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Replacing Windows with French Doors

Bob meets with contractor Al Stiles on the Forida cottage and installs a pair of French doors. First, they have to remove the old pair of jalousie windows.
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Replacing Windows with French Doors

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" We're installing a pair of doors out here on the porch. This one was just put in the other day. It's a nice little French door. We bought a bunch of them at---- at a junkyard, and let me show you one of the other features that Al has already installed for us. We opened up this wall where we found that there have been a little bit of shelf system from long ago; and we've opened it up so we can get lots of daylight into the living room itself. Now, these are the other doors that we found at the salvage yard as you junk. They're really new doors, inventory from a failed lumber yard and we got them for 50 dollars a piece. And Al, can I interrupt you?"

" Oh, sure Bob."

" Now, our French doors are double doors that will go right here."

" Right, absolutely."

" And you guys are getting ready to install them. What's the first thing you'll do in here?"

" Well, since we get the chance here. We're gonna take this baseboard off, cut it in the center----"

" and then start 2 pieces of the base off, so we can get them out there."

" Why not just cut the baseboard at either side? You know you gotta a 4-foot opening?"

" Well, we don't know exactly where this opening is gonna be----"

" and if we cut it here, we could be a quarter inch off, so we're just gonna remove it after we got our doors in, our casing back, and then we can put it in."

" Yeah, if you cut it through you have too long feet----"

" Too longer feet."

" then you can cut them to fifth."

" Right."

" Okay, go for it."

" And then, now we have to take this and that after we can see what's behind here."

" Okay."

" Now, you're not gonna pave, are you?"

" No, not at all."

" The doors are gonna----"

" Ryan, only get behind here, what we got?"

" I assume it's the doubled cell."

" Well, there we are, we've got one here and one there."

" Boy, look at the color of this Southern yellow pine."

" That's---- that's hard stuff, we can just----"

" Hard as iron, yeah."

" It sure is."

" Alright. So what's next?"

" Well, we're gonna take the other side out, then we're gonna see how the opening is done through here and everything is [unk]"

" Okay, now."

" You take that chief."

" There you go."

" We're gonna cut this out here now and see what we've got---- we've got down below this."

" Alright. So do you think it will go out or it'll go in?"

" Now, let's pull this. Looks like [unk] the one?"

" Oh, yeah. Here we go."

" Oh, it's heavy."

" Yeah?"

" Yeah."

" Now, what about the rest of it?"

" I could get this knocked over right over it."

" Here you go. Be my guess."

" Alright."

" Now all of these wood shavings really make me think about how [unk] this is a hand-built house, it's----"

" 1920, there is."

" Yeah. So what's next?"

" Well, we're gonna trim this off here."

" Supersize here and put our threshold in."

" Right."

" But Jack said on each side, yet the frame is getting ready for our doors."

" Okay. So the doors and cells will be hung on 1 X 5 pine stock that will be your jam. Steve, how do you figure out where to locate the hinges?"

" Well, what we'd like to do is come 7 inches from the top of the door."

" Eleven inches from the bottom. The 11 inches allow to remove the pin if ever we need to take the door out of jam."

" Right and then the middle hinges centered in between."

" Right."

" What we're gonna use is a router hinge template."

" It's right here."

" Once we're setup to the door----"

" Yes."

" we can take it right over here to our jam."

" That's how you're gonna route out, so that your hinges are reset. They're more distant to the wood?"

" Right. We're gonna land it over here our jam; lay some setup, so that this here is the top of the door jam."

" Right."

" I'll get this setup lock make it split and then I will take these little pins here. This hole is our top template here."

" Alright."

" No way to run."

" Okay. Now just remove the template."

" You need the hammer to pull it off, right?"

" That's right."

" Looking good."

" The pins are out of here."

" Yeah."

" Okay. And now, are we ready to put the door and the jam together?"

" That's right."

" What we're gonna do first is put these hinges, keep them and find---- watch it fit perfectly."

" Okay. Now, what we would like to use is one of these panels."

" Oh, that's a good idea. What do you call these?"

" That's a center punch."

" Exactly."

" What that does that makes exact hole. It seats in this little hole here to make the exact set of holes [unk]."

" And you bang it once?"

" Yup."

" And that'll make sure that it drives the screws perfectly into center."

" Right."

" These work pretty good."

" Alright. Now we'll setup for the header."

" Right."

" Alright. Now, this will be the header feet, again, just another 1 X 5."

" You gotta screw it even, Bob."

" With dry wall screws, right?"

" Right. That's a whole lot better than with some nails."

" Okay now. We're just gonna check this bottom stick and we can stand it up."

" This is just a temporary? Does it? When we stand it up, the bottom won't flare out?"

" Right."

" We'll just tuck it in."

" Alright with the jam pieces all together, we've now added the outside casing and we're ready to try it."

" Pretty heavy, Steve."

" You're right."

" Are you gonna give us a hand?"

" Right."

" Take that side over there, Bob."

" Yup."

" Just this, just have at least?"

" Yup."

" Here we go."

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