the agents of moxie :: on the job

It's nearly official . . . We've Moved!

2010-03-07T11:53:00.000-05:00

Please visit, comment, contribute maybe, but definitely visit -- http://blog.buildingmoxie.com.
Thank you Blogger . . . we'll meet again soon . . . maybe.

window shopping (Building Moxie style)

2009-10-28T14:12:00.031-04:00

Imagine this scene: When Susan K. approached me, I couldn’t help but make note of the parallels. She says (paraphrased), “Word on the street is (looking around) that you might know where to find windows.”

I, in a hushed tone, responded “Step over here.” And we made our way a few steps to a nearby dumpster. Around the other side, I handed her a card and said, “I might be able to help.”

Susan is a first time homeowner, still settling into her new digs. But based on some of the stuff I have overheard, it seems that she has been making her way just fine. Until now. You see, having closed only a few months ago, she is still addressing some of the loose items from her home inspection report. One item, in particular, a racked and now drafty double casement in a second-floor secondary bedroom.

As is the norm with many real estate deals these days, instead of requiring the sellers to fix the offending issue, she took, in turn, a buyer’s credit at closing. As a sometimes buyer of real estate, myself, I happen to like this type of set-up. You have control over the fix, and you have the opportunity to get it done your way.

You still have to get it done, though, and unfortunately, many new homeowners choose to put open items off far too long. But not in this case; not with Susan K.

Step 1: Get bids (aka set a baseline)

She started with the phone book, as many still do, and she made a few calls. Of the guys she could get out, all were on time, knowledgeable, and clean cut, or at least that’s what I heard. She had every intention of getting the job done; and in a matter of days, she had her bids back, and in hand.

One came in at around $1300, the other at $1600, both installed. While Susan didn’t have a ton of experience with windows, these prices just didn’t seem right to her. It seemed like too much money for one window. And that’s how she decided to approach me near the dumpster.

Step 2: Do your due diligence (aka ask Building Moxie)

Where my work usually begins: So these were the facts, as she reported them to me over the course of that day. And . . . she finished, “Do you think that seems right?”

Then I start: I say something like this -- "I don’t know. I really don’t know what kind of situation you are dealing with. How big is the window? What is the interior finish at the window? What is the exterior finish at the window? (And, of course, the million-dollar question) What kind of window? What are the other windows in your house like? What are you trying to accomplish? (I didn’t know about the draftiness at that point.) Can you email me a picture?

I probably threw a few other questions in there, like this one, “Would you need someone to put it in?” . . . I finished. She said, “No, . . . if you could just help me find a window, I would really appreciate it.” And, of course, I said, “OK.”

And how I usually go: I really do not have any dead set formula for approaching these things. In this case, this time, I started by shouting out on Twitter to some of the window manufacturers I am following. And . . . several of my friends up there got right back.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I mean – I have a, well, you know. I have spent much of the last few years studying “where to find things” here locally. From my catalogue of local contacts, I selected, too, a few close to home. Then, I sent some emails and made some calls.

From that, now with a solid spec in hand, you know -- what the need is, I narrowed things down to two local suppliers (one of which came through my contact on Twitter).

Step 3: Review the facts, Make a smart decision & Save some money

It really isn’t magic – there were definitely a few back and forths with my contacts. And I can’t thank them enough for taking the time to work with me on this ONE window. But they did; both top notch pros. Together, we honed, and I was squared to present two separate yet comparable mid-grade vinyl windows – Energy Star rated and tax-credit eligible.

With a little bit of work, and I won’t divulge price, I can say pretty plainly that even with an overpriced installation, Susan will save at least a hundred bucks. More, of course, off of that $1600 bid.

At the moment, do I know if she will use one of these two suppliers? No, I don’t; there always seems, with everything, to be more viable options.

The point of this post really . . .

And it was dropped, most expertly, by one of my contacts. My guy, he says, in maybe trying to define what I do, “I had a contractor come in the other day, and he said to me: When is it all going to stop?!”

My contact and I talked some more. What he meant was . . . that by this point, and with twenty plus years of the “replacement window,” there are many, many options, and many features to consider with each purchase, and for each need.

Fusion-welded miters, wood, Fiberglas, aluminum, vinyl, low-e, argon-injected, simulated divided light, true divided light, heat loss, solar gain, incentives from the government, and . . . I could go on.

But the point being: If it’s too much for a professional, someone who supposedly sells and installs windows, and they have difficulty navigating the maze of decisions, imagine how hard it must be for a first time homeowner like Susan K.

I say, window companies, continue to do what you do. Options are good. Technological improvements are good. Improved energy efficiency is good. But there seems, too, that there may even be a point where some professionals may need some, well, Building Moxie. Just Sayin'.

Thank you for reading and thank you to new client Susan K.

