Hello, I’m new to this discussion and homebuilding in general. My wife and I bought a newly built cookie cutter-type stick house (it’s 3 miles from my office, is less than a mile from kid’s school and the grocery store, and was cheap) and it needs work already. The back door is falling apart and I noticed the frame is way out of square, so much so that bugs and water come in between the door and wall frames. The outside trim is really cheap pine that has bowed up and all of the outside caulking has disintegrated in the sun (we live near Houston so it is usually very humid and very hot). Before sticking in a new prehung door I wanted to reframe the door so I could get it close to square but I have no idea what is behind the trim. I also need to rebuild the eves as they were made out of compressed wood and have also buckled in the humidity. Also the rain somehow misses going into the gutters and instead runs down the facia boards between the eve and gutter. The facia boards will rot soon I’m sure. I expect to have to pretty much tear the home down to the wood studs as time goes on (we will be here till retirement) but I enjoy the work. I have some skill as a woodworker and have enough tools to get by.
Is there a good book that covers these sorts of jobs? Also, are these the sort of topics covered in fine homebuilding? – Andy
Replies
Start off by paying attention how you take things off of the house and put them back in the same order obviously, Measure the width and height and thickness of the existing door slab and go get a new pre hung unit let them know what size door you have at your place of purchase, which way you want the door to swing if your standing on the outside looking at it, and, specifiy what you would like for trim on the door on the exterior and while your there ask about new door hardware such as the handle lock and the a new dead bolt keyed alike if possible.As for what is in the wall is anybodys guess so you have to get the door out and see what you have to deal with. Please .....make sure there are no ``wires `` in the wall near where you are working if you have to begin cutting the rotted wood out if there is any there(shallow cuts first if your not sure ).There may not be an aluminum drip edge across the top of the fascia that the gutter is mounted to so water could possibly get in behind the fascia and cause damage to the eves.So check that out also, and if there is a aluminum dripedge present make sure the gutter is screwed into the rafter tails and it`s tight to the fascia.Can`t think of any books of hand to recommend so best bet is to head to the nearest book store and ask about what your looking for ok.
good luck!!!
Edited 12/10/2004 1:17 pm ET by shavey
Taunton has a book on windows and doors.
Sounds easy though I would never have thought doors came as "right and left handed". I'm sure that bit of advice has saved me a trip back and forth from the hardware store. Thanks. I've looked at the Taunton bookstore. There are several books that cover basic trim, windows, etc. Are any better than the others?
There are a ton of books, you kind of have to look at them to see what each is worth, even then you may end up like me with almost 1000 titles. Fine homebuilding mag will have articles showing higher end practices, Journal of Light Construction will have more everyday examples. Both are invaluable, but geared more toward the building community. Check them out, they may give you ideas for projects and products.
Because of your circumstances, you may find that a big box store book (Home Depot, Lowes) will have examples that are helpful until you get a grasp on other specific titles that you want, and it will keep your cost down... until you start telling your wife that you need this tool to do the next job, youll catch on.
You know, you want to do it yourself, you feel handy, but you know there's some learning missing. Sounds like an opportunity. And maybe only because I'm open to this idea, but I ran into the same thing not too long ago with a HO and past customer who wanted to change two windows in a walkout wall into an 8' french door. He wanted to do it, but he thought he'd probably regret that. So he had me come over, paid for whatever time he used, and we both did it. He saved some over having me just flat bid the thing, he learned what he wanted to, and if there's a next time, he just bought the education."If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you. This is the principal difference between a dog and a man." - Mark Twain