New back door installed, but...

[Dan Mages]

Good evening all.

Sorry for not starting the basement thread just yet, but I promise to start it tomorrow night. Anyhow, I started the work with the installation of a new rear door to the basement. Man this was a pain in the rear!! I pulled out the old door to find the old frame completely rotted away. Welp, there goes Murphey's Law!! So I had to tear out the old frame, add a tripple beam of 2x8s on both sides and a new header. On top of that, I discovered that the outside patio is 1" higher than the basement floor. So I grabbed a 20 lbs bucket of quickcrete patch concrete and filled in the door area to bring it to the correct hight. Once this was done, The door went in easily and is dead nuts on. There are no fewer than 4 packs of shims and 3 cans of Great Stuff, holding this door in place. The door is also sitting on a bed of silicone caulk. I did not bother grabbing the calking gun, I just cut the sucker open and slathered a 3" wide, 1/4" deep bed of the stuff on the base of the door. I doubt anything will get through it!! This sucker is dead nuts on and will be a real PITA to rip out. I will feel sorry for the SOB that wants to do so!!

Now for the screw up. I forgot to compensate for the 1/2" drywall on the inside of the door that will span the 2x8s on both sides of the door. Oopsie! I also will have a 2x4 wall that needs to be framed up. In hind sight, being worth what it is, I would have done the final 2x8 as a 2x12" so the door will be flush with the inside of the wall and a recessed can on the outside for lighting. What is the best way to compensate for this mess up? Should I frame the walls so they are flush with the inside frame for the door? Add a 1/2" (or 1" to add 1/2" of expanded foam insulation) extension to the jamb and frame as I originally planned? Any other ways to fix this mess up?

Thanks!!

Dan

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v647/DanMages/Basement%20work/100_1005.jpg

[Neil Clemmons]

Dan

Two ideas:

1 - laminate a 1/2" strip to your door frame to build it out so you can put the drywall in place and then place your door moulding over the drywall and nail it to the laminated door jamb. Should be easy to do and finish nail and glue the strip all the way around the door.

2 - I've seen metal "c" channel that wraps a drywall edge, which you can probably find at the home center. That would mean you would have drywall up to the edge of the door with no moulding. But the metal channel attaches to the framing and the drywall then slips into the channel with about a 1/2" reveal. Not as "finished" as idea #1 but another alternative. The channel is galvanized as I recall and can be painted. I used some years ago on a basement remodel.

It's not clear from the photo if you intend the drywall to just cover the framing, or also to go over the concrete block wall as well.

Good luck. Progress looks good.


neil

[Wes Bischel]

Dan,
I would frame your walls as you had planned and ad an extension to the door jamb. Not a big deal, done all the time especially in renovations.

FWIW,
Wes

[Jarrod Nelson]

I just put in a new front exterior door. I say that in past tense, but there is still lots of little trim and finish work to do.

My biggest problem came from the fact that my house is 2x4 construction, but someone put new vinal siding over the old wood siding. So, the door jam wasn't quite wide enough. Good thing I have a planer to make the trim pieces.

This weekend I tackle the storm door. Ugg

[Steve Stube]

Consider how wide the door will swing as you add to (extend) the inside face beyond the hinge.


I doubt anything will get through it!! This sucker is dead nuts on and will be a real PITA to rip out. I will feel sorry for the SOB that wants to do so!!

Maybe this will be you.

[Dan Mages]

Dan,
I would frame your walls as you had planned and ad an extension to the door jamb. Not a big deal, done all the time especially in renovations.

FWIW,
Wes

My only concern with doing that is the door will be limited to a 90 degree swing instead of a 180 degree swing. Oh well...

Dan

[Wes Bischel]

Yeah, that is a compromise. I have seen them stepped back as well to gain a little more swing on the door - though I think it looks more appropriate when both sides are stepped versus just the hinge side.

That may be a better choice if you are using it as a utility entrance.

Wes

[Anthony Anderson]

Dan,

I am really looking forward to that new thread. I have been checking for progress reports almost daily.

As for the basement door situation. I know that you don't want to hear this, but here is what I would do. Buy a very good 8-10 inch bi-metal sawzall blade, and cut the door frame loose from the jamb. Next, slice one of the 2X8s off from each side of the jamb, including the top header. Then after you have all of the nails cut and everything is ready to be removed, take a propane torch and heat the blade (not red hot, but hot; if that makes sense!) and slide it under the threshold plate in order to cut through the caulk. If you try to cut this caulk with anything else you will have a nightmare. A hot blade should work wonders. You may have to reheat the blade quite a bit. Be patient, but If you find that the blade does not work fast enough for you, you can buy a wire saw to cut the rest of the way. A wire saw is a wire with abrasive that has a ring/loop on each end. Once the caulk is cut, remove the door, and the extra 2X8 (that you wanted to replace with the 2X12). Then frame the way you want. I know this sounds like a pain, and is the last thing you want to do, especially since you have a perfect fit the first time. But if you start "cobbling and piecing" things together you will have wasted more time than if you had went ahead and cut it out and did it right. And after all of the piecing and cobbling you will kick yourself for not doing it the way it should be done. You won't be limited to a 90 degree door opening either. I hope this helps. Let us know how what you decide to do and how it turns out. Later, Bill

[Bill Lewis]

I was going to post the "stepped back" suggestion the other day, but I had "real" work to do, but now after reading what Anthony posted, I have to agree. Do it right the first time around or you may regret it later.

OTOH if getting that threshold separated from that bed of silicone is just too impossible, you may be "stuck" with what you have. In this instance, I only have some encouraging news for you. Even if you only framed out the jam, the door will still open to an angle that is still greater than 90 deg. If you step it back, you can expect an even greater angle. I know because this is how the builder installed my basement doors. No you can't swing the door flat back to the wall, but I find I never have to do that anyway, and It doesn't seem to be that much of an inconvienence.

[Kelly C. Hanna]

I would never even think of removing that door at this point...that's insanity as I see it. I work on doors ALL the time and always build out for sheetrock mounting surfaces...you'll find it's much easier!