More Moxie:

The anatomy of a window courtesy of Jeld-Wen Windows and Doors. There are varying qualities for each of this elements and upgrades to any add cost. In other words, know what you are looking at when you are shopping: http://www.jeld-wen.com/attributes/universal.cfm/attribute_id/3447

Two top notch window operations & one top notch program:
-- Baltimore Window: http://www.baltimorewindow.com/
-- KC Company: http://www.kc-pella.com/

-- Energy Star (window) information: http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=windows_doors.pr_windows

exterior door adjust (Building Moxie style)

2009-08-07T08:10:00.032-04:00

Again, sorry no pictures, just chucking this up.

its not shameless self promotion if you have nothing to promote

When John S. contacted me about his front entry door, I told him what his options were. His front door, solid wood, had for years been swelling in the summer months.

I have worked with John previously (see the attic remodel post here), and I know his story well. He lives in a three-story Fells Point Federal; he has been there for about 10 years.

Like many today, he is looking to save a buck on home repairs, but never at the cost of an inferior job. So I laid out some options: 1. I could refer him to a handyman I know, Steve at the Pfing Group, 2. I could give him a detailed set of instructions so he could tackle the fix himself, or 3. I could come down, and we could do it together.

I asked him a few additional qualifying questions, including what he had tried. It was there that he assured me he wanted a professional to take a look. Could I come? I said sure.

There is no science to a door fix like this

Well, there is some. With this door, wood, it will expand and contract with changing weather conditions. And for John here -- and though all six sides of the door seem thoroughly painted, the humid summer months of Baltimore mean an expanding door, and a slightly sticky fit.

They say you should always be able to fit a coin between the edge of the door and the jamb. I was always taught 1/16" at each side on installations. (OK for an exterior door -- you might want to use a dime.) And at his latch-side jamb, we certainly couldn't get a coin in there (quarter, nickel, or dime). So we had to take some action.

With door fixes, I always start at the hinges. In this case, the screws seemed snug. I had come with a bag of 2 1/4" #9 (and will someone please tell me what the deal is with #9 screws for hinges -- conspiracy). We were going to take these longer screws and set them in the middle holes of each hinge (jamb side). The hope was to suck the hinges back just that much to give us an extra fraction of an inch of clearance. Did it work, in this case, maybe the width of a hair. Better, but . . .

To plane or not to plane that is the question

At this point, I told John -- something had to give; it's either the jamb or the door. And I went through the operation, talking out the options. With that, we stepped back and took a look. The door itself had a good bevel on it, and had not previously been "worked." The jamb, however, was a little wavy. I could see it with my eye, and once I pointed it out -- guess what, he could see it too.

This tells me that the jamb (maybe not property nailed, poorly installed to begin with) was possibly the element that was moving. We would place our attention here.

Now, the barbarian fix, and not wanting to get into removing the door trim and resetting the jamb, would be to cut the caulk at the door casing, and give the, then freed, jamb a couple good whacks with a block and a hammer. Later, we could hide some inconspicuously placed screws in the reset jamb.

As with many of the houses in Fells, a neatly set transom above, and the jamb running all the way up overruled that thinking. So in the end -- and since we only needed to gain the smallest amount of clearance, we decided it was preferable to give the jamb some light sander work. (This worked for me mainly because I could see the irregularity along the door casing's reveal.)

Another un-job

As I was just about to run out to my truck to grab my sander, John stopped me. "I can do this," he said. "Anyway, I need to make sure we have paint before I do anything."

And there you have it, building moxie. You see, John is totally capable; I know it. He has a good eye . . . . He just needed someone to come out and re-assure him that he could do it. Not an issue of skill, but of confidence. My charge for the day -- $0.

The chance of assisting when he goes to do his planned kitchen remodel -- priceless.

More Moxie :
Historic Fells Point (In the early part of the decade, I lived a few blocks from John): http://www.fellspoint.us/

Follow me here as I work on my revenue model; feel free to email comments and/or advice to j.bmoxie@gmail.com: http://www.agentsofmoxie.com

2 quick posts on refinishing -- Second

2009-06-30T05:18:00.019-04:00

Rise over run

Me and Carolyn A. go way back. Well, at least to 1999 or so, and it is actually my wife that knows her better. Jenny and Carolyn went to grade school together, and they have been friends ever since.

Carolyn and I have worked together on and off over the years -- in the software field. We currently are working the same day job, and she has even been known to help with editing some of the longer pieces I put up here.

Two summers ago, I helped her with her kitchen (you should see some of these before and after pictures -- wow. For now, see the picture at right -- I snapped it Sunday when I was over).

That summer -- I noticed the railing that ran to her upstairs was in horrible shape. You see -- Carolyn is sometimes known for starting projects that she never finishes. In this case, she got the idea to strip the paint from this railing. She applied paint stripper, but got side-tracked, and never removed it. What was left was a mangled, melted mess.

A penny borrowed is a penny earned (in business)

Some of you know that I have been designing a website for sometime now. Needless to say -- I work part time at this venture and have money coming in, well, irregularly. So . . . when it came time for me to hire out a portion of the site design, I needed $200 and fast. I negotiated a deal with Carolyn A. where she would front me this money, and I would come over at a later date to work on said rail.

