Installing Vinyl Replacement Sliding Glass Doors

Last week I told you how to remove your old sliding glass door in preparation for the installation of the vinyl replacement door. Let's go through the installation procedure for both the Retrofit style and replacement style frames.

Let's start with the retrofit frame. Like the retrofit window, the door will have a 2" lip flush with the outside edge of the frame. The difference between the retrofit window frame and the retrofit door frame is the absence of the lip on the bottom of the door due to the sill track. Your door will have the lip on both sides and across the top. The majority of the installation process is the same whether it's a retrofit frame or replacement frame. The first thing you want to do is check the floor for a level condition. If the base is not level, add shims to create a level base. This step is very important, because if you have a sloping bottom, the whole frame will be thrown out of square. You will have problems locking the door as well as air infiltration trouble. So, put down shims to make the base level. If possible, use one long shim to create a solid base for the weight of the door. Before setting the door in place, put down a bead of liquid nails from end to end, set the shims on top of the liquid nails, and run a generous bead of caulk on the outside face of the opening, where the retrofit lip is going to contact the exterior surface. Caulk the sides and the top.

Now set the door in place, being careful to lift the door and set the bottom track on top of the shims, rather than dragging the bottom. Obviously, this requires two people, one on each side. You tilt the top away from the opening as you set the bottom in place. Then, raise the top until the retrofit lip contacts the exterior surface where you applied the caulk. The reason I use liquid nails on the bottom rather than caulk is because I don't like to put screws in the bottom, and the liquid nails product is as good as screws when it dries. Have your helper hold the frame in place while you go inside to plumb and secure the door. Put a level on the jamb where the slider will lock. Plumb the jamb and install shims where you put your screws. You should put one about 6 inches from the top and one 6 inches from the bottom. A good quality door will have long screws shipped with the door that are replacements for the small screws holding the locking hardware to the jamb. Be sure to shim where these screws install. Now, if you leveled the bottom and plumbed the side, your top and opposite side should automatically be square. Put shims on the opposite jamb, and drive in your installation screws. Put 3 to 4 screws in the jamb. Then, run your tape measure from the top right corner to the bottom left corner. Write down that measurement. Measure from the opposite corners, and the measurement should be the same if your frame is square. Finally, put one screw in the top center You really don't need any more than one. You don't need to use shims since there won't be any load or torque on the top header. Just don't overtighten the screw, otherwise the frame will bow.

At this point you should have the frame installed in the opening with the fixed panel already glazed in from the factory. Here is where you want to install the sliding panel. It goes in from inside the house. Set it on the side and spray a generous amount of lubricant to the steel rollers to help them spin freely. Wipe away excess before putting the panel in. Remember to raise the top into the header as far as it will go, then swing the bottom over the lip and set it down on the track. If the bottom won't get over the bottom lip, you will have to adjust the bottom rollers to bring them up into the frame. You should see a hole on the side rail to insert a screwdriver and turn the adjustment screw counterclockwise to bring the rollers up and out of the way. After you set the rollers on the track, be sure to adjust them back down before sliding the door. Have your helper lift the side up while you turn the adjustment screw clockwise. Do both sides, then slide the door closed and check for equal daylight from top to bottom. If there is more daylight showing on top or bottom, adjust the rollers to bring the door panel plumb with the jamb. Adjust the lock. Each door should come with lock adjustment instructions. Install the screen door on the outside. Now seal the crack between the retrofit lip and the exterior surface. Go inside and fill the space between the frame and wall studs with R-13 insulation. The last step is trimming the inside. We sell vinyl trim pieces that are designed to trim the inside without having to paint, stain, or nail. You can see samples and prices for the trim at theshopping pageon the website.

Now, the replacement frame installation process is the same, except there is no retrofit lip. Therefore, when you put the frame into the opening, you have to plumb the side jambs from two places rather than one. In addition to plumbing the jamb left to right in the opening, you also have to plumb inside to outside because you don't have the retrofit lip to keep your frame aligned with the outside wall. Also, you need to apply trim to the exterior as well as the interior. You can use a basic vinyl flat trim for the outside, and that is available on the shopping page as well. Be sure to caulk the outside trim where it meets the surrounding surface.You just installed a vinyl sliding glass door. I will be on vacation next week, but the following week's article will deal with the best and safest way to install replacement windows on the second floor.

Finishing The Job - Finishing Door Frames

When renovating any area of the home, the finishing can be most common aspect of the job Interior Doors that is overlooked.

If the home owner himself / herself is installing a new door frame, they may be so frustrated with the high degree of precision to do it right that they may just paint the new door frame & jam and go on to some other project.

If the new door frame is installed by a contractor, well the contractor may not agree with the home owner's viewpoint on which party is going to take the time to properly finish the job. This is especially so if the contractor is not painting the new door frame.

What do we mean by finishing?

First, you need to make sure that the finishing nails which were used to attach the jam to the door frame are:

- actually sunk beneath the surface of the door jam, and

- covered with Wood Filler, the produce which looks and feels like caulking when it is first applied but unlike caulking dries to a hard finish.

Second, the Wood Filler applied to the holes in the jam caused by the finishing nails needs to be sanded to it properly blends into the surface of the door jam and will not be visible when the jam is painted.

Third, both upper corners where the two vertical jams meet the horizontal jam needs to be 'finished'. In this case one could use either the same Wood Filler or paintable caulking in sufficient quantity so it appears that there is actually one continuous door jam and not three.

Fourth, caulking needs to be applied to the following areas:

- either side of both vertical jams and the horizontal jam at the top of the door frame for the appearance that the jams are actually part of the door frame

- the upper corners of the door frame where the vertical frames on either side of the door opening meet the horizontal frame

Lastely, two coats of paint.

The above takes time.

How do you know when the job is finished? It's when no one notices.

How do you know when the job is not sufficiently finished? It's when it looks messy and not complete. It's also when your better half says "So, when are you going to finish the door frame?".

Sliding Door System - Back To Basics

Due to the traditional options of doors to which most people are exposed to, too few people elect for a sliding door system. However, when China injection molding,laptop batteries talking about this system of doors, the first question that may come to your mind is "what is a sliding door" due to unfamiliarity of the subject?

The sliding doors system is not really a new concept, however it is innovative. The Roman houses, specifically in the buried city of Pompeii in Italy, have evidently made use of the system as their main choice of doors. These are usually suspended or mounted on columns or panels of stone construction. So instead of its earlier counterparts, which are by the way made of large boulders of rocks that move sideways, the Romans have innovated a type of door that works in similar fashion although a mounting was used to guide the door into a specific direction - more like digging a straight canal into the underlying construction as a guide for direction.

Contemporary systems, however, are more sophisticated. Using wood, metal or vinyl tracks, the doors are now fitted to a frame allowing the rolling or sliding motion at the top and the bottom of the track. Usually, rollers are used for ease of movement. These could be adjusted for ease of use. In most cases, the rollers are connected on both the top and bottom areas of the track but there are systems that make use only of the bottom part of the track due to structural concerns.

For example, heavier doors as a rule glide on rollers attached to the bottom track while lighter doors are hung from the top.

To secure the doors, a number of catches are used. The Steel Doors type to be used in a specific system depends largely on the manufacturer and the material utilized for the construction.

The most common type of material used for modern system is wood. In the past decades however, aluminum sliders were common. But due to their stark appearance and other infamous qualities, the popularity of these doors has declined. Nonetheless, they remain as a staple in the market.

The sliding do

Modern Door Knobs - Clean and Contemporary Style For Your Contemporary Home

Creating a contemporary getaway is more than just the furniture you put into a room. A proper contemporary space has to have a perfect, always clean, look. From the first time someone turns the modern door knobs to get into the room, they have to see how clean and crisp of an environment they are in.

If you think you have created a contemporary bedroom, now is the time to really look around and see if you were right. Stand in the room, and look at everything. Is there dust? Are some pieces of the furniture looking a little dingy? Look at those alleged modern door knobs; are they dull-looking? If you have answered yes to any of these questions, you are not doing your contemporary bedroom justice.

It's time for a cleaning lesson. First, start at the point of entry. You should have modern door knobs on your doors to set the tone. These modern door knobs should be chrome, glass, or some other contemporary material to go with the environment you are creating. Make sure the door is clean, and the handle shining. This is your first impression.

Throughout the room one of the things that is likely taking away from your sleek look is dust. Dust piles up quickly, and everywhere. If you haven't dusted today, it's been too long. You really should dust your furniture every day to keep the look you want in this space. A damp cloth wiping over all the furniture surfaces will go a long way to make it look new again, not to mention getting a lot of those airborne dust molecules out of the air. While you are at it, if you haven't washed your bedding in a while, vacuumed or swept the floor, you should do these things before you start your dusting, as they are going to kick up more dust to clean.

If you have pieces of furniture that have a few stains or some sort of residue on them, you need to clean them up. A damp cloth with a mild cleaning detergent should do the trick. You don't want the cloth to be wet, just damp, so wring it out well before using it. Once you have gotten the mess removed, go over the area with a dry cloth so you don't allow any sort of dampness to sit on the furniture. If it is an expensive, specialty, piece of furniture, you may want to check with the manufacturer on the cleaning guidelines for the piece, to make sure you don't do more damage than good.

Finally, waxing. Nothing keeps wood furniture pieces looking sleeker than a good waxing. Know the wood you are using and select a furniture wax accordingly. There are even specific waxes that are recommended for bedroom furniture.

While the process of keeping a contemporary China doors bedroom looking beautiful is a chore, the payoff is worth it when you come into the room at the end of the day and it is the paradise you were hoping for.

Door Hinges - Beautiful Fixtures That Serve A Practical Purpose

Door hinges, where would we be without them? That's right, we wouldn't be able to open and close the doors throughout our homes, which would be a problem. Now, even though these fixtures serve a pretty important purpose does not mean that you have to settle for any old ones. In fact, there are many decorative selections available.

If you are wondering, how can door hinges be decorative, well, it is because of the fabulous materials that they are crafted from and the lovely finishes that can be applied to them. For example, you can get ones that are made from brass that have a lovely polished finish or others that are crafted out of bronze that feature an oil rubbed finish that is a deep maroon color, perfect for a house that has more of an antique type look going on throughout it.

Door hinges can be made from other materials as well, including stainless steel, copper, and aluminum to name a few. Alone, each is pretty pleasing to the eye, but the different finishes that they have can make them even that much more beautiful. Some of those finishes include Venetian bronze, satin nickel, polished chrome, burnished brass, bright nickel, dull chrome, and a slew of others.
What's great about door hinges is that believe it or not, they are available in different styles. Like, the antique ones mentioned earlier as an example. You can even get ones that have a colonial feel to them, featuring elegant scrollwork and looping designs. Modern ones that have a sleek look are also an option along with many others including those that are on the contemporary side and some that are more traditional.

Plus, along with purchasing door hinges for your doors, there are others offered by manufacturers for other things throughout your home as well. Like, you can get new ones for your cabinets, new ones for different types of furniture from tables to desks, and you can even get ones that are concealed so you don't even have to look at them if you don't want to.

To check out all the door hinges that are available, don't make the long trip to the hardware store. What you can do instead is just hit the Internet for some online shopping. Comparing products and their prices through all the online stores is a breeze, plus, when you do come across something you like and purchase it, it will be shipped right to your home. Really, shopping has never been so convenient since you don't have to step foot outside your home to do it.

Ultimately, door hinges do serve that practical purpose of allowing us to open and shut our doors. However, that does not mean that they can't be beautiful all at the same time. Nowadays there are many eye-catching options, perfect for adding the extra special touch to the doors in your home. So, don't settle for any old ones, make sure to get nice looking ones today.