Replacing an Exterior Door and Windows

Project: Basement Finishing and Family Space, Episode 5, Part 3



Back in Melrose, MA, Bob reviews the exterior work on the 1921 Dutch gambrel. The home's trim, built-out bays, and columns all need replacing. The crew starts by making a template of the trim profile and creating a special knife to cut all the boards for the job. The fascia, trim, porch deck, and porch ceiling are replaced with western red cedar, which is naturally rot and insect resistant. The new porch ceiling is installed with staggered joints for a beautiful finished appearance. Pulling up the old porch deck reveals rotted and insect-damaged joists that must be replaced with pressure-treated joists hung from galvanized hangers. The stucco columns have rotted away inside and are repaired with a brick-and-mortar base and a concrete fill poured in through a hole at the top of the column. A new, energy-efficient, fiberglass-skinned polyurethane-core front door is installed with a pressure-treated custom jamb. Inside, Bob looks at the new aluminum-clad wood windows that have been installed throughout the home. The tilt-in sash, low-e coated and crypton-filled glazing, and pine interior make for an elegant replacement window that blocks noise and unwanted air from entering the home.

Part 1: Replicating Old Window Moldings and Replacing House Trim and Boards
Part 2: Fixing a Rotted Deck and Columns on the Porch
Part 3: Replacing an Exterior Door and Windows
A new door is being installed on the Melrose house. Bob explains that the old door was adequate but had a crack in one of the panels which let in a draft. Lou Sandonato from Moynihan Lumber tells Bob about the features and benefits of the new American Classic Therma-Tru door. The door is made of fiberglass skin, a polyresin interior, and LVL siding, all in a wood jam. It is an engineered door, ready to install and does not require as much maintenance as a normal wood door. Bob talks to Bill Jarzynka from Bill Jarzynka Carpentry about the installation. Jarzynka is preparing the area, clearing away debris with a vacuum, to install a solid base of pressure-treated wood create a new frame for the door. Jarzynka installs the wood slats and a layer of insulation to create the base. Jarzynka will frame the sides with pressure-treated boards to fill the empty space. A board is also nailed in place at the top of the frame to fit the door. Sandonato reviews the three-point locking system in the installed door. Jarzynka then installs the trim surrounding the door. Bob moves to the inside of the house to show the newly installed bay windows. He talks with Ken Henderson from Harvey Industries, a regional window company in the New England area. The windows are aluminum clad and pine inside. The glass in the window is low-e with krypton gas, which gives the window an Energy Star rating. Jack Silverio of J. Silverio & Co. Construction installed the windows. Silverio's family-owned business does residential work in the North Shore area. Henderson demonstrates how the windows can be opened into the home, allowing the front of the window to be washed from the inside. Bob notes that the new windows keep heat in and noise out.

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