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A lot of older homes have custom doors, or doors that have been modified to fit door openings that are different than industry standards. It's usually not more than a few inches at most. You can safely trim a few inches off most contemporary doors to fit older, odd-size openings.
Don't be intimidated by large, ornate entry doors. Even though they look imposing, you can build one yourself at home in your garage or shop. Even if you don't have extensive woodworking expertise, you can gather and assemble the parts needed to for a raised-panel door. Be the envy of your neighborhood with a hand-made hardwood entry door.
Waterproofing leaky French doors help protect the doors and your home from water damage, mold and mildew. This project also seals up air leaks that can make the interior temperature difficult to control, resulting in higher energy costs. Protecting French doors against water penetration can include weatherstripping, new threshold seals, and sealing cracks in the doors.
You can add character to any cabinet with a stained glass panel. The panel can be oval, rectangular or square if it fits the door with at least a 2-inch perimeter around it. You can install this amenity yourself using simple tools to give your cabinet a high-end look. However, stained glass can only be installed in plywood-slab or solid, wooden doors. Raised or inset-panel doors do not have adequate support for stained glass.
Weather stripping is a great way to prevent cold air from coming into your home. Install weather stripping with help from a seasoned home improvement expert in this free video clip.
Sometimes the area between two doors just isn't complete without a nice end table or something similar. Decorate the area between two doors with help from the writer of a nationally syndicated newspaper column on decorating in this free video clip.
Replacing the security alarm in a new exterior door doesn't require you to be an experienced electrician. Replace the security alarm in a new exterior door with help from a co-founder and senior adviser at FrontPoint Security in this free video clip.
Sliding glass doors look great, but they also present a potential security vulnerability. Keep people from breaking into your home through sliding glass doors with help from a co-founder and senior adviser at FrontPoint Security in this free video clip.
The Windstar is a car-based minivan manufactured by the Ford Motor Company. Like most minivans, the 2002 Windstar has large sliding side doors to allow easy access to the passenger area behind the front seats. After a few years of opening and closing, the sliding doors may become out of adjustment. The sliding door of your Windstar can be adjusted so that its outer surface is flush with the surrounding body panels. It can also be adjusted until the gap around the perimeter of the door meets specification.
A sliding door allows you to divide your basement into separate areas while retaining the ability to open up the space. It also allows you to use space more effectively than a swing door. The glass in the door can be clear or etched to make it more opaque, giving each side of the partition a sense of privacy. Sliding doors work on tracks, and the simplest method is to hang them from a track above. Most basements have accessible beams to which you can attach the track.
Changing sliding doors in your home to operable French doors works well for exposing certain closet items. If you use a closet to store crafts items, hanging clothes only or food items, keep in mind that the interior of the closet will need maximum organization. Having glass doors in place will make it easier to find specific items, but your methods for displaying stored items should look visually pleasing. For example, you can use color-coded baskets to store arts and crafts materials. If closet clutter is a problem, it's easy to sew sheer curtains to fit over the glass doors.
Installing French doors works well in interior rooms that need more light. These glass doors add elegance and make both adjacent rooms seem roomier. French doors work well on a wall surrounding a dining area, home office, family room or kitchen. Plan the remodel around the view, but you don't want to place French doors where kids' toys will be visible from a dining area. Check to make sure the door opening footprint will not conflict with furniture or cabinets, for example. You want the doors to be usable, especially if they will enhance foot-traffic flow when entertaining.
The 2002 Dodge Caravan was equipped with three engines; a 2.4-liter in-line four-cylinder, a standard fuel 3.3-liter V-6, and a flex-fuel 3.3-liter V-6. The 2002 Dodge Caravan was equipped with power sliding doors on some models. The power sliding doors allow the passengers to open and close the doors automatically, with the assistance of a flex drive system and a power door motor. Safety issues may be a reason why some owners wish to disconnect their power door motors, as children can sometimes accidentally open or close the sliding doors.
Sliding doors don't actually slide; they glide along a track on rollers. When the track and the rollers function well, the door moves easily. When the track or rollers are in poor repair, sliding the door is difficult and the movement is noisy. Common causes of a noisy metal door are a dirty track and dirty rollers. Try cleaning the track first. If that doesn't reduce the resistance and quiet the noise, clean the rollers. Worn or damaged rollers should be replaced.
