Hey folks
I have a front door to install, and I will have plenty of monkey-ing around to do with the exterior molding. Customer wants to reuse the old molding, need I say more. So I was thinking of constructing some sort of shelter that I could heat with a propane heater. BTW I work in Minneapolis. I need something quick and easy and cheap. My first thought was put some plastic conduit together a-la tinker toy, and quick clamping a tarp to it, but then I thought it might just blow down. It has to be roomy and tall enough so I can manipulate the door. I would attach a photo, but the attach file button ain’t attaching. Any Ideas?
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I've got the same problem, except that it really doesn't get that cold here on the NW coast, what I need to worry about is setting up a tarp or something and then a wind storm comes in and blows it to smithereens. I will wait for a period of predictable nice weather and then attack it. Problem is, it might not get nice for a month.
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When I've run up against ext. trim that needs to remain I'll cut out the old frame, leaving the trim on the wall. Set the new frame to what's already there. You might have to cheat the reveal a bit to conform to the existing.
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Can you and the customer wait until spring? Your body works twice as hard in the cold and if you're going to do it for any length of time (weeks, months), you best have a plan like you're trying to do.
How about something more substantial like 2x4 lumber and screws?. You can then reuse the stuff. It's not that much more expensive than pvc or whatever and it's a lot stronger. Maybe you know of a job where you can get some scrap plywood, luan, whatever for free, and just take a couple hours out and construct something that won't blow away.
Have a good snort of Old Crow and let them cold winds blow.
Get a canopy tent, like $30 from Walmart. Wrap it with a tarp with soem spring clamps.
my mom is a fine artist and she does outdoor shows all the time. She has an ez-up tent (10x10 ft) that has tarp walls and it is fairly dry and it takes a good bit of the bite off the weather. The wind is sneaking through a 1/2" opening instead of racing through your clothes. The big thing is to hang a cinder block/ gallon of water off of each corner to prevent disaster.
You could get a cheap ez-up at wally world (walmart) and rig up tarp walls for under 150-200...
I've got some of these -- Fastcap brand shown, but I have some cheaper knock-offs that I got locally, about $30 each. Use them to hold up plastic sheeting. If I am going to have the "temporary" walls up for any amount of time, I run a piece of strapping along the ceiling to help hold the plastic tight and I install a zipper "door" in the plastic for ease of entry/exit while still allowing for sealing.
Mike HennessyPittsburgh, PA
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I might get a doofus award but I was imagining putting in an exterior door and freezing my butt off in the out of doors
Jeff
Put some 3 mil plastic up where the door goes while its down to keep the house warm and dress like youre going skiing.
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At a minimum I will put something up on the customer side to mitigate the heat loss. And yes, I will dress like the Michelin Man. But my real problem is the loss of dexterity in my fingers as I am working. That is why I thought of the shelter in the the first place.
Ya know...with all the hassle and expense it's probably not worth dealing with if you ask me. Good gloves with the tipless fingers and some hand warmers in your pockets to defrost your finger tips when its unbearable will probably do you just fine.
I have a good bullet heater that I occasionally use outside on seriously cold days to defrost in front of on a buncha mini breaks although here in NY it never gets THAT cold.
I have dreamt of an open world, borderless and wide... where the people move from place to place, and nobody's taking sides.. http://www.yusufislam.com
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as a fellow Minnesotan, I'm ashamed that you are not man enough to handle a simple thing like the weather! He11, when it gets this cold, i'm usually forced to put pants and a shirt on when I work (as opposed to my working shorts)...;)
seriously, I hear ya man. We did a door replacement yesterday and it was rather a frigid. It was a side door in Richfield and the area between houses acted as a wind tunnel. We built a 12 x 12 tent out of blue tarp and 2x4 to help block the wind and keep the chill down. I do keep a small heater in my trailer to use as a warming shack on the really bad days.
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Or he could wait till tommorow, 30 degrees sounds better than 0.
The project commences on Monday next so temps are supposed to be up in the 30's, and yes it's better than 0. Hopefully I wan't have to putz around too much with the molding.
Yeah, that sounds like a better plan. Swap out the door, and putz with the trim later. Just staple poly over the opening while the door is out. The homeowners will appreciate it.
Yea, I have problems with the cold too. The other day it was so cold I had to put on a light sweatshirt over my Tshirt until just before lunch. Brrrrrrr.....
What a bunch of Sallies, work faster, you'll warm up.
Beat it to fit / Paint it to match
The problem as I see it is that there could be significant cost involved in constructing a temporary shelter , if your client understands this and is willing to play along, then you can get as elaborate as you like.
If it's your hands that will be the biggest concern try the Duluth Trading Co. website. Great gloves that allow for dexterity and also waterresistant. Used them when I worked at my gas station/repair shop. Well worth the bucks and many styles to choose from.
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Be kind to your children....they will choose your nursing home.