Wood Doors & Iron Doors

Installing a Set of Four - Panel Bifold Doors

2007-08-05T17:29:00.000-07:00

If you're using a prepackaged set of bifold doors, compare the manufacturer's specs with your rough opening. If you're using a hardware pack age in conjunction with standard doors, consult the instructions to figure how to deduct from the opening size to find the door size.

Trim the doors, if necessary. Check the floors to make sure they’re level and correct any discrepancies with shims on the low side. If carpet or finish flooring ill be added later, you'll also need blocks on, both sides of the opening that are equal in thickness to the flooring. For carpet, allow 3/8 in. to ¾ in., depending on the pile of the carpet. For hardwood flooring, allow 3/4 in.

Cutting Plaster - Wood doors

2007-07-26T18:33:00.000-07:00

Plaster is a lot tougher to cut than drywall. The degree of difficulty depends on the type of plaster system that was used. The oldest type of plaster was applied over closely spaced strips of wood called wood lath. Plaster contains mostly sand and is abrasive enough to strip the teeth right off a reciprocating-saw blade. Instead, chop through the plaster with a wide flooring chisel or a brick chisel. After outlining the cut with a chisel, break up the intervening plaster with a hammer. Once the plaster falls off, cut the wood lath with a saw.

The next type of plaster was used in the early 1900s, when wire lath replaced wood lath. To remove this plaster, score and break it. The plaster will ding to the wire lath, exposing a strip about 2 in. wide. Cut the wire lath using a combination of a chisel, sheet-metal snips, and wire cutters. You can then pry away plaster panels from the framing with a pry bar. Wear heavy protective clothing and leather gloves.

The last type, modern plaster, is applied over gypsum lath, a drywall-like product that can be cut with a reciprocating saw. The plaster veneer is quite hard, so you may need to score the surface with a chisel before sawing the gypsum lath.

Once the framing is complete, fasten the wall surfaces to the framing around the opening. Be careful to place the nails so that they'll be covered by the trim. For more information please contact Greatdoorsandgates.com developer of Wood doors and Wrought iron doors.

Separate Sills - Wood doors

2007-07-25T17:10:00.000-07:00

More manufacturers are furnishing the overhanging portion of their sills as a separate piece to fit into the main sill with a tongue-and-groove joint. Having no overhang on the sill enables the unit to nest tightly during shipping, which eases handling and reduces damage. Separate sill extensions can be cut in the field to create whatever length of horn is necessary. However, separate sills have a serious drawback: Water can infiltrate the joint between the extension and the primary sill and lead to decay.

To prevent this, set them in a generous bed of caulk exception is a door that takes a full step down to a deck or stoop. In that situation, the casing runs past the sill to the deck, while a durable kick board fits between the leg casings instead of the siding. A kick board can take more abuse than siding. Keep the ends of the casings and the bottom of the kick board at least ½ in. above a deck or patio to prevent decay.

Joining the casing is pretty straightforward. Join brick mold with miters. Flat casings are better joined with butt joints, because large miters tend to open in exterior work. I like to reinforce the joint by driving a screw down from the headpiece into the leg. For more information please contact Greatdoorsandgates.com developer of Wood doors and Wrought iron doors.

An Astragal Seals the Gap in Wood Doors

2007-07-24T17:09:00.000-07:00

In this blog post greatdoorsandgates.com will post on the topic of Astragals in wood doors making . For exterior wood doors, a wood or metal astragal helps seal the gap where double doors meet. The astragal is usually Shaped and mounted on the outside of one of the doors. Weather stripping, which is mounted along its inner face, is compressed when the doors are closed. Metal astragals are more durable than wood ones, but they are appropriate only for painted, not stained, doors.

permit almost complete access to a closet but don't protrude into the room as much as hinged double doors. Depending on the width of the opening, you can use a two panel set (a pair of doors that fold against one side of the opening) or a four panel set (two pairs of doors that fold against opposite sides).You can install larger panel sets with special hardware.