She's good like that. And Sunday was the day, finally, that repayment was due.

Rail Refinishing -- Dundalk

Let me make this clear: as a guy who lives in a 120 year-old home, and considering we have decided to save the original clapboard siding on that house -- I am somewhat familiar with stripping paint.

To be honest -- for this task, I have used every means conceivable, including but not limited to -- chemical strippers, mechanical means such as planing and sanding, and physical means like pull scraping and wire brushing. And anyway you look at it -- stripping paint is one nasty job. BUT. . . I also feel that it is something that given time is simply unavoidable. Once a layer of paint fails - you must strip.

This day, and on this rail, I go with my weapon of choice -- the heat gun. And all things being equal, and considering the risk of sanding painted surfaces in a older home, it is simply the safest, cleanest and most efficient means possible at removing paint.

First and second thoughts

I hit it hard. My hope was to get the entire rail stripped clean that day. But it didn't take me long to realize that this in fact would be quite a project. And even for me -- equipped with contour scrapers and all, I adjusted my short-term projections.

I knew going in, any flat surface -- no problem. And of course the rail cap, even with a detailed profile, would not be that difficult to address. It was the balusters, instead, that would be the beast. And -- to complicate matters, Carolyn's stairs have an unusually steep pitch. The result of this -- steeper angles at the intersection between picket and the cap.

Again to be honest -- I do not recall having encountered this baluster detail previously. And I let Carolyn know up front -- yes -- this rail was definitely worth saving.

At about the three-hour mark -- I will admit, I wavered. This thought popped into my head: Would it have been easier to simply remove the rail and drive it out to get it "dipped?" Whew! Now that was crazy talk.

This rail, tight at the stringer, had been assembled on site (some years ago). To remove it would require disturbing the very steady newel posts, and in the end destroy quality craftsmanship. So I burn and I scrape. And I continue that way for a full eight-hour day.

Now, the shafts of the balusters were not that difficult. It was the "turns" that proved problematic. Contour scrapers were not working efficiently enough. I tried the cup of a 5-in-1 tool (you know the part for cleaning roller covers). In the end, though, I abandoned these in favor of a simple paint key. . . yes, used for opening paint cans. And it worked well, but it surely was slow going.

Caution:

Heat guns, AND the heated paint they produce, are extremely hot. Burn yourself a couple times and you will learn quick enough how to work them.

I think Carolyn was happy with my progress that day. We were square. I got approximately 5/8th of the rail to a pretty good place. However, those "turns", the fine detail on the baluster, must still be revisited. Here, chemical stripper may come in handy.

My thinking is -- a box of Q-tips. I will be sure, and knowing Carolyn, to come equipped with them the next time I have to visit for debt repayment.

And . . .

As things are -- I think Carolyn may agree when I say -- if this paint was originally intact (i.e. not failing, flaking, pealing, etc.) it was probably better left untouched.

More Moxie:

This seems like a cool site -- a graphic showing handrail anatomy: http://www.scribd.com/doc/13780072/Handrail-Anatomy

Wagner Paint Tools -- Heat Guns: http://www.wagnerspraytech.com/portal/heat_guns_landing_spray,43297,747.html

Lead Paint & the risks: http://www.epa.gov/lead/

2 quick posts on refinishing -- First

2009-06-29T08:04:00.031-04:00

Deck Refinishing -- Crofton

A few years back, 1995 to be exact, I was living in Fraser, CO. I lived in a condo that my mother had purchased. It sat at the base of the Continental Divide. Me, I played and I waited tables -- the rent, let's just say, was paid on a semi-regular basis. It was a pretty sweet set up for sure.

On my end though, and through unspoken stipulation, I was required to do my part for the condo's upkeep. When you live in a condo and under the umbrella of an HOA (Homeowner's Association), this really does not amount to much. For the two years that I lived there: painting, light trim work -- and, on notice from the HOA, refinishing of the deck.

Paint by any other name still smells as sweet

I couldn't help but think briefly of this when my buddy Mike H. in Crofton wrote me. As a first time homeowner, he wanted advice on the upkeep of his decks. As mandated by his condo association, he needed to have two small enclosed porches (one would later be clear sealed) washed and re-finished by the end of the month.

He had a bid from a local contractor for powerwashing. Together we looked at the size of decks and the quote provided, and determined that every thing was in order. So, he moved forward. His guy came out and powerwashed them clean.

I don't remember Mike's exact reaction to the job, but it went something like, "Wow! I didn't know that powerwashing could do so much. But. . .," he continued, "it stripped almost all of the paint off of one of the porches. . . .What should I do?"

"Paint," I said, "hmm. . .send me some pics." Our conversation continued a little down this path, and it was clear that he was worried about concealing the rough edges of the remaining paint. Of course, one option would have been to continue the removal of it, but generally: probably out of the question.

So, that day, I recommended priming/sealing with a "hi-build" product before painting with something -- flooring-specific. My thinking: that would -- if the right products were found -- prevent the original coat from showing through.

