Radio Free Kirkopolis

BEFORE

Have you ever tried to install a pre-hung exterior door?
GOOD LORD!
To be honest, in theory it’s really not that difficult, in actuality it’s a job where, if all goes well, should take just under a half an hour...
…if all goes well.
If there’s one thing that makes me smart, it’s that I know that I’m not very smart. Therefore I take a lead from Abraham Lincoln and surround myself with people who know things that I don’t- and that’s a LOT of people.
So, I asked a friend of mine’s husband, who is a contractor, to give me a hand. For that, I am the newest member of MENSA.
The extraction of the old door was actually kinda fun. To do so you really need a reciprocating saw, which I didn’t have but boy oh boy was this a good excuse to get one, which I did and its a beast. A reciprocating saw (or recip saw as the cool guys call it) is one of those tools that once you buy one, you wonder how you ever got along without it (much like my air compressor- is there anything that thing can’t do?). Anyway, it’s a fun feeling to blast through old wood and nails when deconstructing your own house.
When installing the new door we ran into some issues that forced us to flanagle a circular saw to cut the rough opening about an inch around the sides and top (and again needed the recip to finsh the cuts), but this and other things were all stuff he had seen a million times before and knew how to handle- and THAT’S why you team up with experience.
Once the opening was clear, the new door just kinda slid right in, I ran a good bead of caulk across the bottom to keep out vermits, and shimmed it in just a few places, but it was mostly plum and level from the start. A few 10d, galvanized finish nails and a couple of drywall screws later and ‘wall-ah’ it was in.
Put two coats of paint on with a brush then finished with one coat via a 3 inch roller. I used the same exterior paint that I used for my house trim a few months back so the color matched perfectly. Then I just slapped on the doorknobs (which you need an equal amount of calm and patients for) and it was all done.
So- in summation, a few hints.
- When buying a new door, make sure your swing direction and size is correct. I was spooked to death that I miss-measured and would just be screwed. But most doors are a standard 34” or the more popular 36”.
- There are one or two screws or nails that hold the door shut for protection during shipping. TAKE THESE OUT. The door will not open while these are in and if you’ve already installed it while they are still secure, well then you either have to take the whole thing out or cut away at the frame with the recip saw. I know this because a guy at work, who knows what he’s doing, wasn’t paying attention and did this. Now that will lead me to my next hint-
- Do not drink while installing a door. You gotta get this just right. A poorly hung door is a pain in the butt for as long as you use it, so put the Blatz down for an hour or so. You can pop one open after to celebrate.
- Get help. I think I explained this one well enough.
- Don’t be cheap. This was difficult for me, because it goes against my very nature. But, if it’s an exterior door it usually can be quite a focal point on your entire house. Therefore, spend a couple of extra bucks and make sure you get one that you really like. I think you’ll be glad you did.

AFTER

# posted by Kirk @ 4:03 PM