Replacing an Exterior Door and Windows

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.