As your stucco home ages, the different components can begin to appear worn, or stop functioning as well as they did when they were new. Your exterior doors are one example, as years of wear and tear can leave a door looking shabby, less energy-efficient and less secure. Installing new doors can make your home look better and more secure. When you purchase doors, they are often pre-hung. This means they are installed inside a wood, metal or composite frame, which is then connected to the wooden framing in the wall. These doors can be installed after you remove the…
You can never say "too much" when it comes to closet space. Many homes have corners and areas that are sitting unused where an extra closet would prove useful. Underneath attic eaves, for instance, or at the edges of rooms underneath a Cape Cod roof, space is often simply blocked off and wasted. The sloping ceiling prevents actual living space, but a closet would provide ample storage, freeing other storage areas in your home. The slant of the ceiling isn't an obstacle, since the walls are built to accommodate the slope. The door is also built square and fits inside…
Kitchen pantries, closets and other doors and panels throughout the home may feature louvered doors. These doors provide ventilation in closets and allow partial visibility from one room to another. The louvers are generally made of very thin slats of wood and can break when placed under stress. There are several methods to replace the slats when they get broken. You do not need carpentry skills or specialized tools. The slat replacement can be typically completed in an hour with the right tools.
French doors consist of two doors hinged to opposing jambs that swing out from the doorway’s center. Although they come in a variety of styles, they’re generally wooden and can be finished to match the surrounding trimwork. The first step toward the successful installation of interior French doors is constructing a square, properly sized framework. The opening in such framework is typically about one inch wider and half an inch taller than the jamb frame of a prehung unit, according to the book “The Complete Guide to Windows & Entryways.” To ensure the rough opening is sized correctly, buy the…
If the purposes of a wood gate door are privacy and security, an opening defeats both by revealing the yard beyond and allowing access to the inner latch. Wooden gates typically consist of a hinged frame covered with fence boards or slats that match the adjoining fence, with 1-by-4 and 1-by-6 fence boards being the most common type. Novice do-it-yourself skills are sufficient for installing a board to fill your gap. Fastening the board requires only a few nails or screws, and the intact boards help you gauge the replacement board's level and alignment.
One of the best ways to make the most of summer breezes is by installing a screen door. Manufacturer's have made installation of these doors relatively easy, even for the DIYer, by employing something called a Z-frame to hold up the door. This helps the door seal properly, and also allows the homeowners to adjust the screen door size as needed by choosing different Z-frame sizes.
Adding a door to a screen porch can improve access to a yard or garden, but it requires altering a wall. Many screen doors now have metal frames, but a wooden screen door will be more suitable for a screened porch built with 2-by-4 or 4-by-4 lumber. Start this project by buying a pre-hung screen door, with hinges and latch fastened to a frame or jambs to be secured inside a rough door opening. Match the door to the porch framework; get a door with a full screen interior or with double screens with a horizontal support between.
A traditional wall sconce doesn't work on an exterior door due to its standard electrical needs — running wires from your door to an external outlet not only looks tacky, but can cause logistical problems. Battery-powered wall sconces, on the other hand, work just fine, and are usually so energy-efficient that you only have to change the batteries once a year.
Sunrooms are desirable year round because they provide a well-lit space to enjoy the light of the outdoors in any weather. If the doors in the sunroom are drafty, heating and cooling costs may soar. French doors work well in sunrooms because they allow natural light to pour into the room and give the option to open one or both doors when fresh air is desired. Installation of French doors is much easier when replacing drafty sliding glass doors, which typically take up the same space as French doors. Pre-hung French doors make installation much easier.
Velux skylights come in a variety of models, some featuring an electric retractable shade that covers the glass and others that have the ability to vent open. Regardless of the style you have, Velux glass can crack or fog over time. Fortunately, you can replace Velux skylight glass yourself in just minutes.
Lexan is a popular choice for window glass replacement throughout your home. A popular brand name, Lexan is General Electric's brand of sheet polycarbonate -- a specialty plastic -- which is both strong and durable. Much lighter than a comparable sheet of glass, polycarbonate is infinitely stronger; even when struck with powerful blows from sledgehammers, polycarbonate will not break. It's the same material used for bulletproof windows in banks or on the presidential limousine windows. Considered a better insulator than glass, Lexan is made of a sustainable, recyclable material. Replacing your fiberglass door with Lexan is fairly simple project.
When framing a doorway for a French door, the frame will hold two doors and not just one. Therefore, the measurements need to be exact. You need a few calculations to determine the exact measurements of the frame to accommodate the two French doors. Instead of two gaps between the frame and the door, as with a single door, you'll need to account for three gaps in the measurement of the French door frame. In addition, the measurements need to account for the door jamb and side plate.