A picture is worth a thousand words

A few days later, Mike emailed these pics --

Once I saw these, I realized I shouldn't have been distracted by the word "paint". One case where I should have known to question. You see -- what we are looking here is not paint -- but instead solid stain.

The contractor he had been working with had, in the mean time, suggested using a solid stain. I, with this new knowledge, approved wholeheartedly.

The revelation: I think a lot of us, especially when we are new to home improvement, don't think about these types of products. We see continuous color and we think "paint." Stain -- on the other hand, has more opacity. It is reserved for times when we want -- semi-transparent.

However -- stain, both here and at that condo in CO, is a very appropriate selection. Solid stain - for exterior wood, gives you the best of all worlds, including: the colors we like, good hiding properties, breathablity, and ease of refinishing.

What do you think?

More Moxie:

Sherwin-Williams Exterior Primers: http://www.sherwin-williams.com/do_it_yourself/sherwin_williams_products/exterior_house_paint/primers/

No Sherwin-Williams doesn't have me on payroll -- Exterior Staining tips: http://sherwin-williams.com/do_it_yourself/staining/exterior_stain/

Oh. . .Lauraville!

2009-06-25T15:12:00.002-04:00

This Old House names Lauraville one of the Best Old House Neighborhoods 2009: First-Time Buyers

If you were wondering where I live, and yes -- I do love seeing the neighborhood get its props: http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/photos/0,,20283038_20633930,00.html.

a look at a Lauraville bungalow (part 2)

2009-05-15T09:16:00.003-04:00

Please see the final installment of a look at a Lauraville bungalow:
http://agentsofmoxie.blogspot.com/2009/05/look-at-lauraville-bungalow-part-2-of-2.html

Thank you, jb

stairway to heaven (or at least a pretty decent hide out for my buddy John)

2009-05-13T13:45:00.037-04:00

Attic Remodel -- Fells Point

Overview:
Here are some noteworthy pics from a job I did with my friend John S. When I say "with" -- I mean "with". He and I worked part time on it for several months.

John had this great space in his attic that he wanted to convert into a home office. The space was already pretty well complete i.e. subfloor down, drywall finished, etc., but . . . for years he had difficulty finding a good contractor to wrap up the whole thing.

There were some inherent challenges with this project. First, there was a set of attic pull down stairs, you know the kind; he, of course, wanted something a little more permanent in place. Second, and to complicate matters, the home's heating/cooling unit sat in the attic immediately to the left of the opening. A knee wall sat immediately to the right. The end result, and if you consider the hallway below -- not much room in which to fit a staircase.

(Before:)

Shameless Dual Promotion:
Let me point out that John functions as a high level homeowner. He does his research. He is capable of most home maintenance tasks. I have watched him work, and he does right by his investment.

For this job, though, I tried initially to hook him up with a guy I knew. That just didn't work; that dude ended up bailing. So . . . with no formal contract, I promised John I would dedicate time (and for the record - he did pay me) to help him get this project done. I was going to help him with this attic, and he, whether he knew it or not, was going to help me define a key element of the business plan I was working on.

Key Elements & Key Players:
With John's commitment, and through the ideas and execution of some outstanding pros, we pulled off a fully functioning home office/hide out. Here are pics and some props.

We knew going in we would address the attic stairs, we would install a bookcase in an alcove created by the peak of the roof, and we knew we wanted to try to conceal the furnace. (All of which would require custom woodwork.) We knew we needed phone, cable, and additional electric up there. Early on, too, we decided that we wanted to install a dedicated split system air conditioner in an effort to take some of the load off of the whole house system.

Step one, we needed a good electrician. And while the pics really don't do him any justice, I rang up Todd Borz at Milton Electric. They simply got in and got it done. (Funny aside on this -- John and Todd occasionally run into each other at the gym. Who knew electricians worked out? Anyway. . .)

Step two, install the dedicated mini split. For that guy, and this is the power of the internet, I will write his name here only after he comes and does the service check he promised us some 14 months ago. We placed the air handler on an inside wall (above where John's desk now sits). We ended up doing something pretty cool with the refrigerant and condensate lines -- I posted on this earlier -- click here to see more.

(During:)

Step three, spec and prep for built-ins. To start, I suggested that John pick up a Built-In ideas book. The one he choose was called the New Built-Ins Idea Book by Taunton. From this, he was able to determine that he wanted maple cabinets, stained Early American, with raised panel, full-overlay doors.

We knew we wanted to do a bookcase, with storage below, at the peak of the roof. But we also needed an enclosure that would neatly hide the home's mechanicals. For this, and with servicing this unit in mind -- we framed around it using 2x3s.

Our cabinet guy, Steve Van Meter of Steve's Custom Cabinets, came in and applied panels to our framing. John later detailed the front of the enclosure with decorative brass grills (like the one you would see on a radiator cover).

Not only does John get a little extra storage here, but if the furnace ever needs to be replaced -- this assembly, screwed together, can be removed. (You can see some this hopefully in the pictures above and below.)

