DIY Network

French Doors: Removing the Old Door From "Floors, Doors & Windows" episode DFDW-102

	Hosts Jay Baker and Scott Branscom show you how to install a French door.
	The first piece of business is to remove the old door.

Hosts Jay Baker and Scott Branscom begin the "French Doors" project by removing the old door and reviewing the different varieties of patio doors.

Materials:

Standard carpentry tools (hammer, tape measure, level, etc.)
Various screwdrivers
An assortment of trim (to finish out the door)
Paint or stain (to finish out the door)

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	Figure A
	Figure B
	Figure C

Patio doors come in three varieties: sliding patio doors, like the one we'll be replacing, atrium doors, where one panel is fixed but the other one swings open, and true French doors. With these, both doors can swing open. French doors come in lots of different styles. Many have mullions, but whether your door has mullions or not, if both doors swing open, it's still a French door.

1. When you get your door you need to inspect it for damage. Check the glass, the rim around the glass, the framing and the nailing fin (figure A). The nailing fin helps with the insulation of the door on the outside and it also helps create a moisture barrier.

2. Remove the old door carefully so you do not cause damage to the parts of the house around the door. For a sliding door, the sliding panel is simply lifted off the track. The fixed panel is anchored to the frame with screws at the top and bottom (figure B). It is also held in place by the frame of the door.

3. Be careful if you have to remove any siding in order to remove the door, because you have to reuse the siding.

4. Once the door is removed, check the rough opening for moisture damage and make sure it is structurally sound.

5. Check for squareness by measuring across horizontally from corner to corner in each direction (figure C).

6. Also, make sure the seal is level. Check both sides of the rough opening to make sure they are plumb.

RESOURCES :

French Door (JELD-WEN)

JELD-WEN
Website: www.jeld-wen.com

The Wood Finisher: How to Finish Everything, From Decks to Floors to Doors
0345372972
Bruce Johnson
Ballantine Books (November 1993)
To order this title from Amazon, click here.