If your house has drafty single-pane window sash inserts, you are losing costly energy every day. Instead of a complete replacement of your old single-pane double-hung windows, you can buy new window sash insert kits with dual-pane glass that you can install yourself in existing double-hung window frames. Sash replacement allows you to reduce window heat loss, while keeping your existing indoor and outdoor window trim.
Though the Honda Civic always receives all the attention in the compact car realm, the Toyota Corolla actually predates the Civic by five years. In 1998, the Corolla underwent its seventh redesign, which began the eighth generation for the Corolla. New on the 1998 Corolla were a new, lighter 1.8-liter engine and a slightly larger, more stylish body. All the 1998 Corolla’s trim levels came only in a four-door body style and replacing a broken inside door handle is the same straightforward process on all four doors.
A French door is a type of patio door with at least two sections that open and close. They're actually double doors in that they're hinged on their outside edges and, when they meet in the center, they lock together instead of to a door jamb. French doors typically have sections of glass, or "lites," separated by strips of wood called mullions. The large area of glass and the lack of a door jamb can create energy inefficiencies, particularly if the glass is single-pane, or single-glazed, and the inside edges of the panels don't form a tight seal when the…
Several more car door varieties exist than many folks realize. While conventional car doors open outward along a vertical axis, the more exotic car door designs allow the doors to open up toward the sky instead. Two of these exotic door options are the scissor door and the butterfly door.
Pocket doors offer an elegant solution to spaces where it would be hard to swing a regular door open and shut. They harmonize with Japanese, Victorian and modern decors equally well. A double-pocket set of doors requires standard framing techniques to create a large opening in the wall, followed by the insertion of the pocket doors’ frame. The frame, sold as a kit with the doors, features split jambs to allow the pocket doors to slide within the walls.
A screen provides a decorative touch to a closet door, whether you use a simple wire mesh screen or create an Asian-inspired paper screen shoji-style door. Solid doors or those with panels already installed are easiest to work with, but it's possible to install a screen in hollow-core doors if you measure and cut carefully. Determine your closet door type by thumping it with your knuckles. A solid door makes a solid thud and feels heavier, while hollow-core doors are lightweight and make a hollow sound when knocked.
Traditional swinging and accordion-style doors create negative space in a room that you cannot use. When space is at a premium, sliding panels on storage units can help maximize the amount you have. In addition to bedroom closets, sliding panels can be a good solution for shop cabinets, garage storage and vertical storage in small bathrooms. Storage panels are generally made from glass, brushed steel, mirrors, vinyl and wood. If you plan to hang a storage unit with sliding panels, you need to take into consideration the weight of the unit and the location of studs in a wall.
Bi-fold doors are common on utility, wardrobe and storage closets. Like bypass doors, which are also commonly used on closets, bi-fold doors operate by sliding along a track installed along the door's horizontal jamb. While open bypass doors reveal only half of a closet’s interior, bi-fold doors have hinged panels that fold flat when fully opened, allowing full access to the space they enclose. To properly install bi-fold doors, it’s essential to construct a square door frame so there's an equal margin of space between the edge of each door panel and the side jambs.
A French door with two panes of glass in it is constructed in a manner very similar to how a standard door is constructed. The outer frame of the door is measured and cut to shape, with the pieces of the frame held together using dowel rods. The inner frame is constructed by mullions, which are thin pieces of wood holding the glass sheets in place. The mullions are then inserted into the outer frame to construct a solid door with glass panel inserts.
The door saddle under an exterior door, also called a threshold, is the raised strip of wood, aluminum or other material that closes the gap under the closed door. The top of the door saddle is raised to help block drafts and intrusions by water or pests. Often, a sweep attached to the door works with the door saddle to seal out the elements and save energy costs. Inside the home, door saddles cover the joints between flooring types. After a wood door saddle is trimmed to the needed length, securing it in place is a straightforward procedure.
Designing and building your screen door allows you to create a custom and highly personalized piece of practical art to accent your home's front entry. For example, you can incorporate your house number, family name or other cutout image in the design of the door frame. The basic elements of plywood, window screening, decorative moldings and screen door hardware are available at the local hardware store.
