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Installing the French Doors

Matt Alexander is getting ready to install the new Pella French doors. The rough opening is 72' x 82'. Originally there had been a window where the doors will be installed. Matt and Charlie cut it out, put in bigger studs, headed it off with 2 x 10s with a 3/4" sandwich. Bob points out the way Matt and Charlie maintain the plaster in good condition when cutting through a section of old lath and plaster. They take a length of strapping and use screws to firm it up right into the studwork to prevent the reciprocating saw from damaging it. Matt has used aluminum flashing at the base of the door installation to keep water from getting behind and rotting out the house when it runs down. The door comes with nailing fins that fold up at 90 degrees to the door. The installers will nail through the fins to attach the door behind the cladding. For waterproofing they apply a bead of sealant underneath the door at the sill and a bead behind the fin. The most important part of the installation is ensuring that the door is good and plumb so that it will swing properly.

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Chapters from this episode

Tour of the First Floor Framing Now Playing

Tour of the First Floor Framing

Installing the French Doors Now Playing

Installing the French Doors

French Doors Arrive Now Playing

French Doors Arrive

Kohler "Champagne" Bathtub Installation Now Playing

Kohler "Champagne" Bathtub Installation

Barn Demolition Now Playing

Barn Demolition

Clip Transcript For:

Installing the French Doors

computer-generated transcript - may not be 100% accurate

" Okay the rough opening is setting to -- 82 and Matt you've been. Fussing around to get this ready we've yet to do here well there was a window here right we had to put in printed output in bigger studs headed off without two by tens. -- the three quarter inch sandwich to build it out to the same dimension as the old. Full dimensional two by four's are actually three and three quarters right the studs are in place of their own place."

" I like what you guys do on the edges here this is a nice little tip when you're cutting through a whole section of old loud and plaster like this. In order to keep the reciprocating saw from really making it. Fall apart. You can take a length of strapping like this and just use screws to firm it all up right into the into the stud work and that we when you make the cut. You're gonna have all the plaster in good condition. Now are you ready -- forced to bring the we are owed -- twentieth aluminum flashing down here that's that's that's to keep."

" water running down so it doesn't get behind and ride out the house. When the work flows off the door OK ray I'll give you and we'll bring it over. --"

" Needs to grab handles. Smart. To what you have to do with this acute Donna -- nailing fins and what you do you fold them up. Night -- to the door there are stamped right on there with the fold up. And -- all the -- this -- what we're gonna be nailing through to attach the door behind the cladding. And goes into the opening now what about waterproofing. While before -- put it there -- want -- want to apply do you have sealant underneath the door to sell. And then Pella recommends that we put a bead behind fan before we put an -- that we were running water leakage around the unit's great."

" I wonder -- probably the most important part of the installation is making sure that the whole thing is good and Islam. So that when it swings its wings right how's that look. -- thank you need to come up about a quarter inch so it'll come up from the right hand corner and that's just putting and a what the world there's little bit too much. That's it."

" OK. And then you'll add shims over at this site correct that's correct Bob we'll be putting some shims behind me in side. And then we're gonna do you have to out as will be driving some screws. Through to hinge side. Of those securing the hinge side. To the frame."

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