Step four, with work progressing (John and I did the trim and drywall work ourselves), it was time to spec out and find someone to build the custom stairs we needed. I made calls on this, but with little luck. Then, I turned to John Neiswender at Precision Millwork and Carpentry. He too came out and just got it done. (You can see what we came up with below.) It, too, is in maple, has an integrated grab bar, and allows for permanent access into the attic.

Later John N. fitted the opening above with a sturdy sliding door that when closed allows for service of the heating unit when work is needed. John S. himself uses this platform to access storage at the far end of the enclosure.

Step five, carpeting and other details. John coordinated the carpeting of the whole house. Before this, he went through and punched out the subfloor throughout. Later he hung a hi-def TV and finished with some of the furniture you see below.

(After:)

Bottom line -- This job took a while; I will give you that. (Hey, we were doing it part time.) It was not free of hiccups, in fact I am hearing now from John that one of the corner beads I finished along the stair opening is now pulling away. (I have promised if he wants me to repair, I will do so.)

We did this thing together. John was involved and engaged at every step of the job. From that, I hope that he got pretty closely what he wanted. I think he learned a few skills along the way (or least who to call when he needs to borrow a tool). Sure, there are some, "coulda, shoulda, wouldas", but what I see -- is a space elegantly finished, at a price that allowed him to upgrade some of the key features. On site built-ins and stairs turned into custom cabinets (installed the way he wanted), a custom set of stairs, and a custom door on the attic opening.

Anyway. . .Thanks John for letting me participate; it was a pleasure. And by the way, I will be called Mike Dawson, the HVAC guy, today.

More Moxie:

Built-Ins Idea Book by Taunton Press: http://www.amazon.com/New-Built-Ins-Idea-Book-Crannies/dp/1561586730

a look at a Lauraville bungalow (Part 1 of 2)

2009-04-24T13:12:00.001-04:00

Please see my post on Lauraville Bungalows:
http://agentsofmoxie.blogspot.com/2009/04/look-at-lauraville-bungalow.html

Thanks, jb

pics of Greater Lauraville's 'Lows, yo!

2009-04-14T12:33:00.009-04:00

Inspired by conversations w/ Neighborhoods of Greater Lauraville (NOGLI)

In preparation for next week's post, I have been doing some legwork, some research. I spent a few afternoons driving around Greater Lauraville snapping pictures of bungalows in the area. While I tried to include some diversity in this survey, I was also looking for repeatable house types by neighboorhood.

Note: This is the first time I have worked with Picassa and it really hasn't gone as smoothly as I would have hoped. I think if you click the picture below you should be able to view a slideshow.

http://picasaweb.google.com/j.bmoxie/LauravilleBungalows#

More Moxie: The Neighborhoods of Greater Lauraville: http://www.greaterlauraville.com/

It's all about how you swing (Part 3 of 3)

2009-03-10T05:53:00.007-04:00

Let me start by saying that the procedure I provided in the last post may be simplified by replacing rounded hinges with squared off “utility” hinges. In this procedure, a router and jig is replaced by simple chisel work.

Caulk and paint make a carpenter what he ain’t
In my last post, I detailed how to switch the swing of a door for Dave in Perry Hall Farms. While this is probably the most minimally invasive option available to him, I think this operation produces unwanted side effects for a house of its age.

This procedure requires the installation of what is known as a Dutchman. (See the section Moxie Mouth in the right side bar for a definition.) A Dutchman can be patched in and made to blend (thanks to caulk and paint) into the original woodwork almost seamlessly. And the patch will look great for a few years until the wood from varying stock begins fighting, expanding and contracting, against each other.

As the earth spins, you see, the patch will become more and more noticeable as a fix to an earlier mistake. Because of this, I present a second option for Dave and his house. Why not switch the door, frame and all, with one that swings inward?

How to hand a door & other terminology
When speaking of doors, you often need to know whether a door is left-handed or right-handed. Throughout the years, I have been taught, there are several ways of which to determine this. The simplest for me is as follows:

Place your back against the door’s hinge-side jamb (the jamb into which the hinges are screwed). Then ask yourself which way is, or do you want, the door to swing. Become the door! If you swing out your right arm, it is then a right-handed door. If you swing out your left arm, it is then a left-handed door.

When shopping for, or communicating, about doors, there is some other terminology that you probably should familiarize yourself with. Consistent with today’s building practices and often when we talk of doors, we are often talking about pre-hung doors. In other words, the door panel itself, when purchased, is already routered and screwed to the jamb with hinges. This entire assembly could also be known as a door unit.

Any door unit pre-hung or not, has several elements that make up the whole. First, the door, or what we know as the door. In this case, I am speaking about the door panel, frequently known as the slab. Some door installations require the purchase of only a slab.

Some slabs come just this way, as a door panel completely unaltered. Others may be bored (the hole for the lockset is already drilled) and/or routed (the location for hinges already mortised) or both. With these factory-worked slabs, you will need to know what hand the door is (see above).

