GatewayRedbirds.com

Backdoor
A few weeks ago, we decided to replace our back door (non-screen door). I decided to just get a non pre-hung door for a couple of reasons:
1) I didn't want to take out the entire existing jamb and have to mess with all the trim work that is around the door. It would probably mean replacing most of the trim.
2) It's an old house and I was afraid of what I'd find once I start taking too many things out to replace them. I didn't want this to turn into a much bigger project.

I carefully measured everything as well as I could and double checked a few times. I drilled in my new holes for the hinges, and the door is about 1/8 of an inch too low. It still closes and opens (with some effort) but the pre-installed weather stripping gets in the way of a smooth opening. And since it's off by such a small amount, I can't redrill the holes because the bit and screws just end up in the old holes. Mother [expletive].

Dishwasher
We needed to replace our dishwasher. Installation was going to run $185 at Lowe's and all the online reviews said that installation was pretty easy. So we decided to save a bit of money and do it ourselves. The new dishwasher was delivered yesterday. First, the previous owners of our house made modifications to the floor to get the old dishwasher in place. I thought I had the old one up on top of the linoleum and it caught the edge instead and ripped part of it. Fortunately there is extra and we can patch it, but that's a whole new project. Then, the installation did go well except my opening was a little too small because of the way they squeezed the last one in. After disconnecting the countertop, I was able to get it in the opening. But the feet on the new one don't match the notches they cut out of the subfloor to fit the last dishwasher in. Even when I fix that, I still am going to have to raise the counter top by a half inch or so because the door comes up to the top of the unit instead of there being a 1/2 inch or so between the top of the unit to the top of the door like the old one had. And I didn't have time to deal with all that extra stuff yesterday and won't have time until next Saturday afternoon at the earliest. So now I have a new dishwasher that isn't completely installed because I won't have time until next weekend to finish the fussing with the counter and the subfloor. Plus I need to patch the [expletive] linoleum that should just be replaced anyway. and my kids go through a lot of dishes, so it's more paper plates this week or I'm wasting more time by washing dishes by hand.

I really wish I'd just paid the damn $185 to have someone else install this, plus whatever Home Depot would have charged me to installed the door. The time this is going to cost me would have been worth it.

Couldn't you just patch the screw holes on the jamb with wood filler, let it cure, and then re-drill your holes in the corrected location?

I realize you're in Minneapolis, so if you don't have a screen door or something else, you wouldn't really want to leave your back door wide open for the time it would take to cure (in that event it would likely be cold enough that it wouldn't even cure in the first place).

Also another option would be to insert a small dowel rod in the current screw hole, then just patch the exterior with wood filler so there's a lot less that has to set. That would further give you a stronger base so you'd be less likely for the screw to end up in the old hole.

I have decided that I am at a point in my life that I will never do anything myself if I can pay someone else to do it for me.

stlouie_lipp wrote:I have decided that I am at a point in my life that I will never do anything myself if I can pay someone else to do it for me.

This is hubby and me!

Swirls wrote:Also another option would be to insert a small dowel rod in the current screw hole, then just patch the exterior with wood filler so there's a lot less that has to set. That would further give you a stronger base so you'd be less likely for the screw to end up in the old hole.

I've had good luck with this solution on some interior doors. It probably makes sense to also drill out the old screw holes to exactly the dowel diameter to get a clean fit.

Swirls wrote:Couldn't you just patch the screw holes on the jamb with wood filler, let it cure, and then re-drill your holes in the corrected location?

I realize you're in Minneapolis, so if you don't have a screen door or something else, you wouldn't really want to leave your back door wide open for the time it would take to cure (in that event it would likely be cold enough that it wouldn't even cure in the first place).

Also another option would be to insert a small dowel rod in the current screw hole, then just patch the exterior with wood filler so there's a lot less that has to set. That would further give you a stronger base so you'd be less likely for the screw to end up in the old hole.

My intent is to use your first suggestion when it gets warmer. I tried to fit this project in on one warm day by Thanksgiving. Other warm days since then have been too wet to try to fix it.

We're also hoping to put our house on the market in early spring, so we wanted the door looking nice as soon as we are ready to list. If we list before I fix it, I'll just hope no one opens that door.

I would do every project myself if it wasn't for time. Even 'experts' can be lazy, cut corners, or just flat out not understand what they are doing. Ugh.

Anyway, the house I bought had some drainage issues (water seeping through the stem wall and getting in the crawlspace). I buy the house and go with the most expensive contractor that also has a great reputation with both realtors and inspectors alike. Guarantees his work. Etc etc etc. Okay.

HE told me what he wanted to do, and I told him what I wanted him to do. He said if we did it his way, he would guarantee the work but couldn't guarantee it the way I had drawn it up. Whatever, I guess. He's the expert.

