Workin' Man Blues... Door Day, Part II

I was really bushed I guess, because I didn't wake up on Friday until after 7:30 AM. It took a while to get out of bed, so I took a quick inventory: Both knees were shot this morning, my back ached like hell and I had numerous cuts and a real nice bruise. But, on the bright side, the damn door is in!

I just need to finish shimming and attaching the sides, caulk the bottom of the sill, attach the aluminum siding to it outside, buy and install new molding inside (after filling the cavity around the frame with foam for insulation) and install the door handle and deadbolt. Then I can order a new storm door; install it and this project is done!

Sigh...

First, though, I had a cup of coffee, finished yesterday's blog entry and posted it. The wind was still calm, so I went out and applied the herbicide to the rest of the driveway. I needed supplies before I could finish the door installation. So, after shaving and showering, I headed over to Lowe's. I picked up some screws, some paint, silicone sealant, wood, pre-finished trim (to replace the trim I destroyed yesterday) and ordered a new storm doom. I got home just before 1:00 PM.

First, I cut down the 1 x 2 inch boards I need as spacers under the trim (door is inset from the drywall) .I took those and the sawhorses out back and painted the spacers with primer. Next, I finished shimming and attaching the frame to the house. This was a bit of a bugger but I finally got it right. Then I took the spray foam and filled all the cracks (to better insulate it).

Finally, before I went any farther, I wanted to install the deadbolt and locking door handle (to ease the security concerns). It seemed to be going well, until I tried to use the deadbolt and the door handle. It was then I found out the holes on the frame were about 1/2 inch higher that the door. Damn! I thought that was the whole point of buying a pre-hung door?

So, I did some exact measuring and then got out my Dremel tool. I took Carla's advice from yesterday and found my safety glasses (don't want to end the night in the Emergency room, with metal chips in my eyes). First I used a metal cutting tool, but that was way too slow. So, I switched to a grinding stone. I had to keep pouring water in the holes as the metal heated up and the wood started smoldering. The door knob jam finally worked okay, but the dead bolt was so low that I ended up hitting (then destroying) the bottom screw. So, I had to relocate that into a corner position. In the end, they looked ugly as hell, but they both worked and all security concerns have been abated.

I wanted to apply silicone caulk to the inside and outside of the new sill (it's supposed to rain tonight) but, with all the water I was using, I think its way too wet. So, I took the old screen door and the frame and, after determining the wind direction and possible overspray problems, I gave them all a first coat to turn them from white to almond.

It was after 5:30 PM when I finished spraying the door. So, I came inside to install the now-dried trim spacers. But, I realized, my legs are killing me, I have not eaten anything all day, and I am really tired. I can lock the back door now to keep the bad guys out; I still have two more days left, so why am I knocking myself out over this?

So, I quit. I put the leftover spaghetti and meatballs in the microwave and heated it up. I fixed a plate and went in to watch some TV. I did go out and apply the caulk to the sill around 7:30, still worried about rain. I took a couple of phone calls and then decided to record the fights tonight and just go to bed. So, I did.