Some other parts that make up a door unit include: the jamb, the stops, the hinges, the latch, and the casing. While the hinges of the door and the latch I think are pretty self explanatory, there always seems to be some confusion surrounding the other parts.

First, the jamb. When speaking of door jambs, we are talking about the flat piece of finished wood that is mounted directly to the door opening’s rough framing. Hinged doors are mounted directly to the jamb, and the side on which the hinges appear could be called the hinge-side jamb. Conversely, the side on which the latch and the partnered lockset appear could be called the latch-side jamb. The jamb makes up simply the finished opening into which the door fits.

Door stops, in most cases, then are mounted to the jamb. With today’s pre-hung doors, the stops are installed almost seamlessly (they are even sometimes split). When painted, they almost become part of the jamb. However, they are, in fact, an individual part of the unit as a whole – the place where the door contacts to create a closed door situation.

Lastly, you have the casing. Now, even this has some gray area associated with it. For the term of this article when I speak about casing, I am actually talking about the door trim. Yes, the trim that is attached both to the jamb and the finished wall surfaces around the door to create a finished door installation. Many pre-hung doors come with the door casing already attached.

In particular, doors
In Dave’s house, he has a standard six-panel composite door. Popular with builders for more than 20 years now, this is actually a door made not out of solid wood but rather of a composite material. They are not hollow core which is the cheapest of the bunch; they instead are solid-core made of high density fiberboard and finished with a wood veneer. They are pressed usually with a wood grain pattern to create the raised panel look that has remained popular from the early part of last century.

These doors can be found at home centers or lumber yards. Suppliers carry models made by different manufacturers, but almost all can be ordered by each. At times, and unless the painters who were involved in building the home were overly conscientious, the manufacturer of a door can be determined by removing the door and looking for a stamp on the bottom of the door.

In Dave’s case, he is looking for a left-hand paint grade door that is bored and routed. He will be shopping for a 2-8 door (in other words, the door is 2 foot 8 inches, or 32”, wide,). Inexpensive models that would probably match closely enough price out at a good bit under $100. To match the doors that exist in his home exactly, he should expect to do an order through a millworks desk somewhere, and plan on spending around $150.

Other particulars and risk
As you may have noticed in some of the pictures that I have added to this blog, Dave has custom trim and paint added both to his hallway and foyer, as well as to his bathroom. These details are fantastic; they look great and they add value to the home. In this particular case, I happen to know the dude who did this work, and I know that he didn’t just slap this stuff up.

Custom chair rail was made on site, shadow boxes were added, and a three part monochromatic color scheme was applied to the new wall divisions. Obviously, removing and then re-installing a door in this location carries some risk. However, in practicing patience and applying skill, this job can be performed while barely disturbing these fine elements.

The door casing found in Dave’s house, and in many others, is a traditional 2 and ½ colonial trim. While we will attempt to salvage the trim that is already installed in this location, it is always a good idea to plan for the contingency. We may damage the trim when we attempt to remove it. Don’t worry though, this profile can be found at all area home centers and lumber yards. It has a Wood Molding profile number of 371.

Procedure 2 – Removing and replacing the door with a matching door that now swings inward.

Note: Before proceeding, Dave should ensure that he has a match for both the wall and the trim paints on hand.

-- Remove the door -- Pop the hinge pins out of the hinges and remove the door. Store the door in a safe place if you would like to reuse it elsewhere. Remember selling the door, too, is always an option if it remains somewhat intact during this process.

-- Remove the door’s trim -- I probably could write a separate article on various methods for removing trim. I am going assume anyone that is attempting this has some experience removing trim. Use your head and move slowly. Always first “cut” paint or caulk prior to attempting to move the trim you are working on. I find that a utility knife with a somewhat dulled blade makes great work of this task.

Once the pry bar or another demolition utensil comes out, try to place a scrap piece of wood under the heel of the tool to displace any damage that may occur to finished surfaces. Remember always work to “pull” the trim, that is work by pulling the tool’s handle toward, not pushing it away from, you. If you do this carefully, while miters may be glued or nailed at the top, you will probably be able to salvage and reuse this trim.

For Dave specifically: You should carefully remove the trim from both the inside and outside of the opening. You have to be especially careful working around the custom chair rail that is on the outside of the bath.

-- Remove the jamb -- Of course, the jamb is nailed in place. I find that the easiest way to remove a jamb is by cutting the nails behind the jamb. This can be done using a mini hack saw or a reciprocating saw. If you use the power tool, I recommend having a spotter close by to steady and/or catch the frame as it comes out. Select a metal blade, place the saw on a lower speed, and set the saw’s guide right on the jamb as you cut.

-- Remove the door and the trim from the new pre-hung door – Remove the door from the door unit by popping its hinges. (See above) Some pre-hung doors come with their casings attached. On cheaper models, this trim is usually attached with staples. With these types of doors, I have gotten in the habit of removing the casing from both sides. I guess that just comes with working more frequently in older homes. In newer homes, it is possible to get away with removing the trim from only one side. And this may be the case in Dave’s house if the rough framing of the door way is plumb and square, and if the original installation did not utilize excessive shimming.

