DIY Network

Entryway Restoration: Introduction From "Restoration Realities" episode DRTR-107

	The project house: a 1925 Dutch Colonial in Portland, Oregon.
	Media Watch a video recap of this restoration project

In this episode, DIY's Restoration Realities visits Portland, Oregon and the home of John and Kelli Bohls. John is a graphic designer and works from home. Kelli is a project manager with a graphic-design firm. The both love old homes, and prefer older neighborhoods to the suburbs.

The Bohls purchased the 1925 Colonial Revival house -- their third house in Portland, and their second restoration -- and immediately started restoring the interior. They recognized the home's charm and potential, and have already restored their kitchen, a bathroom, and most of the rooms in their house. But they still have a few projects left to do. In today's episode, our restoration specialists help the Bohls take on some improvements to their entryway -- the front door and adjacent sash side-lights.

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The front door itself was worn looking, and the door hardware was loosely attached to some dry-rotted wood. When the project begins, the old doorknob had been removed (figure A). The door to the house is also flanked by sidelights. Unfortunately, the original sidelights were replaced with glass blocks (figure B) -- which are inappropriate to the style of the house.

Figure A

Figure B

The front entrance was also previously fitted with a storm door (figure C) -- which also wasn't consistent with the architectural style. Before the major work can get underway on the door and sidelights, the first step is the removal of the storm door (figure D).

Figure C

Figure D

	Figure E
	Homeowners Kelli and John Bohls.
	Today's mission: Restore the entryway to make it period-correct. That means removing the glass blocks and storm door, and repairing some deteriorated wood on the door that's original to the house.

With the storm-door removed, work on the original 1925 door (figure E) can get underway. Will the glass blocks come out intact or do they have a major demolition at hand? And how do you patch a peephole, repair rotted wood, and still make the door look good? Our hosts Bill and Chris are there to help John and Kelli bring their entryway back to its original 1925 design.

Materials and tools for door repair:

Replacement door hardware
Paint stripper
Disposable horsehair paintbrushes (chip brushes)
Paint-stripper neutralizer
Sandpaper, various grits from 80 to 220
Drop cloths
Wide putty-knife/scraper
Paint scraper
Power sander
Belt sander
Cordless drill; screwdriver attachments
Sanding block
Flat rasp
Screwdrivers
Sawhorses
Clean cloths
Wood stabilizer
Polyester resin filler
Natural wood filler colored to match (natural finish or stained door)
Yellow carpenter's glue
Wood block (match door thickness and species if possible)
Primer (oil-based or high quality acrylic)
Enamel (oil-based or high quality acrylic)

Materials and tools for installing sash side-lights:

Entry side lights
(Ordered custom to match the style and fit the opening. Order slightly larger and cut to fit.)
Mallet and/or hammer
Cold chisel
Wide putty knife/scraper
Pry bar
Utility knife
End nippers (for removing old nails)
Putty knife
Power finish-sander
Exterior latex caulk
Exterior enamel paint
Drop cloths Air compressor & Hose
Nail gun
Pry bar
Utility knife
Hammer
Caulk gun
Paintbrushes
Polyester or epoxy resin filler
Sandpaper, various grits from 80 to 220
Exterior oil based primer
Galvanized finish nails, 8d and 10d

The site of this episode's Restoration Reality is this older neighborhood of Portland, Oregon.

Estimated costs: $300 to $600

Estimated project time: 2 days

In the segment that follows, work gets underway with restoration of the front door, including repair of deteriorated wood and installation of restored period-correct door hardware.

RESOURCES :

Renovating Old Houses: Bringing New Life to Vintage Homes
Author: George Nash
Publisher: Taunton Press
ISBN: 1561585351
Order this title from Amazon.com.

Renovating and Restyling Older Homes: The Professional's Guide to Maximum Value Remodeling
Author: Lawrence Dworin
Publisher: Craftsman Book Company
ISBN: 1572180293
Order this title from Amazon.com.

Selecting and Renovating an Old House: A Complete Guide
Author: United States Department of Agriculture
July 2000
Publisher: Dover Publications
ISBN: 0486409562
Order this title from Amazon.com.