Reduced to its simplest form, a house is nothing more than a box made of walls with a covering set over top and sheathing laid across every surface. A wall, in turn, is made from 2-by-4-inch boards running vertically -- called studs -- sandwiched between additional 2-by-4s, running horizontally and referred to as wall plates. Building a wall is an uncomplicated task, providing you with the ability to divide existing rooms, create a closet or finish a basement. Include a rough door opening to provide entry, once you're done.
The addition of a roof over an exterior door gives the side of the house character. It also protects people using the entryway from rain and snow. The advantage of a roof over a typical awning is that it directs the rain away from the steps. The area under the roof will feel more like a small porch. Hang trailing plants from the rafters during the summer and decorate the eaves with lights during the holiday season.
By design, a pocket door is built to allow unencumbered access from one room to another. Since a door opening is basically a large hole in the wall, air moves freely from one space to another. Even when the door is closed, tiny gaps in a loosely-fitted door allow air to seep from one room into the other. Air from an unheated room infiltrating a heated room wastes energy and produces uncomfortable drafts. Apply a few simple techniques and some weatherstripping to make your pocket door airtight when closed.
Pockets doors glide in and out of a narrow compartment in a wall, saving space and providing architectural interest in the room. Since the door is flat and must fit within a narrow opening, doorknobs and door locks cannot protrude from the door surface. Pocket door manufacturers make a range of pocket door hardware, including a lock with an attractive circular faceplate. To install the lock, use the template included in the lock set package.
A roof overhanging an exterior door provides a high degree of protection from the elements, both for the door and anyone using it. While the overhang will not protect anyone from side winds, it helps to keep the rain and snow off anyone standing at the door; which makes finding your keys when coming home from work in the rain or during a snowstorm less unpleasant experience.
Covering the area under your sliding door with an awning will help keep that location cool and shaded during hot summer months. In addition, the awning blocks UV rays. Buying an awning for your sliding door can be expensive, but you can save money building your own with inexpensive items that are readily available in stores.
Lambo doors are secured by a fixed hinge that allows them to open vertically rather than outwardly. The name derives from the fact that Lamborghini was the first production car to use them. They create a unique, stylish, post-modern look and sometimes are referred to as scissor, vertical, jack-knife or beetle-wing doors. Although Lambo doors are typically found on racing models and high-end sports cars, owners can install them on just about any vehicle with the right tools and a little do-it-yourself know-how.
If you find your food is not freezing completely in your top-mount Amana refrigerator, it might be time to change the freezer door gasket. A loose or worn freezer door gasket allows the cold air to leak out of the freezer compartment while allowing room temperature air to seep into the compartment. Unlike many units, the Amana ATB2132ARQ does not have a gasket retainer. The freezer gasket fits into grooves between the inner door panel and the perimeter of the door. A replacement freezer gasket is available through Sears or an appliance repair center.
Sidelights are the long glass or glass-and-wood panels running vertically alongside a door. They come in a variety of models, from plain glass to half-wood panels, to stained-glass pieces of art. Replacing the sidelights in your entry door is not a difficult project, but since the sidelights are an integrated part of the frame surrounding your door, their replacement requires that you replace the entire door frame as well. Fortunately, you can retain your existing door, placing it into the new frame once it’s in place.
French doors allow far more natural light into a room than a standard door would, acting as both a door and a set of windows. By replacing door walls with French doors, you can vastly improve your views of your home's surroundings, adding a touch of elegance to the room while ensuring you still have adequate, if not improved, access to the outside.
Before refrigeration, cabinets with screened sides were used to store some types of perishable food. These cabinets were often placed on shady porches where the breezes would keep the food as cool as possible. They were sometimes called pie-safes as they were most useful for storing pies and other baked goods. Use a pie safe to store bags of potatoes and onions or to display vintage linens. The circulating air helps prevent mold.
Crestline designs replacement windows and patio doors to fit into existing window and door frames. The process of installing a Crestline replacement patio door depends upon the type of door – roller or hinged – you intend to install. The specifics of installation may also vary slightly depending upon the individual model of door, though each type follows a basic installation pattern. You can rent any power tools you need for installation but don't own.
French doors are constructed with framed glass panes, bringing in light and a classic style to your interior. French doors can be custom-fit for entryways and other passages, and designs may incorporate one -- or two or more -- hinged doors. Even custom-fit doors may need some trimming along the edges for a clean swing. If you're working with a slab door or your door is not customized, you will probably need to make significant cuts to make your door fit in the opening. Always review the manufacturer's requirements for trimming before starting, as it could alter the fitting of…
