DIY Network

Removing Transoms From "Restoration Realities" episode DRTR-103

1912 brick row house in the LeDroit Historic District.

Host Bill Click and carpenter Chris Babcock are in Washington D.C. for this episode of Restoration Realities. Homeowner JaNa Hines wants to uncover and restore a part of her house that has been hidden for decades...pocket doors. We’re here to help!

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Figure A

Previous homeowners had placed false transoms in the doorways (figure A). Our goal is to remove the transoms and bring back the pocket doors that are trapped between the transom and the floor. Retrieving the doors will be a challenge, but nothing we can’t handle.

Materials:

10" table saw
10 -12" power miter saw
Air compressor
Air hoses
Extension cords
Finish nailer
Brad nailer
Cordless drill
Sawsall and blades
Drill bits
4' level
hammers
Nail punch
Saw horses
Drywall screwgun
T-square for cutting blueboard
Utility knife
4" taping knife
6" taping knife
Taping knife
Mixing paddle
3, 5 gallon buckets
Drywall pan
1 qt. bonding agent or Linc
Rotozip with drywall bits or drywall saw
Shims
2-2x6x12'
2 sheets of 4X8 X 5/8" blueboard
Drywall screws
1 bag of plaster base compound
1 bag of finish plaster
Paper drywall tape (1 roll)
Framing nails for nailer (16d sinkers)
Finish nails for nailer (1-1/2" and 3" )

Safety Alert: When working around old material, make sure to use a dust mask and safety goggles.

Figure B

Steps:

1. To protect Hines’ newly refinished floors, we used painter’s tape to seal a butyl-backed tarp over the floor (figure B). We then placed a painter’s drop over that and then put cardboard down. All of this extra precaution ensured the floors were not harmed in any way.

2. We began removal of the false transoms. We took a small pry bar and hammer and removed all the surrounding trim including the side trim, corner blocks and casing. Using a utility knife, we carefully cut the joint between the trim and painted surface (figure C). With the pry bar, we pulled the trim away from the surface it was attached to (figure D).

Figure C

Figure D

Figure E

3. After removing the trim and transoms, we were ready to proceed (figure E).