New FGIA document provides sill dam evaluation method for checking fenestration product water leakage

Schaumburg, Illinois – The Fenestration and Glazing Industry Alliance (FGIA) has released a new specification offering an evaluation method applicable when investigating potential water leakage through the sill joinery or sill penetrations of fenestration products. This method can also be used for quality assurance of the sill joinery and/or sill penetrations. AAMA 516-25, Quality Assurance and Diagnostic Water Leakage Check of Fenestration Products Using the Sill Dam Evaluation Method, a new FGIA document, is now available for purchase in the FGIA online store.

This new document serves as a guide for the use of the sill dam evaluation method to investigate potential water leakage pathways through a fenestration product’s sill joinery or penetrations through the sill. When this evaluation method is used as part of a forensic evaluation, the prerequisite steps, procedures and documentation requirements contained in AAMA 511, “Voluntary Guide for the Forensic Evaluation of Water Intrusion at Fenestration Products,” shall be followed.

“The purpose of AAMA 516 is to create a stand-alone document and procedure for use of the sill dam evaluation method,” said Joe Hayden (JELDWEN), co-chair of the FGIA Field Test and Forensic Investigation Document Update Task Group. “The main content of AAMA 516 is currently contained in AAMA 511. Separating this content out into a stand-alone document will make it easier to use and specify. Now that AAMA 516 is published, that content will be removed from AAMA 511 and replaced with a pointer to AAMA 516.”

Because of its limited scope and its modification of the design intent of the fenestration product, the sill dam evaluation method does not reliably reproduce in-service performance of fenestration products to support a forensic evaluation of the product and its installation.

AAMA 516-25, as well as other documents available from FGIA, may be purchased from the online store at the discounted member rate of $25 or the non-member price of $70.

For more information about FGIA and its activities, visit FGIAonline.org.

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