Daily Home Renovation Tips

First, in the last article in this series we mentioned that we could not find one plug used on the exterior cladding (compared to the hand painted while plugs with the first replacement door’s install). Here is a picture of the second replacement door with the installation finished. Can you find any exterior plugs used?

The reason as far as we could tell was installation technique. Also compare the next picture (door #1) with the second picture following (door #2) and notice first you see screw holes in the black cladding of doro #1 but you do not for door #2.

Second, the picture below is that of door #1. Notice the facia buckling at the top of the door frame. It did not buckle with the original front door.

Now, with the installation of the second replacement door it again does not buckle.

The difference? All that was done by Mike and Adam, the installers for door #2 was to place 3 or 4 screws not from the door fame to the fascia; rather, they placed the screws from the metal piece at the inside end of the fascia to the fascia itself. If you look at the picture with the fascia buckling two pictures above you can see that white metal horizontal piece lying flat on top of the exposed wood of the door frame.  Very simply. So far, very nice.

Next, remember this picture below? It is of door number 1. Notice how the threshold, in two pieces. And, notice the gaps between the threshold and the brick. Also notice how the black cladding does not fully secure the wood part of door #1’s frame.

Now, no such gaps in either the black cladding or in the threshold with the brick.

Very nice.

Lastly for today is caulking. For door #1 the installer did not have any black caulking. And when he returned several days later he did not use it on the outside. He stated that there was sufficient ’snugness’ (my word, not his) on the interior of the door against the brick that no caulking was needed.

In the picture above focus if you will on the black caulking between the brick on the left and the adjacent black cladding of the door frame.

Net time we will again look at a few more installation technique differences with the installation of door #1 and door #2.

To continue with the next article in this series, simply use this link to Part 29.