I have an indoor pool that my wife wants to keep as an indoor pool. Unfortunately, the pool room is uninsulated and among its many in-efficiencies, is equipped with 10 metal clad 6′ sliding doors. The heating bills in the (New England) winter are brutal.
When paying customers are in short supply, I’m planning to install new sliders or doors so that there are 2 sets of doors in each doorway to improve insulation. I have access to some slightly used wood full view sliders without the jams. I’m looking for a suggestion on installing the “old” sliders as french or swinging doors. One door in each doorway can be fixed and in fact, a couple of the sliders could be permanently closed by using the wood slider panels as fixed/architectural windows. Has any reader installed hinges on door panels that had been sliders?
Thanks,
D
Replies
I haven't done it, but I don't see why you couldn't do it. May have to fill the bottom and top, where the hardware and/or track is inserted into the edge of the door. I assume you would be replacing the jambs. From there, it should be no different from hinging any other doors.
I'd think the weather stripping would be the biggest issue, but you can get after market weather stripping.
~ Ted W ~
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Sounds feasible enough, but I'd sure worry about the humidity in such a room and what effect it'd have on the wood in those units. Gonna play hell with 'em.
Jason
Good thought on the humidity. I wonder if I faced the exterior side of the doors to the inside of the room and the interior side of the doors toward the existing sliders. I don't know what the humidity would be like between the existing sliders and the "new" doors.
I suspect the environment for the doors will be more than humid. Most indoor pools I have seen, even outside of NE, produce so much humidity that there is always heavy condensation on the window glass. I could see this running down the glass on to wooden window frames and causing problems.
good point - thanks. Tho I'll eventually have to install a de-humidification system, that's not likely to happen for a while. I may be better off installing vinyl sliders.
Unless you use the existing sliders during the winter, you could just seal them up with plastic during the worst of the heading season. Then get the wood doors later, after you bought the de-humidification system. Unless you got some pretty high-end vinyl or fiberglass units, you'll end up wanting to replace them anyway. ~ Ted W ~
Cheap Tools! - MyToolbox.netSee my work - TedsCarpentry.com
I think I just lost my reply so I'll try again.True enough Ted re suggestion on putting plastic up on doors until I can invest the $ for de-humidification. Because this is my house, I may just collect and install used vinyl sliders as they become available. I'll have to plastic the rest until I have an entire 2nd set of "new" sliders.I also need to insulate the ceilings and the walls. Does anyone have suggestions for re-facing the walls and ceiling with a reasonably priced surface that has 0 or near 0 perms?Thanks,
D
Don,How about Kerdi applied over plywood or drywall, and thinsetted to the floor slab at the bottom for a tight seal? The biggest challenge is penetration detailing, such as outlets, doors, windows, etc. The Kerdi caulk is excellent, but $$$.You always wanted an orange themed pool enclosure, right? The Kerdi could be skimcoated with thinset, then painted. I don't know if this satisfies your price criterion, but it could work.Bill
THanks Bill,
I just checked Kerdi on the web. It looks good tho probably over $5k for material to do walls and ceiling in a 35 x 55' room. I wonder if anyone has used Styrofoam or another rigid perm proof insulation board?
another thing you want to do is get a floating pool cover. this will help reduce the humidity and reduce the water heat lossMike Hussein Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
Thanks Mike, We bought a heavy duty/commercial cover which definitely helps. D