglass, followed by as much high R-value foam sheets as will fit in order to get the highest R-value in the space available, without putting undue pressure on the plaster or squashing material under the flooring. In your 75- year old house you probably have balloon framing which is easier to blow in insulation than some other type of framing. But blown in material may present problems due to lack of a vapor barier, and if you follow through on your plan to add vinyl siding, that may exacerbate the problem. If your wood siding is still sound, you could have it scraped and sanded and repainted. Vinyl siding inevitably results in a change (and not for the better in most cases) of the details of your houses' exterior appearance. You could also have the siding removed, along with underlayers of sheathing, etc. and insulate (and add air and moisture barriers) before reinstalling the cleaned-up siding, though this is big job. I would opt for just scraping and repainting. As for your proposed new windows, well, I wouldn't do that either, if your existing windows aren't completely rotten. In most instances wooden windows can be vastly improved energy-wise by rehabilitation, instead of simply replacing them. Unless you are extremely lucky or prepared to devote enormous sums to having exact replicas made, the new windows will be, at best, a compromise stylistically. The loss of both the siding, trim and window details will change your houses' appearance significantly. In this year of energy-cost worry, it is hard not to spring for any and all improvements, but you can make a big dent in your energy-use by adding additional insulation to your attic, good weatherstripping around doors, diligent caulking all over the house, perhaps even temporary interior storm windows, etc. These relatively small-scale jobs will give considerable payback in both energy costs saved and increased comfort. And they will buy you time to assess the big picture and find solutions that do not result in so much loss of your house's historic character. With old houses, I find it's really important to go as far as you can in adding energy efficiency, but not worry much if you can't achieve R-49 in your attic. That's the standard for new constructin and in most old buildings not a realistic goal. Good luck with your house! Molly~ Here is a link that might be useful: Home page for Preservation Brief series