-- Center the door frame in the rough opening -- Hopefully for Dave, in a newer home, out of plumb walls should not be too much of an issue. The standard 6-8 or 80 inch door should slide right into the opening. The goal here is to line the door as such that it is centered on the framing and flush with the surrounding wall surfaces. While a four-foot level may help set your mind as ease, this might be one case where you must simply trust yourself.

-- Starting with the hinge-side jamb, plumb the door -- I have heard various call-outs on this, but we will be using 16d finish nails to install the jamb. Start by tacking (nailing just enough of the nail into the stud as to hold the door in place – Do not set nails.) the bottom of the jamb flush to the finished floor at the hinge side. Now, we have all seen that phantom door that opens and/or closes by itself.

This of course occurs because of gravity, and, well, because the hinge-side jamb is not perfectly plumb. To ensure that this does not happen to us, this time, we do break out our four foot level. Once satisfied with the vertical positioning of the door jamb, place two nails – one each about an inch inward from the outside edge of the jamb, into the top of the jamb.
-- Shim the hinge-side jamb –- When we shim the hinge, we are going to partner a set of cedar shims inserting immediately behind the hinge locations. Partnered shims allow us to raise and lower the jamb laterally in equal proportions. Align the shims using your eyeball – you are looking to ensure that equal portions of the fat side of shim remain exposed on each side of the jamb. Under the bottom hinge, push the shims in lightly so that they begin to lock into place. Use just a little force here.

At the top, do the same. Do not overdo it; we do not want the jamb to bow outward. Once the shims are sitting in place, use your level to ensure that the inside surface of this jamb is perfectly plumb. Drive the finish nails a little deeper; we are trying to drive the nails into the framing, but again do not set the nails’ heads.

-- Shim the latch side jamb & the header jamb -- we will now nail these jambs using virtually the same methods as described above. Ensure again this side of the frame is centered in the opening. There should be no need to check the plumb here inside the opening. On this jamb, we want to set the shims and nail directly through them. Do not set nails all the way below the surface of the jamb. Do not set the nails.

-- Install the door -- Set a scrap piece of plywood or shims in a location that will allow them to support some of the weight of the door. An extra set of hands can be useful at this point. Be careful when moving the door itself around, especially passing through the doorway. Align the hinges, and with at least one hinge pin in hand, mate mounted hinges.

If they do not slide together smoothly here, back out some of screws part way in at least one of the hinges. Again attempt to mate the hinges. Once set, install the hinge pins. Don’t push the hinge pins all the way in at this point though, just in case they have to be pulled out again. If hinge screws were loosened, hold the door firmly in place and reset the screws.

-- Check the door’s swing & install lockset -- If the door is operating correctly, that is, not binding anywhere around the frame, install the lockset. Again check the operation of the door. If everything is working correctly, set the heads of the nails using a nail punch. Set the hinges pins fully in place with a few taps on their heads.

-- Install the door casing –- Prior to installing door casing of course, you will have to cut off the exposed ends of the shims with either a sharp utility knife or a hand saw.

-- Touch up drywall (if required)

-- Touch up paint (if required)

And Good Luck!

More Moxie:
Great overview on the anatomy and types of doors available: http://www.bobvila.com/HowTo_Library/Interior_Door_Basics-Subject_Doors_Interior_Doors-A1785.html

Using a chisel: http://www.expertvillage.com/video/19742_tools-chisel.htm

it's all about how you swing (Door Layout Fix) part 2 of 2

2009-02-13T06:19:00.011-05:00

Where we’re at
Ok, where did I leave off? Seems like forever since I’ve visited the topic of Dave and his doors. And after several missed attempts at a photo shoot, we finally nailed it this past weekend.

In a nutshell, Dave has a situation in the hallway leading from his foyer to his kitchen. The basement door and the door on the powder room, immediately opposing each other, both swing outward. When opened, they collide, causing not only damage but also an impedance to normal traffic flow.

In the last post on this topic, I had asked Dave which one of an array of options he would want me to expand upon. After my most recent visit, it was discussed, and we decided that I would provide procedures for the two possibilities. From the last post : 4. Why not just flip the hinge of the powder room door to make it swing inward? Or 5. Why not replace the door, frame and all? Buy a matching door unit and replace it so the door swings inward.

Because I am usually open, at least in theory, to all possible options, and since I am out only to recommend the best option as it fits my clients, I choose to describe first the most inexpensive and minimally invasive option available to him. In this case, “flip the hinges on the door.”

Overview
I will not go so far as to describe the tools needed specifically, nor will I estimate the time it would to take to perform these procedures. Knowing Dave’s skill set, I would almost certainly recommend an experienced handyman if either procedure is to be performed. He simply does not need all that information.

I will use this space, rather, to expound on the topic in the hopes of giving Dave a clearer picture of what is involved, and an idea of how the end product will appear.

