andyvh1959
Well-known member
Pic attached is my house, and the center front section is all thermopanes and a large solid oak door (84" high x 42" wide). Years ago I repaired the rotted bottom portion of the door, some door threshold repair and installed an aluminum threshold. The, uh, "brilliant" architect that designed the house chose the oversize commercial door which didn't allow for a storm door to minimize water/snow getting on the door and the original threshold. Also, the front of the house faces north (as in very little sun) and the house is set low on the property. I guess the architect was inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright.
Never had any water issues at the front door. But like I said I repaired some rot on the front door, and replaced some windowsill areas that were rotted. Last fall I noted the outer pane of the window to the right of the door has sagged a bit, so I suspect some more rot under the window in the support framing. Next, I can't open the front door, so I suspect the entire front sill plate is rotted, and the front windows framing has sagged enough to settle on the large sold oak door. Ugh.
So my plan is to create a temporary brace frame that fits into the door opening and up against the top jamb. Then use a 2-ton hydraulic jack resting on the concrete slab outside the door sill, to lift the load off the sill plate just enough that I can remove the outer cedar sheating, and hopefully get access to the sill plate to replace the rotted wood I expect to find. Before I apply the lift with the jack, because it would be at a slight angle to the door frame, I'd apply a brace across the door opening so the lift post stays in place. Hopefully a 2-ton hydraulic is enough to make the lift, but I do have a 20-ton hydraulic bottle jack to make the lift.
Never had any water issues at the front door. But like I said I repaired some rot on the front door, and replaced some windowsill areas that were rotted. Last fall I noted the outer pane of the window to the right of the door has sagged a bit, so I suspect some more rot under the window in the support framing. Next, I can't open the front door, so I suspect the entire front sill plate is rotted, and the front windows framing has sagged enough to settle on the large sold oak door. Ugh.
So my plan is to create a temporary brace frame that fits into the door opening and up against the top jamb. Then use a 2-ton hydraulic jack resting on the concrete slab outside the door sill, to lift the load off the sill plate just enough that I can remove the outer cedar sheating, and hopefully get access to the sill plate to replace the rotted wood I expect to find. Before I apply the lift with the jack, because it would be at a slight angle to the door frame, I'd apply a brace across the door opening so the lift post stays in place. Hopefully a 2-ton hydraulic is enough to make the lift, but I do have a 20-ton hydraulic bottle jack to make the lift.