Wrong. I like the guy. The work he did do was okay. I guess. The crawlspace is still dry after some heavy rains. But the side yard that he was supposed to regrade doesn't really drain well. There is an existing french drain, but the yard is nothing but 6" clay on top of the gravel, so.....not much water getting down to the drain. I said he needed to connect a few new yard drains directly into the french drain or run a new line with yard drains all along the yard. But, he said he'd be able to regrade the yard into the new french drain. (There are now 2 in a 10' wide swath). So, on Saturday I had to go out, buy some PVC pipe, gravel and filter fabric. Dug 3 holes over the french drain, dug all the way down to the drain. Drilled holes in the PVC pipe, stuck it right on top of the french drain and backfilled it with gravel, then surrounded that with the fabric. Worked like a charm last night. The existing french drain was flowing this morning whereas it had never done that before. Also, skimmed a lot of the top layer off and regraded the yard (with a shovel) to get to the new drains. All in all, with nothing but a shovel, I was able to do in about 4 hours (including a trip to Home Depot) what this expert and his crew of 6 guys, a trackho, tamper, hole diggers, jack hammers, etc couldn't.

Also, we paid (well it was part of the home warranty) to have a new dishwasher installed after the old one ate [expletive] and started leaking through the floor into the crawlspace. And, it is terrible. The floor had been modified, much like Gashouse's, and it is in tilted forward. So, at the bottom it is flush with the cabinet, but at the top, the dishwasher sticks out about an inch. Just...[expletive] looking if you know it is there.

I told the installer that we needed to get these two wood planks out where the back wheels of the dishwasher were setting. But, he couldn't get them out (to be fair, neither could i with the limited tools we had). Said if he had to come back, he'd have to charge me another installation fee. So...I just said to get it in as good as possible. At some point, I'll uninstall it and remove those [expletive] planks from the back so it fits in correctly. Oh well.

Gashouse wrote:I carefully measured everything as well as I could and double checked a few times. I drilled in my new holes for the hinges, and the door is about 1/8 of an inch too low. It still closes and opens (with some effort) but the pre-installed weather stripping gets in the way of a smooth opening. And since it's off by such a small amount, I can't redrill the holes because the bit and screws just end up in the old holes. Mother [expletive].

If this is a wood or fiberglass door, the sweep at the bottom of the door fits into 2 groves cut into the bottom of the door. I can't seem to find a good picture, but the idea is that this piece:



fits into 2 groves similarly to how this piece is fitting into 1:



If it's a wood or fiberglass door, you can cut an 1/8 off the bottom and then put the sweep back (maybe adding some glue or staples to help with the hold).

AWvsCBsteeeerike3 wrote:I told the installer that we needed to get these two wood planks out where the back wheels of the dishwasher were setting. But, he couldn't get them out (to be fair, neither could i with the limited tools we had). Said if he had to come back, he'd have to charge me another installation fee. So...I just said to get it in as good as possible. At some point, I'll uninstall it and remove those [expletive] planks from the back so it fits in correctly. Oh well.

An oscillating tool is perfect for making those kinds of cuts.

New Pagodi wrote:

AWvsCBsteeeerike3 wrote:I told the installer that we needed to get these two wood planks out where the back wheels of the dishwasher were setting. But, he couldn't get them out (to be fair, neither could i with the limited tools we had). Said if he had to come back, he'd have to charge me another installation fee. So...I just said to get it in as good as possible. At some point, I'll uninstall it and remove those [expletive] planks from the back so it fits in correctly. Oh well.

An oscillating tool is perfect for making those kinds of cuts.

Yeah, I just need to buy one. That was the first time I needed one and didn't have it. Haven't really been looking forward to pulling the dishwasher out and getting at that project nor do I want to spend the money for something I can't imagine I'll have much need for in the immediate future, so I've just let it go.

Also...here's another project I have that I need to do but can't quite figure out the best way to get to it.

I have two air returns. Neither were encased and were just pulling air from behind the wall (as well as through the vent obviously). One of them I was able to build a pretty simple box out of sheet board and caulk it up pretty good. No problems. The other one though....the return is a 14" square and the area behind the wall is a huge triangle with no access and I don't think I can get through the return. The return itself is a 10" circular hole in the floor. I put a pipe around it so nothing gets sucked off the floor down into it, but I can't for the life of me figure out how to build a box. There's no support on the backside and I can't access the studs on the wall through the return.

The home energy company wants $120 to encase it and I'm tempted to just pay it. But...damnit I don't want to pay them that for what seems to be such a simple (in theory) fix. They wanted like $300 to seal off between rafters under the upstairs floor. That was a pretty easy fix too. Just cut sheetboard and squeeze them in. Simple. Makes me think they charge way too much.