The other five percent
As mentioned in the first post, I am 95% sure of why these doors ended up this way. The 5% of uncertainty, I will address here. I will admit that our mythical construction manager from part one may have known what he was doing. It is possible that he was required to install these doors as such to avoid issues with an in-swinging bathroom door. Maybe the door, 32” wide, would have been obstructed by the originally selected toilet. To ensure that this is not now an issue, Dave should check this.

There is nothing high tech about this test. Dave needs to simply grab a tape measure, unfurl it to about 30” (the tape measure’s body is typically about 2 ½”), place its butt at the hinge-side jamb, and swing it towards the toilet roughly at the height of the toilet. Does it hit the toilet? If no, we are moving forward.

Note: As with any repair to a painted surface, make sure that there is matching paint on hand. If not, go to the home center and match it, exactly.

Back to it
Procedure 1 – Flip the hinges on the powder room door to allow for the door to swing inward.

--Remove the door -- I am a little old school here. When working with hinges, I always try to use a good old-fashioned screw driver. If there is a scrap piece of plywood or some shims lying around, place them underneath the far edge of the door. These will help support the weight of the door when removing screws. Once all the screws have been removed, wiggle the door hinges free. Accumulated paint may make this less then straight forward; be conscious to cut (and yes I mean cut with a utility or a putty knife) any paint that may have glued the hinges in place. This will help prevent any undue damage to the jamb as we remove the door.

--Remove the hinge-side stop -- Working carefully, remove the stop from the hinge side door jamb. Again we may need to cut paint and/or caulk prior to slipping a putty knife underneath the backside of the stop. Work the tool down the length the stop. The goal here is to get just enough daylight to then pry the stop out of its resting place. To make sure we do not mar up the jamb, have another scrap piece of wood handy. We place this underneath the heel of our pry bar as we work to push the stop outward. Note: don’t force anything; we may be required to rock the stop back and forth as not to damage the miter at the header’s stop.

-- Mark new hinge locations -- This probably can be done most efficiently by marking a straight line across the jamb using a small torpedo level. While the relationship to the previous locations may not be of absolute importance, the distance between each hinge, however, should remain exactly the same.

-- Cut new jam mortises (Specialty Tool Alert) -- While this may be accomplished using a sharp chisel and mallet, the most efficient way I have found to do this combines a plunge router with a mortising jig. Porter-Cable makes a plastic form, or jig, that is adjustable to various hinge sizes. It is simply tacked to the intended mortise locations, and using a provided straight router bit allows for plunge cutting of perfectly rounded hinge mortises. While I believe most specs call for a depth of 5/32” for this cut, I always try to stay a little shallow, because of the router’s tendency to rock when held against an upright surface.

-- Cut new door mortises (Unsightly Work Alert) -- Since our door slab already has mortises cut in it, attempting a new rounded hinge cut may not be best. When I have done this in the past, I square off the existing mortise and carry it across the width of the door slab. Take a square and draw a transfer line across the door edge, then use a utility knife first (to score the surface) followed by a sharp chisel. Mortise out the door edge completely square.

-- Swip swap the door’s lockset -- Most locksets are reversible, even those that are lever- style. Check for a small slot on the underside of the handle. When depressed, this will allow for removal the handle. Switch it. You will also have to remove the striker on the door’s edge, and flip it over so that the articulator is set to swing with the door. Note: if the lockset is in fact not reversible, it’s time for a trip to the home center. Pick a lockset that matches the hinges in finish.

-- Separate the hinges by removing the hinge pins -- Before separating hinges, note which way they are oriented. Mark the upward side with a piece of tape or something. A nail punch or even a finish nail can then be used tapping the bottom of the hinge pin to free it. Once it has moved upwards enough, the hinge pin can either be grabbed with a hand or a pair of pliers. Be careful not to mar the head and especially not the shank.

-- Mount the separated hinges to their respective locations -- Part of a grand conspiracy; hinges are typically mounted with #9 screws. Hold the hinges where they are to be set, and mark hinge hole locations with an awl, a finish nail, a #2 pencil, or even the tip of a drill bit. We pre-drill holes using a bit slightly smaller in diameter than the hinge screws. DO NOT DRILL ALL HOLES AT THIS POINT. DO NOT FILL ALL HOLES WITH SCREWS. By leaving some of the holes in the hinges empty this will allow us to make minor, possibly necessary, adjustments later.

-- Install the door -- Set the scrap ply or shims used in earlier steps in a location that will allow them to support some of the weight of the door. An extra set of hands can be useful at this point. Be careful when moving the door itself, especially passing through the doorway.

Align the hinges, and with at least one hinge pin in hand, mate mounted hinges. If they do not slide together smoothly here, back out the screws, part way, in at least one of the hinges. Again attempt to mate the hinges. Once set, install the hinge pins. Don’t push the hinge pins all the way in at this point though, they may have to be pulled out again. If hinge screws were loosened, hold the door firmly in place and reset the screws.

-- Check the door swing and make minor adjustments -- Minor door adjustments could be an article unto itself. Hopefully everything works out as expected here. