Replies

1. 
   MojoMan | Jun 12, 2004 11:58am | #1

   Before the door goes in, I have been using roofing membrane at the sill, lapping up the side jambs a few inches and hanging outside over the sheathing, making sure water would drip free to the ground. I caulk in the lower corners. Tyvek or felt goes up the sides. After the door goes in, flashing goes over the head casing and caulk is applied down the sides and under the sill.

   Some manufacturers are coming out with products to make this easier, but the basic concepts are the same: Water tends to run downhill and it must be coaxed out and away from the house.

   Al Mollitor, Sharon MA

   Al Mollitor, Sharon MA

2. 
   seeyou | Jun 12, 2004 01:12pm | #2

   I often am asked to fabricate copper pans to be installed prior to the door unit. Its actually pretty inexpensive.

   Since its inception almost 30 years ago, the internet has been transformed from a primitive device for sharing thoughts and ideas, into a massive network where people pay to connect and read advertisements they don't want, while calling each other "asshats".

   
   

   ---

   Edited 6/12/2004 6:24 am ET by greencu

3. 
   Piffin | Jun 12, 2004 01:46pm | #3

   Most places have pvc pan flashings available now for under the threshold.

   Did you mean Andersen, Therma-tru, or both?

   With Andersen, many door jambs need assembly on site. It is pertinent to follow their instructions for caulk and assembly.

   with brick mold already on, I would wrap the edge of the RO with Vycor on the sides, down over the sill pan and then install the door, and flash over the head after the door is in.

    

    

   Welcome to the
   Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime.
    where ...
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1. 
   xman | Jun 12, 2004 02:20pm | #4

   Piffin:

   I thought I overheard the delivery guy saying that Anderson bought the door company, but he may have been talking about the patio door, which may not be a Therma-tru. It was a Canadian company of some sort, initials, K-something........oh the foggy mind I have.

   I have Tyvek's Flexwrap and Straightflash. So is the idea of flashing the head to get part of your flashing material on the brick mold, part on the wall, then fold down the Tyvek over the flashing in the same manner one flashes over window flanges? How about the Vycor at the sides of the RO--is the theory that you are making a gasket of sorts?

1. 
   Piffin | Jun 12, 2004 11:55pm | #9

   Vycor is doing approx the same thing as the Tyvek flash material which I have only seen in the advertisements. Just keep the flashing so laps face down.

   Andersen did buy a higher quality Canadian door and window company, that does custom and historic stuff also, named KML I think. Andersen and they are good companies. Therma Tru wins no aclaim in my book 

    

   Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!

2. 
   gdavis62 | Jun 12, 2004 03:35pm | #6

   Andersen never bought Therma Tru.  When Therma Tru's owners sought to sell, in the late 90s, they approached Andersen, but things never concluded.  When the numbers got traded, the Andersen folks were quite taken aback that Therma Tru, with less than 40 percent of Andersen's gross sales, made more profit.  The boys from Bayport were in awe.

   Therma Tru, a privately owned biz begun in Toledo, OH, in 1965, sold half its interests to a New York private investment group in '99. The entire business was recently sold to Fortune Brands, with the deal concluding this year.  You'll see the fine print, "a Fortune Brands company," in their ads and literature now.

   Andersen remains privately owned.

   Edited 6/12/2004 8:46 am ET by Bob Dylan

1. 
   Piffin | Jun 13, 2004 12:00am | #10

   Don't take this personally, but I have yet to see a TT door I would be proud of and have yet to see an Andersen one that I would be ashamed of, not that either goo to the farthest extremes of that spectrum. 

    

   Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!

1. 
   MojoMan | Jun 13, 2004 02:58am | #12

   Piffin:  What brand of door do your prefer for middle-of-the-road residitential installations? Andersen? Thurma-Tru are common around here, but I have never been thrilled with the 'feel' when they close. I've done a few Peachtree doors and like them a little better. I've done many Andersen windows, but have yet to do an Andersen door.

   Al Mollitor, Sharon MA

1. 
   Piffin | Jun 13, 2004 03:15am | #13

   Andersen is fine when you want a full view door, for half light styles, in economy situations to medium pricing I use the metal fab from Peachtree. Have them on my own house as a matter of fact. Six or seven years and no complaints - and our animals go in and out a lot. I just cut in a pet doot to the garage one last week.

   Peachtree is not a Primo unit but for my money, it surpasses the TT hands down. 

    

   Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!

2. 
   maverick | Jun 13, 2004 05:50am | #14

   I heard that Therma-tru was selling slabs to every lumber yard with a mill shop to piece together fully assembled units with whatever parts they could come up with.

   I bought one such door at a lumber yard liquidation auction. the jambs were rotting after 3 years in the sun but the TT fiberglass slabs are fine. I had to wrap the brick mould and jambs with Al. coil to preserve the unit.

   Same auction I bought an Anderson patio door. Both for my house and both get the same exposure. Never had to give the Anderson more than a soapy sponge.

   Makes you wonder how TT could possibly monitor quality.

2. 
   gdavis62 | Jun 13, 2004 07:09am | #15

   I only used TT doors when I could get em for practically nothing, and then only the Classic Craft (fiberglass, but with a 4-1/2" wide LVL lock stile, and heavy skin thickness) or premium steel.  Since I've been gone, I have been using Simpsons from their Mastercraft line, or custom entries made locally.  I make all my own screen doors.

   Having done competitive analysis on most all the "patio" doors in the industry, at least from a few years ago, I think the Andersen Frenchwood hinged door is about the finest piece of engineered millwork the industry has.  And for the money, the Pella ProLine is a reasonable second.

3. 
   EricPaulson | Jun 12, 2004 06:15pm | #7

   Piffin,

   Do you have a source or a manufacturer for the pvc pans?

   I've never seen or heard of them and would love to be able to source them.

   Thanks,

   Eric

1. 
   gdavis62 | Jun 12, 2004 09:23pm | #8

   Here ya go.  http://www.jamsillguard.com

1. 
   EricPaulson | Jun 13, 2004 12:05am | #11

   Thanks for the link BD

   Eric

4. 
   gdavis62 | Jun 12, 2004 03:24pm | #5

   I was with Therma Tru for 12 years, and can say absolutely that your doors are either Therma Tru or Andersen, but not both.

   Andersen negotiated with Therma Tru for maybe 8 months in 1999 and tried to get them to make a private brand fiberglass door that would be sold through Home Depot, but the deal never settled.

   If your doors are directly exposed to weather (no roof overhang above), you are well advised to slice a piece of ice and watershield to wrap over the subfloor and six inches up each jamb, flanging out over your sheathing, before setting the door in place, and then run three big fat beads of sealant atop the membrane across on the floor underneath where the sill will seat, and continue the beads up the sides where the membrane is.

   After the door is installed and working properly, use a low-rise urethane foam to seal the cracks between rough frame and jambs at sides and top.