I’m about to build the frame for an exterior door I’ve been working on. Pretty much like the one in FHB 196.
Getting ready to order the WS14 seals from Conservation Technology. The tech person on the phone said I should cut the rabbet for the door 1/2″ bigger than the
door thickness (1 3/4″) on the side jambs and the rabbet on the head should be about the thickness of the door. This doesn’t sound right to me. Anytime I’ve ever worked on a door the rabbet is the same all the way around. Anyone have experience with this?
Replies
I think I would wait to get the seal in my hands before running any rabbits into my work to see what the tech is talking about, but I would think you are right about the rabbit being the same on the head.
I thought the hinge side was the different size, could be wrong
No one should regard themselve as "God's gift to man." But rather a mere man whos gifts are from God.
That's weird. Their website says to allow 1/4" for the WS14.
However, the weatherstrip groove is to be in the center of a 1/2" rabbet.
They say the weatherstrip is 1/2" and 1/4" is the dimension in it's compressed state.
Ted,
I use the WS14 in all my jambs. I make a 2" rabbet, 1/2" deep for a 1 3/4" door, and center the 1/8" groove in the 1/2" rabbet for the weatherstrip. If you get a hard copy of their catalog (it may even be online), they have scale drawings of all the applications of their different weatherstripping products.
-Steve
That was what the sales tech described over the phone and what is detailed in their website.
But the detail about the head jamb I wasn't clear on. He was describing that the jambs would be rabbeted at 1/2" x 2" but the head didn't need as wide a rabbet.
This is your Sales Tech...This is your Sales Tech on drugs.AitchKay
Seriously, call 'em again. There had to be some mis-communication there.I use their router to install bulb weatherstripping in retrofitting situations. They've been great to work with.AitchKay
Ted,
Detail the head jamb the same as the side jamb. It's all the same. When I build my jambs, I run all of my stock the same and then cut them up into 7' and 3' pieces for legs and headers. It's also should be the same piece of silicone on all three sides if it's a new jamb (you can change bulb sizes in a retrofit if the door doesn't hit the jamb evenly all the way around.-Steve
Yeah thats what I was thinking. Something must have gotten miscommunicated over the phone when I was speaking with the folks at Conservation Technology.