I personally feel that sloping and flashing of the sill rough framing is a more important detail than the integrated sill of the window. Water doesnt behave like you tell it to in a diagram. The profiles pictured dont account for what happens in the corners, the seal between glass and frame or most egregious getting past the head and side nailing fins. From my experience, very little water makes it through the crack between the bottom sill of the casement and a picture framed trim piece. What little water does make it past is prevented from getting to the sill by the nailing fin and runs behind the siding on the weather resistive barrier WRB (housewrap). If this is a major concern then flashing tape over the second lap below should redirect it to outside the siding (second lap course because the first course is butted to the trim). I feel the amount of water involved here would be measured in drips per x gallons. I shot this pic this morning and know its hardly evidence but I may satisfy my curiosity a little more with some other methods on a project we currently have in the framing stage. My thoughts are to place some paper towels behind the picture framed piece, vigorously wet the window with 5 to 10 gallons and seeing how wet or if there is a measurable amount of moisture is getting through this admittedly vulnerable location (from a stand point of water behind cladding NOT rotting the sill). I dont think it will be much and feel that a sloping/flashed rough sill will handle the much more dangerous and damaging leak points.

We went with the Triple pane apex package (ultra-u plus8). We're in MN and suffer from both weather extremes. The windows are not yet installed, they were just ordered after before the Christmas. We are actually just doing two double casements first and will live with them for a few months before purchasing more. i want to make sure I truly like our windows before committing another $20-30k for the rest of our windows and doors. Yes, it cost more doing it this way, but I'm ok to pay a bit more to ensure I'm happy.

I have always ordered clad wood windows with pre-painted interiors and simulated divided lights. I've seen all-fiberglass and all-composite windows and not been impressed. Mae507, I think you may be distracted by the wrong issues. Windows with poorly designed sash, screens, sills and hardware can have good energy ratings because of new glass technology. Here are some reviews from Consumer Reports: Submitted 2 years ago By DrewLM From Virginia The handles on the top frame of double-hung windows are overlapped by a metal lip, so if you have your fingers in the handles (nowhere else to put them) when you put the window all the way up, the metal lip jams into your fingers. Absolutely stupid design. The windows have a tight seal, but when you close the bottom half of a double-hung window, it sometimes pulls the top half down just a tad, so that when you go to lock them, the latch misses, so they look locked, but they aren't at all secure. And if you try to use the handles of the top half to push it back up, you get your fingers pinched. So, you can't use the handles to push the top half up, and there isn't much else to grip to, so trying to secure your windows can be a real frustration. ------- Submitted 3 years ago By Lisa From Rosemount, MN Our Pella windows are poor in quality. We have had problems since day one. The window in our master bedroom was defective and caused water damage. The windows throughout the house have moldy window casings and the company nor installer are taking credit for the mess. We have condensation resulting in ice buildup around the windows. from inside - cheap lifting lip at top of bottom sash, cheap latch for tilting sash to clean This is typical of most all-fiberglass and all-composite windows. from outside - ugly high interior water stop, poor sill nose and drip, strange bottom sash seal. This is typical of most all-vinyl, all-fiberglass and all-composite windows.

Well, the brickmould was another Marvin WIndows disappointment. It just didn't work. It bowed in places leaving gaps. Two different installers tried various things to make it work and, in the end, said it was a lousy system. It didn't offer more than a fraction of an inch additional extension away from the wall anyway. I did find a stucco installer who will stucco to the windows in spite of there being no protrusion. However, there is a thin strip of clear plastic that folds over the top of the windows -- apparently what passes for a drip cap. It will inevitably need to be replaced due to sun exposure where I live. Is there something better to put there? I find it hard to believe that strip of plastic does anything much to protect the window. And with stucco on part of it, replacing it in the future will be extremely problematic. Does it or anything else need to be there at all in this kind of stucco-to-the-window situation?