June 2016

(or… my Dutch neighbor's new non-Dutch door).

Judith and David needed a new door… it's good thing they lives across the street. This was one of the most convenient, yet time-intensive installs yet. Convenient in that the workshop was 150 feet away… time intensive in that I've never put so many coats of paint on a door before (*it took 1/2 gallon of paint to get full, opaque coverage — about 8 coats).

They also have an original electro-piezo entry buzzer that they wanted to retain, so I was able to restore it — and the jamb around it for better-than new appearance and mortise a deadbolt and plate for full security.

The first step was stripping the frame of the existing stops (I replace them with new wood on every install) and five decades of paint. Once back to the original redwood base, the process of reconstructing the jamb could begin.

All in all, although a bit more in the time-department that we initially bargained for, it's a very nice upgrade from the previous state.

(*for a number of Home-Depot-related reasons, we did not use the tried/true Behr Premium Plus Ultra on this door… and paid the price in multiple coats. On the next install, I might try their Marque line which guaranteed one-coat coverage… a guarantee I'll gladly take them up on.)

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Judith and David’s New DoorRead More »

It was a double-Dutch-door week with the install of Mendi and Mike's door… and now Monica and Ron's. Interestingly enough, they were coincidental and also identical — Monica and Ron's actually served as a template for Mendi and Mike's since theirs was an entirely new creation (new post, etc.). We scheduled the install for Tuesday and I finished off the painting yesterday.

Monica and Ron started with a solid enough door… which is unusual. They had it replaced 8 or so years ago but when it came to priming and painting the door, the top and bottom edges were left raw and unpainted and the elements degraded the door and it began to delaminate. Ron also really, really, really wanted a doorknob with an escutcheon.

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Monica and Ron’s New Dutch DoorRead More »

Neighbors and friends, Mike and Mendi, were in need of a new door — two in fact (their bath exterior door is next)… and hit me up while on summer break. However, theirs is a bit more complex. It's a good thing Mike was there to lend a hand yesterday in the install even though, throughout the process, it became clear that it was actually Mendi's door. It was a nice chance to try a fresh install with some new materials.

Their previous door was not original and was converted to a Dutch door at some point by sawing it in half. Worse, it was an 80in door with a 4in filler strip at the top (the original was an 84in door). Worse still is a pesky detail in our carport models that the strike posts seem to not be anchored to the concrete below and are sitting directly on the concrete. This is the second time I've encountered this (first, with Erin's door) and it amazes me that these doors are still functional… nothing short of a toe-nail (or an L-bracket added much later as in this case) seems to be anchoring these posts to the ground. With one swift kick, Mike took out the post. This was fine as the post had seen better days anyway.

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Mendi’s Dutch Door PreviewRead More »