Replies

1. 
   Guest_ | Jul 13, 1999 07:45pm | #1

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   Put string lines on the diagonals. When they meet exactly in the middle, the unit is in plane. Shim the necessary corner out until this is achieved. If the doors are only out 3/8 then you probably won't have to shim more than that, which shouldn't look to bad after it is trimmed out.

1. 
   Guest_ | Jul 14, 1999 03:47pm | #2

   *I would imagine that you’re saying you’re putting in a French door where when it is set with the brick-molding flat to the exterior wall there is gap of 3/8ths of an inch at the top of the doors at the middle where they meet at the mullion. This isn’t all that bad compared to some framed openings. All you’ll need to fudge is 3/16ths at the top and bottom of transversed corners to get the mullion and the door to set flat and seal correctly. Then on top of this that is just a 3/32 split of the opposing sides jams. The brick molding can give easily to that little of a push on one side at the top and the other at the bottom and still have the trim appear to be on a perfect door setting. If you had been talking about something approaching an inch I would say you’ve had some pretty sorry framing done and the sliding door must have been a hassle to open and close with that much of a twist to the framed wall. A 3/8ths gap at either the top or bottom of a set of French doors could just as easily been the doors themselves if the assembly were wood and had been stored poorly before delivery. Since you say the doors are metal this leads to a more likely fact that the opening is out of plumb on both sides of the opening.

2. 
   BikinBob | Jul 14, 1999 10:21pm | #3

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   Thanks for the input, Dale. I should've described the door more clearly. The hinges are in the middle, it opens on the left side (as you are facing the house)and the right side is fixed. While the unit is set in the opening, in order for the door to close flush against the weather stripping, the bottom left side of the brickmold would have to jut away from the house nearly 1". With the brick mold forced flat against the siding, the top left side of the door won't close flush and sticks out into the interior 3/8 - 1/2" - a nasty draft. The home is older, on a hillside, and obviously some settling has occurred. This one's been a riddle. Does chiseling out the siding in places to get it to set flat and avoid interior trim inconsistencies sound too extreme? Thanks again.

3. 
   Guest_ | Jul 15, 1999 03:08am | #4

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   If you can make up your inch by setting the unit half an inch in and half an inch out, setting it into the siding is not a bad idea. Easier to trim out 2 half inches than one whole inch. This is one of those times when you are going to have to play it by ear.

4. 
   BikinBob | Jul 15, 1999 10:29pm | #5

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   Thank you both for your help. Finally ended up with a compromise imbedding of the brickmold on either side. It worked well without looking too bad. Learn something new everyday.

5. 
   BikinBob | Jul 15, 1999 10:29pm | #6

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   I'm replacing a 6' sliding glass door in my home with a metal french door - wood frame/aluminum threshold/preattached brickmold. I popped out the old door and while dryfitting the new one I discovered that the opening apparently is wracked. With the brick mold placed completely up against the siding, the door when closed juts out 3/8" inch from the weather stripping at the top. Any standard procedures out there to correct this problem without jury rigging too much? The stop appears to be routed which would preclude prying it out and moving it over. The unit itself operates fine standing alone on a level surface and is square. Thanks for any input.