Bifold hardware includes a track and a floor pivot and two top pivots for each pair of doors. Aligners are used to keep four-panel bifolds flush with one another. Bifold doors can be trouble some to operate, mainly because of cheap hardware. To avoid problems, buy the best quality you can find.

Make Wood Doors using Tools And Materials

2007-07-23T17:05:00.000-07:00

In this post Greatdoorsandgates.com shall discuss on what basic tools will be needed when creating your own Wood doors to continue on our previous post on this topic

What You'll Need: Installing Exterior Wood Doors

Power drill/DRIVER
Twist bits
Spade bit (for some types of locks)
Screwdriver bits (slotted and Phillips)
Hacksaw
Caulking gun with (optional)
Tape measure
Square and level
Hammer
Pencil
Pliers
Sawhorses or door buck
Small wood chisel

cut the bottoms of the Z-bars at the Same angle as the si11. To do this, measure The front and back of the exterior casings on each side and transfer these measurements to leave space at the top for the drip cap. which will be slipped under the head casing.

Some units come with Z-bars resigned to the door, while other units are completely disassembled for shipping. Either way, place the Z-bars on sawhorses and cut them with a hacksaw. Save the cutoff to use later as a gauge. It Z-bars have been shipped loose, find the Z-bars which hinges on it and rotate it to expose the hinges, lay it on the door so that the top end of the Z-bars sticks Out 1/16 in. beyond the top of the door . this will provide clearance between the door and drive screws.

Next, slip the expander onto the door and screw it in temporary, raised position (it can be adjusted :the sill). Slide the sweeps into the channel on the underside of the expander and crime the ends of the channels to hold the Mount the hinge-side Z-bar attached) tightly against the exterior casing.,

Will continue this on the next post comming soon..

Handles of Doors

2007-07-22T17:09:00.000-07:00

In this post we shall continue in discussing the Handle of a primary wood door..., please remember that the handle or knob on a primary door can interfere with a storm-door latch. If the holes for the latch will be drilled at the factory, make sure you indicate the position of your primary door's hardware on the order sketch. If you are mounting the latch on site, be sure to take into account the position of the hardware on the primary door.

sub floor in order to be flush with the finish floor. Now most exterior door sills are made of aluminum and sit directly on the sub floor. Exterior casings are usually applied to doors and windows at the factory, so you'll need to specify your choice of casing style, typically either a narrow brick-mold or a wider plain casing...

An Opening That Is Too Small...

2007-07-20T17:45:00.000-07:00

From experience when making a double wood doors -- heres what we can tell you -- The rough openings for double wood doors are sometimes too tight. After setting the upper shim on the second side of the opening, plumb down from the shim to make sure there's adequate clearance. If not, you'll have to widen the opening.

Try bumping the errant stud with a sledgehammer and trimming the plate if you can move it enough. If that fails, you'll have to gnaw on the stud with a hatchet or a power plane, but be sure to drive common nails well below the surface so they don't nick your cutting tools. Another alternative is to substitute some 5/4 stock for the 2X4 jack studs...

Locating Studs - Wood doors making Projects

2007-07-19T17:02:00.000-07:00

I am sure you know that locating hidden studs is the first step in many remodeling wooden doors project. You can use either a stud finder or the low-tech method of rapping on the wall with your knuckles and listening for a change in pitch that indicates solid lumber rather than a hollow space. The variation in tone is most pronounced in the middle of a wall or ceiling, where greater vibration occurs. Make light pencil marks where you think the studs and beams are, and then stretch a tape between the marks to see if they fall on 16-in. or 24-in. centers. Once the spacing, or module, is established, you'll have a pretty good indication of where the rest of the framing members are located.

When you find the approximate location of a framing member, check it by driving a nail. Try to drive it where the trim has been removed to avoid having to patch it later, but stay at least 2 in. above the subfloor, or you'll be nailing into the wall's bottom plate. Probe back and forth across the edge of a stud until you feel the nail poke through, indicating one side of the stud, then measure back ¾ in. to find the stud's exact center...just an advise

Security in Doors

2007-07-18T17:17:00.000-07:00

Just to remind you, we think in order to complement the light-duty security of a cylinder lock, exterior wood doors should be fitted with a separate dead bolt, as we11.A dead bolt, which is operated by a key on the outside and a thumb turn on the inside, is tougher to break through because it has a longer throw (horizontal travel), which engages the jamb more securely than the bolt of a cylinder lock. A dead bolt is also more resistant to smashing than a knob-type lock because its internal mechanism is housed entirely inside the wood door. Deadbolts for glass doors should be key-operated from both sides so a burglar can't simply break the glass and use the thumb turn to get in.

Solid Wood Doors

2007-07-17T17:10:00.000-07:00

We think that in rustic settings, board-and-batten wood doors are attractive. They can be made on site with simple tools or produced by a local carpenter or cabinetmaker. Boards that have tongue-and-groove edges obscure seasonal shrinkage better than square-edged boards. If you use rough-swan boards for their texture, be sure to dry them first or wide gaps will appear as they shrink. It's important with all board-and-batten doors to provide a Z-brace, or a very wide cross brace, to keep them from sagging.

Trade Secret

2007-07-16T17:16:00.000-07:00

The distance from the top of the header to the top of the king stud is the length of the cripples. You can either measure this distance or hold an oversize block in position for marking.

lower stories. If plaster or drywall prevents you from seeing the actual beam, you can drive a finish nail in a few places to see if it's solid inside. If there's a wall above this beam on the next story, it's probably a load-bearing one.

Framing an opening in new construction
With new construction, I precut and assemble all of my frame components for door and window openings, then install them as I'm building the wall. The process I describe here is for a non bearing wall.

1 . Cut the jack studs to the height of the rough opening less ½ in. to allow for the thickness of The bottom plate. Nail the jacks to full-height king studs to make two double-stud assemblies.Is cut and removed from the opening later.Cripple stud Bottom plate (removed from the opening later)the bottom plate.

2. Cut the pieces for the header to the width of the rough opening plus 3 in. (the combined thickness of the two jack studs). Assemble the header, and then lay it on the floor on edge.

3. Lay the double-stud assemblies in position at each end of the header and drive four nails through each king stud into the end of the header. Then nail on the top plate and bottom plate.

4. After cutting the cripples and marking their location on the header, toenail (angle nail) them bet«-een the header and the top plate.

Placing The Unit

2007-07-15T17:46:00.000-07:00

After framing the rough opening, dry-fit the he opening to make sure it fits. If the fit look good,. remove the unit and shoot three continuous beads of caulk on the floor pan, extending them 3 in. up the sides of the It the unit has been precased, apply caulk around the opening. If there are packing nails holding the doors where they meet at the head jamb, remove them now, but leave any cardboard spacers between the frame to keep the margins even.

With a helper, lift and carefully tip the unit into the opening, shoving it in until the casing or temporary strips fully contact using temporary strips, nail them to the wall, but leave the heads out from later removar (see sidebar, facing page). Nail first, check the margins to be sure the fame hasn't racked, and then nail the top strips. If racking has occurred, have your helper pry gently between the jamb and the stud until the margins even out, and then nail the top strip. If the unit was precased, fasten the casing. Both sides at the bottom margins all around to make sure they are even, and nail the casing.

Solving Out-of-Plumb Problem

2007-07-13T18:12:00.000-07:00

Is it better to set the frame flush with an out-of-plumb wall or to set the frame plumb? The best strategy depends on whether the unit has casings. If so, set it flush with the wall, because there's no way to shave the miters without pulling off the casings. If a unit doesn't have casings, set the frame plumb (nonflush), knowing that you'll have to fudge the miters. To guide the setting of a no flush jamb, preattach a shim to the hinge-side stud and make a mark on it. This mark is plumbed up (or down) from the face of the wall wherever it leans out the most.

The worst case scenario is when one side is more out of the plumb than the other, which is called a cross-legged opening. First, try to bump the entire wall at the bottom with a sledgehammer, using a thick board as a cushion to avoid damaging the drywall. You can also try moving the jambs away from the wall until they're parallel. Moving both jambs a little on opposite sides is less conspicuous than moving one jamb a lot, but it can cause difficulty later when installing the trim. You can offset the jambs from the wall no more than i/4 in. before it starts to be obvious. With single doors, you can cheat a little by setting the jambs in a somewhat cross legged condition and then resetting the stop on the strike jamb so it meets the door.

1 . Place the unit in the opening. If a floor shim has been set, make sure its under the jamb. Then, open the door about 90 degrees. The weight of the door will make the top of the jamb tip away from the opening unless it is supported. If the door is light, you can simply hold the jamb in position while you nail through the jamb next to the top hinge. If the door is heavy,
it's better to place shims or blocks under the opened door until the jamb is in position.

2. Nail through the jamb next to the top hinge to hold the door in place, then nail next to the bottom hinge with 8d finish nails. Close the door and check the margin between the door and the head jamb. If the gap over the door narrows.

Making a Rough Opening in an Existing Wall.

2007-07-12T17:08:00.000-07:00

Once you have selected a new door's location and are satisfied that the wall is nonbearing, determine the precise location of the existing studs.

If you can incorporate one of the existing studs into the new framing as a king stud, so much the In this case, measure 1 ½ in. from the side of the stud to the side of the opening. You'll be adding a new jack stud to the existing stud, so the side of the new jack will flush out with the opening. Measure the width of the opening to find the side and use a level to mark both edges. Measure up from the floor to the top of the opening and mark the top with a level.

The only place you'll be cutting through existing framing is across the top of the opening. existing studs will be cut off to become cripple studs. To mark these cuts, measure 3 in. (the thickness of the new double 2X4 header) up.

Determining Whether The Wall Is Load Bearing

2007-07-11T17:46:00.000-07:00

Once you know the size of the R.O., you need determining whether the wall in which the opening is situated is a load-bearing one. Most interior walls don't bear structural loads, but some do. You need to know which kind of wall you have before modifying it and framing the R.O.

Sometimes an interior wall is used to transmit structural loads. The most typical example of an interior load-bearing wall is a partition that runs parallel to the front and back of a house, effectively reducing the depth of the house into two spans. In houses with basements, this wall typically sits over a heavy wood or steel beam supported by columns in the basement.
If you're building a new structure, it's simple to determine whether a wall is load bearing by analyzing the blueprints. When you're remodeling however, it's not so easy.

First, determine which way the roof rafters and floor beams run. They usually run parallel to each other, but not In the attic, the rafters (or trusses) are probably exposed. The attic floor joists may be covered with plywood, but you can easily see where the beams are by the nails in the floor. Intermediate floors are more difficult to assess because they are covered above and below by finish materials. In those cases, you can locate ceiling joists the same way you hunt for studs.

Framing The Opening

2007-07-10T18:09:00.000-07:00

Measure the header that fits between the two existing studs. If both of these studs are located from the opening, it may be hard to read tape measure inside the wall. It's a good idea to cut the header slightly oversize and gradually shorten it until you have a snug fit.

1. Insert the header by angling it into position through the opening. Use a cordless drill to fasten the header inside the wall with screws. Predrill angled holes and start your screws before slipping the header into position.

2.Once the header is in place, fasten it to the ends of the cripple studs (the existing studs you cut off}. Use long screws or barn spikes to go through a double 2x4 header. If you used a single 2x4 header, 16d common nails or sinkers 11 suffice.

3. Make double studs for the sides of the opening and install them between the bottom plate and the header. If you're employing any existing studs as king studs, add jacks to make them into doubles.

The Framing and The Foundation

2007-07-09T18:07:00.000-07:00

Make a story pole with a straight 1x4. Mark I in. up from the bottom to represent the joint between the framing and the foundation. The bottom of the pole then indicates the bottom of the lowest course. With the pole registering at the top of the foundation, mark the pole 1/4 in. above the head flashing of the doors and windows. (It's customary to align the tops of doors and windows.) Check all the windows to average out minor discrepancies, and then mark the bottoms of the windows, as well.

If one window height prevails, try dividing it into an equal number of courses, adding or subtracting a course to make the spacing work. Then divide the remaining space below the window. If that doesn't work, evenly divide the total height from the tops of the windows to the bottom of the wall. That means you'll have to notch the siding around the bottoms of the windows but not at the tops. Use a foot/inch calculator to make these computations.

Flashing Interior

2007-07-08T18:29:00.000-07:00

Flashing, house wrap, exterior trim, and siding each play different roles in a weather barrier system. In order for them to do their jobs, the system's components must be overlapped correctly. Like the skin of a fish, there are big scales and little scales, but they all face in the same direction.

In fact, incorrectly installed flashing is worse than no flashing at all, because it actually funnels water into the building instead of shedding it to the exterior. It's not that difficult to figure out the right way to overlap. Use this rule: That which is above overlaps that which is below.

2007-07-05T20:23:00.000-07:00

Before installing a new metal threshold in an old doorway, you may want to cover an existing wooden sill with an L-shaped aluminum sill cover. This eliminates sill maintenance and conceals any previous deterioration. To install a sill cover, first determine its length.

The length depends on how far the cover extends toward the exterior, because the width of the opening steps outward according to the configuration of the frame. To be on the safe side, make a cardboard template, and then trace the template onto the sill cover. After cutting the cover to its longest dimension.

An aluminum sill cover (foreground) is fitted over the old wooden sill before installing a new threshold (center).A drain pan is sandwiched between the sill cover and the threshold. The pan's upturned lip turns away water that seeps through the threshold.

Let There Be Light

2007-07-04T18:21:00.000-07:00

Windows are not the only way to bring natural light into a room. Exterior doors can also help bring much-needed light into a dark room or entrance hall. Glass panels both let in light and dress up a door. Certain panel sizes and shapes suggest specific period styles, so choose a glass treatment that harmonizes with the style of the house.

Sidelites are another way to let in light near a door. Technically, sidelites are fixed windows, but they are usually designed to harmonize with the style of the door. Door manufacturers often offer sidelites as accessories to exterior doors. They can be installed on one side of the dooror on both sides. Remember that safety glass in and around doors is required by code in many regions. And choose a double-keyed lock for security.

Lites in the millwork industry. Narrow French doors usually have 10 lites (two wide by five high). The narrow wood strips that separate the lites from each other are called muntins.
The life of wooden French doors and patio doors can be extended by cladding their exteriors with vinyl or aluminum, which also reduces maintenance. Clad doors are typically available in either white or bronze, though some manufacturers, such as Weathershield, offer greater variety. An effective compromise between cladding and field finishing is a factory-applied paint finish

Sheltering Exterior Doors

2007-07-03T17:15:00.000-07:00

A sheltering overhang of some sort is always advisable for wooden exterior doors. This is especially true of stained doors, because natural finishes break down quickly when exposed to sunlight. Some companies offer a factory application of hi-tech natural finishes. When a door is exposed to the weather, this is a good option.

"Exterior doors are particularly vulnerable to warping because of the extreme differences between interior and exterior temperature and humidity."

stable, manufacturers usually build stiles and rails with a stave core. Another approach is to laminate thin boards together to create thicker boards.

Plywood doors are now available in fancier styles than old flush doors. These new doors have an inner core of steel and foam, a thick veneer of oak plywood, and surface moldings with traditional designs. Hardboard doors, made from compressed wood fibers, can be flush (smooth) or stamped with a traditional raised-panel design.

Steel doors are a good choice if both sides will be painted. Steel is strong, stable, and relatively inexpensive. With the development of raised moldings and embossed wood graining, steel doors now look more convincingly like wood frame-and-panel doors. Other types of steel doors have a wood-grained vinyl coating that can be stained.

Most steel doors are sold as a unit that includes the frame. When buying a steel door to retrofit in an existing frame, look for a door with wood edging that protrudes slightly beyond the steel skins. These doors permit some trimming to accommodate an out-of-square frame. While steel doors don't rot, they can rust. In exposed

Interior doorframes

2007-07-02T17:33:00.000-07:00

When ordering prehung doors, you'll need to specify the width of the jamb. Jambs are sized to accommodate standard wall thicknesses. The most common interior jamb width is 4 9/16 in., which fits a 2 x 4 wall with 1/2-in. drywall on both sides, and leaves a little extra room in case the drywall ant tight or the studs are slightly warped. Many exterior walls and some interior walls are framed with 2 x 6s, in which case a 69/6-in. jamb is -required. In remodeling work, oddball wall thick are common. You'll need to specify a custom jamb width or use the nearest standard jamb and then add jamb extensions.

Split jambs consist of two interlocking half jambs. By sliding a half jamb into a groove in the in the edge of the other half jamb, you can adjust the overall jamb width to accommodate variations in wall thicknesses. A built-in doorstop conceals the joint between the two sides of the jamb. To confuse matters, the term split jamb also refers to a different type of jamb used with pocket doors.

A head jamb typically fits into dadoes (grooves) cut into the leg jambs. Short sections of leg jambs extending above the head are called horns. Horns lock the head jamb securely in place. In some regions, horns are omitted. Instead of a dado joint, the heads are joined to the legs with a rabbet joint or simply a butt joint. All three types of joints should be reinforced with screws driven through the back of the leg jambs into the head.

TAKE YOUR PICK

2007-07-01T17:55:00.000-07:00

Bypass Track Systems
* Light-duty track with rollers at the top : The hangers are mounted on the rear face of the door and ride on an open-sided J-track. Double-wheel hangers are preferable to single-wheel hangers.
* Heavy-duty track with rollers at the top : Three- or four-wheeled hangers are mounted on the top edge of the door and ride in a U-track or an I-track. This track system is also used for pocket doors.
* Heavy-duty track with rollers at the bottom : The rollers ride on a floor track similar to sliding patio doors. The tops of the doors are guided by a U-channel. This system is used for mirrored doors, which are quite heavy, and for hefty antique pocket doors.

Installing Complex Exterior Doors

2007-06-29T18:00:00.000-07:00

Doors that open to patios and decks are often wider than front-entry or side entry doors. Sometimes a larger door is used to give wide access, but more often French doors and patio doors are installed because they bring light into house. Their open, friendly look brings the outside in and invites us to use exterior spaces for relaxing and entertaining.

Like their interior counterparts, complex exterior doors present a few challenge. As with any door or window project, the best path to success is good planning and preparation. Research your door options in styles and materials before you buy anything. Take the time to make sure your time is square and plumb, as well. Not only will this make installation easier, it will also ensure that the doors operate properly over he long haul.

Frame and Panel Doors

2007-06-28T18:00:00.000-07:00

Wood, the old standby, still has some distinct advantages. Well-built wooden doors age gracefully, acquiring nicks and scratches that become part of a home's legacy Wooden doors are warm to the touch and close with a mellow "thunk." The appearance of wood is hard to fake convincingly (though fiberglass doors come close). Wood also permits more latitude in surface treatment than any other material.

Since wood moves, it's impractical to make doors out of one solid slab, which will inevitably warp or split. The solution is to make frame-and-panel doors, which are the norm in traditional style homes. This style of door effectively counteracts the seasonal shrinking and swelling of wood.

The inner edges of the stiles and rails of frame-and-panel doors have molding designs (called sticking), usually with a quarter-round profile. Large door manufacturers don't usually offer a choice of sticking profiles, but custom cabinetmakers can match just about anything ...for a price. The panels are also raised, or molded, meaning that the panel's center is thicker than its tapered edges. As with sticking profiles, raised-panel designs aren't usually an option unless you're dealing with a custom woodworker.

Flat panels, which are common in nineteenth-century farmhouses and early twentieth-century bungalows, are sometimes substituted for raised panels. Paint-grade, solid wood doors are usually constructed of white pine or fir because of the inherent stability of these woods. Stain-grade doors are often constructed of hardwoods. While some hardwoods, such as mahogany, are as stable as white pine, others, such as oak, have a tendency to warp. Exterior doors are particularly vulnerable to warping because of the extreme differences between interior and exterior temperature and humidity. To make stile-and-rail doors more.