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Installing front door, need advice

benak | Posted in Construction Techniques on August 6, 2006 01:57am

So I’m replacing a front door, replacing some rotten wood and need some advice. 

I need to know what to use to replace the subsill?  In the old installation, the 1 1/8 inch subfloor was cut away to make room for a 2 x 6.  The 2 x 6 protruded out enough to be flush with front of the brick mold.  (Is this standard construction?)

I’m inclined to give a normal 2 x 6 a good outdoor finish and put it in the same way the old one was.  Should I instead use all weather wood?  Hardwood?  Synthetic decking?

The front door gets wet when it rains, so I’m also installing a storm door, but it will not protect the last inch of the subsill from getting wet. 

I appreciate any ideas you may have.

Thanks, Ben

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  1. MojoMan | Aug 06, 2006 02:23am | #1

    I'm trying to picture this, and I think I have it...

    I would use a PT 2x subsill ripped so it came out flush with the sheathing (Inner wall boards, plywood or OSB). Outside of that I would put a toe-kick (Probably 2x PT) for the nose of the sill to sit on. This toe kick would likely be wide enough that the aluminum sill and casings would sit on top of it. A flashing would separate the door from the subsill and toekick. Use plenty of caulk there. The idea is that water flowing down the door and over the sill would continue down the face of the toe-kick before it could get inside the framing.

    (Gosh, I wish I had a way to put a simple sketch here!)

    Good luck!

    Al Mollitor, Sharon MA

    http://moosehilljournal.blogspot.com/

    1. benak | Aug 06, 2006 02:41am | #2

       

      So would the toe kick go on perpendicular to the subsill?  Would the toe kick be covered in flashing?

      Thanks, Ben

      1. MikeSmith | Aug 06, 2006 03:45am | #3

        benak... the sub-sill goes in..

        the pan-flash goes over that..

        install the door

        install the toe-kick .. the pan flash is behind the toe kick

        i like to use a pice of Trex for the toe kick

         very tough.. rot-proof... loves paintMike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore

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