Exterior doors go through a lot of wear and tear in addition to being exposed to all kinds of weather. Wooden doors and door jambs expand in the presence of rain or even high humidity, which can make your door refuse to open. Sagging hinges or a malfunctioning latch assembly can also ke...
Conventional wisdom will say you should scrape the door. Don’t. In most cases, a few passes on the jamb with a sharp paint scraper is all it takes.
Set the exterior door casing in place. Adjust the casing as much as you need in order to make sure that it is spaced correctly and centered. Once the door casing is in place you can begin bracing it with wood shims. Place enough shims along the sides of the casing in order to secure...
Shut the door. If thedoor sticksor binds, make sure the latch face plate is flush with the door edge and doesn't rub against the strike plate on the jamb. If the latch bolt isn't properly aligned with the hole in the strike plate, remove the strike plate and use a chisel to extend...
If you are replacing an exterior door, it’s usually best and easiest to completely remove the old door and jamb, and treat the opening like new construction. The rough opening (R.O.) should be 2 inches wider than the door not including the jamb. Or stated another way, the door itself...
What on earth are you supposed to do to get these jambs ready for those beautifully restored sash you’re going to put back in them? First, you’re going to need some supplies to make sure you are setup for success. Below is the list of everything I use in my jamb restorations. ...
The best way to protect your home and family from potential burglars is to make sure yourexterior doorsare as secure as possible. Follow these tips to burglarproof your doors. Replace hollow doors.Hollow doors are made of a thin sheet of veneer over a cardboard core, and are very easy to...
Duck heavy-duty weatherstripping is excellent at sealing doors and preventing drafts. Not only can weather stripping soundproof your doors and make them close more quietly, but it can also make your home more energy-efficient when they’re applied to exterior doors. ...
Safe rooms to keep both people and valuables protected must have a robust interior lock but may also have an easier-access exterior lock available. Ensure the door is adequately secured to the door jamb with multiple locking points. Reinforce Walls and Ceilings Next, reinforce the walls and ...
This next method may do some damage to your door frame, but it does work for exterior doors that are meant to be locked. Most of these doors have a spring-loaded latch bolt that catches on a striking plate to hold the door closed. They also tend to be on an angle, and they ma...