Doors and Windows - 3 separate door issues
Doityourself.com community forum was created to provide answers to all questions related to home improvement and home repair. Doityourself community can help you find information about how-to topics on small fixes to large remodeling projects. With comprehensive how-to content and expertly moderated community forums DoItYourself.com makes it easy to tackle even the most complex home improvement projects.View Full Version : 3 separate door issues
supercabas
01-01-03, 11:09 PM
I've been stuck on some door problems for awhile, and thus they have added up to 3 separate issues that need addressing at the old house...
1. Bathroom door frame has expanded over the last 80 years, so the door won't latch properly. Do I try and shim one of the jamb stops? The frame is painted. If so, which side do I shim, the hinge side or the latch side?
2. I'm having a ton of problems with the locks working correctly on my side garage door. The door is particle board, with some type of metal sheeting on both sides (not sure if this is for security, weather protection, or both). The garage is made of concrete blocks, so it's not quite a standard set up. Does it make sense to replace just the door, or is it actually easier to replace the entire mechanism with a pre-hung door and frame. Do I need to be concerned about weather (fairly wet location) on the typical Home Depot type doors?
3. Main garage door doesn't seal properly along the bottom, so water is leaking into the garage. Tried a new rubber seal along the bottom, but to no avail. It appears the driveway/garage floor is just uneven enough to allow the water to get through on both sides. Are there any easy fixes to this like adding a sweep or something along the bottom that will keep the water out and still allow the garage to shut properly?
Thanks for any and all help you have to offer! Sorry about loading all these questions in at one time.
1. Bathroom door frame has expanded over the last 80 years, so the door won't latch properly. Do I try and shim one of the jamb stops? The frame is painted. If so, which side do I shim, the hinge side or the latch side?
2. I'm having a ton of problems with the locks working correctly on my side garage door. The door is particle board, with some type of metal sheeting on both sides (not sure if this is for security, weather protection, or both). The garage is made of concrete blocks, so it's not quite a standard set up. Does it make sense to replace just the door, or is it actually easier to replace the entire mechanism with a pre-hung door and frame. Do I need to be concerned about weather (fairly wet location) on the typical Home Depot type doors?
3. Main garage door doesn't seal properly along the bottom, so water is leaking into the garage. Tried a new rubber seal along the bottom, but to no avail. It appears the driveway/garage floor is just uneven enough to allow the water to get through on both sides. Are there any easy fixes to this like adding a sweep or something along the bottom that will keep the water out and still allow the garage to shut properly?
Thanks for any and all help you have to offer! Sorry about loading all these questions in at one time.
chfite
01-04-03, 12:45 PM
1. Close the door and look to see which side is bowed. Shim that side.
2. A pre-hung exterior door will be simpler, but not necessarily easier to install. Before you install the door, paint all the surfaces of the door with an exterior grade primer and two coats of finish. The main reason exterior doors fail is due to water being absorbed in the end grain of the stiles at the bottom. Be sure that you don't have water splashing onto the door from the rain.
3. Remove the rubber seal at the bottom of the garage door. Close it. Scribe along the bottom with a pencil to track the shape of the contact with the floor. Trim along this line. Now the door should fit against the floor. Install the seal.
2. A pre-hung exterior door will be simpler, but not necessarily easier to install. Before you install the door, paint all the surfaces of the door with an exterior grade primer and two coats of finish. The main reason exterior doors fail is due to water being absorbed in the end grain of the stiles at the bottom. Be sure that you don't have water splashing onto the door from the rain.
3. Remove the rubber seal at the bottom of the garage door. Close it. Scribe along the bottom with a pencil to track the shape of the contact with the floor. Trim along this line. Now the door should fit against the floor. Install the seal.
lefty
01-05-03, 12:39 AM
1.) The bathroom door won't latch. Look carefully and tell us what is happening. Is the latch is slightly lower than the opening in the strike plate, and this is what is preventing it from latching? Or does it simply not get far enough into the strike plate to latch? look at the gap between the door and the jamb header. Does it get larger at the latch side, or stay the same size all the way across the door? How about the gaps down each side? Even, or larger at the top or bottom?
2.) What sort of problems are you having with the locks on the garage man door? Why would you be thinking of replacing the entire door if the problem is with the locks? (Do you replace the car when the tires wear out??)
3.) How much water? If you are talking about a little moisture, then fix the seal. But if you have an amount of water, the seal on the bottom of the door isn't going to stop it. Cure the drainage problem. What type of garage door? Wood? You can scribe it to fit the high and low spots in the driveway, as suggested by chfite. But, if it is metal or fiberglass, that is not an option. Find a thicker seal.
2.) What sort of problems are you having with the locks on the garage man door? Why would you be thinking of replacing the entire door if the problem is with the locks? (Do you replace the car when the tires wear out??)
3.) How much water? If you are talking about a little moisture, then fix the seal. But if you have an amount of water, the seal on the bottom of the door isn't going to stop it. Cure the drainage problem. What type of garage door? Wood? You can scribe it to fit the high and low spots in the driveway, as suggested by chfite. But, if it is metal or fiberglass, that is not an option. Find a thicker seal.
supercabas
01-06-03, 01:06 PM
Thanks both of you very much for the feedback. Per your questions:
1. Bathroom latch simply won't extend far enough to connect with the strike plate. Gaps on both sides of the door appear to be even up and down (for an 80 year old door & frame), however the gap on the strike plate side is about 1/8" to 1/4" wider than the gap on the hinge side. Can I shim out the strike plate, or is that the hackers way to do it?
2. The door has a ratty old cat door in it from a previous owner that is begging for raccoons to use, plus I can't seem to get standard locks to work very well on it. Unfortunately, I have done a bit more looking into this one, and the door height is only 73", which is not a common pre-hung height. It looks like I may need to get a door slab and custom make it to fit the opening. This area will get direct rain (it's an unattached garage with a small overhang), so I'll need to really seal the door as much as possible.
3. It is a wood door, and the water is significant enough to cause puddling inside the garage in both corners. The areas of the garage where there isn't a gap does not allow in water, so I think the water is just finding the path of least resistance. How would I fix the drainage without making a mess of the driveway or the garage slab?
1. Bathroom latch simply won't extend far enough to connect with the strike plate. Gaps on both sides of the door appear to be even up and down (for an 80 year old door & frame), however the gap on the strike plate side is about 1/8" to 1/4" wider than the gap on the hinge side. Can I shim out the strike plate, or is that the hackers way to do it?
2. The door has a ratty old cat door in it from a previous owner that is begging for raccoons to use, plus I can't seem to get standard locks to work very well on it. Unfortunately, I have done a bit more looking into this one, and the door height is only 73", which is not a common pre-hung height. It looks like I may need to get a door slab and custom make it to fit the opening. This area will get direct rain (it's an unattached garage with a small overhang), so I'll need to really seal the door as much as possible.
3. It is a wood door, and the water is significant enough to cause puddling inside the garage in both corners. The areas of the garage where there isn't a gap does not allow in water, so I think the water is just finding the path of least resistance. How would I fix the drainage without making a mess of the driveway or the garage slab?
lefty
01-07-03, 05:12 AM
The bathroom -- I see 2 ways to fix that one. The "correct" way would be to remove the casings and reshim the latch side of the jamb, the put the casings back on, fill all the holes and joints, and repaint. The "quick" way would be to buy one of those adjustable strike plates (Mag something??) and install it. Mortise it in just enough to keep it solid -- a 1/16" or so. (Let it stick out from the jamb a little.)
The garage man door -- First, your life would be simpler if it were a standard 80" tall door. Any room to raise the header in that wall to accomplish that? (You would need a minimum of 86" from the floor to the bottom of the top plates.) Then a pre-hung metal door would go right in, assuming you are dealing with a standard width door, like 32" or 36". Otherwise, you are on the right track -- get a solid core slab and cut it to fit. Any way to put up a small cover over the door to protect it from the weather? I am thinking a small aluminum flat pan or "V" pan (no maintenance) -- about 6' wide and project out maybe 4', but a wood frame with metal roofing would work just as well. (Just more maintenance!)
The overhead door -- scribing and cutting as suggested by chfite would probably cure the problem, unless the water is getting in at the vertical edges of the door. If it is a solid panel door that swings up, there's not much you co to stop that. If it is a 4 panel roll-up door, you could add a 1X3 or 1X4 to each jamb (with the door in the closed position) to eliminate the gap. If the driveway, or at least the first 2' directly in front of the garage, is sloped AWAY from the garage, drainage shouldn't be an issue.
The garage man door -- First, your life would be simpler if it were a standard 80" tall door. Any room to raise the header in that wall to accomplish that? (You would need a minimum of 86" from the floor to the bottom of the top plates.) Then a pre-hung metal door would go right in, assuming you are dealing with a standard width door, like 32" or 36". Otherwise, you are on the right track -- get a solid core slab and cut it to fit. Any way to put up a small cover over the door to protect it from the weather? I am thinking a small aluminum flat pan or "V" pan (no maintenance) -- about 6' wide and project out maybe 4', but a wood frame with metal roofing would work just as well. (Just more maintenance!)
The overhead door -- scribing and cutting as suggested by chfite would probably cure the problem, unless the water is getting in at the vertical edges of the door. If it is a solid panel door that swings up, there's not much you co to stop that. If it is a 4 panel roll-up door, you could add a 1X3 or 1X4 to each jamb (with the door in the closed position) to eliminate the gap. If the driveway, or at least the first 2' directly in front of the garage, is sloped AWAY from the garage, drainage shouldn't be an issue.