| Better Door Than Window |
| Last of a seven-part series |
|
|
|
advertisement
|
By Mark Clement
So you've just built a new deck on the back of your house and those once lovely double windows in the living room would quite literally make a better door than a window — sliding glass or French door — out to that awesome deck to be precise. Break on through
The good news about turning a window into a door, assuming it's wide enough, is that the advanced carpentry required for altering a load-bearing wall is pretty much done for you. That doesn't mean this project is easy — the DIYNetwork.com Cuss-O-Meter is tipping out at 5 out of 5 — but the basic gist is that you first remove the window then remove the building materials beneath the existing window, creating the rough opening for the new door. Siding. Check the exact height and width of your new door. Compare it with the height and width of the siding opening. I say this because you may have to delete some siding details, and that is easier on some siding than others. For example, removing and replacing wood or cement siding elements requires a different skill set than for vinyl or stucco. Plus, this'll give you an idea of what, if anything, you need to buy ahead of time to repair the siding. With any luck the door will fit and you can leave the siding intact; however, it's vital that if you alter the siding, you replace it using best practices to prevent leaks. (Leaks are considered 'bad' by most professionals.) Safety net. Have a few sheets of plywood and some 2x4 on hand to cover the opening in your wall in case you get rained out, your wife has your new baby a few weeks early, or the job otherwise takes longer than you thought. Interior trim. As with the siding, check the door's dimensions against your trim dimensions. It'd be nice if the door snuck in under the trim and you could leave it in place, but I usually find that to be wishful thinking. If you have to strip the trim, do so carefully to keep the drywall as intact as possible. Use a utility knife to cut the caulk bead before cranking the trim off the wall with a hammer and flat bar. The base and shoe molding need to go, too. Cut them back so that they'll meet the new door casing as if both were installed on the same day. I like a Japanese-style pull saw for getting a fine, straight cut here. Lay this out carefully so your trim is sweet when you're through. And be careful of the finished floor when cutting. Note: A reciprocating saw is the wrong tool for this job. Window parts. If you have to strip the windows out to the original rough-opening in the framing (RO) here's a demolition checklist:
- Modern-ish windows are hung on your house by nails driven through a flange in the window that sits on the exterior side of the house's sheathing. Either expose this flange and pry out the nails or use a reciprocating saw and pummel the flange.
- If you have replacement windows, they're held by screws driven through their jambs (and probably a ton of caulk). Find and remove the screws, then do what needs to be done to break the caulk seal. You'll probably need a combination of cutting and prying tools. I see a painter's 5-in-1 tool coming handy here.
- For older double-hung windows, remove the sashes, stops and parting bead to expose the jamb.
Deleting the jamb. Taking a window (or door for the matter) jamb apart can be a chafe because you never know how the original assemblers put it together. To avoid infuriation fighting nails and screws you can't see, remove it my way:
- Get a recip saw and long demo blade. I have a bunch of Milwaukee Axe blades in my saw box.
- Through-cut across the middle of each jamb leg.
- Crank out the bottom half of each jamb leg.
- Wrench out the top half of each jamb leg.
- Pry the head jamb free.
Getting to the bottom of it
Deleting the Lower Framing Assembly. The thing you need to be careful of is the siding. Cut it carefully using a saw and blade appropriate to the material. This is a finish cut. All I can share with you here is the triumvirate mantra that gains that day of any thoughtful carpentry project: layout, layout, layout! And once more for luck—layout! Cut the siding plumb (remove the sheathing and building paper, too) and include the trim details when determining where to cut it. Getting the drywall that covers the jack studs and bottom wall plate out is now pretty elementary; use a recip or drywall saw to cut, then pry the drywall free. For the framing, use a recip saw to cut through the nails holding everything together. Pluck out the parts using various combinations of nail picks, flat bars, pry-bars and good old-fashioned leverage. A hole in your house
You've now successfully cut a hole in your house. It's time to put the demolition tools aside and use best practices and materials for installing a beautiful and leak-free door. (It's a commonly held belief that doors that don't leak are considered more beautiful by many people who live in houses. At least that's what I hear.) Mark Clement is a remodeler and author of The Carpenter's Notebook and The Kid's Carpenter's Workbook, Fun Family Projects! Find out more at www.TheCarpentersNotebook.com.
| 
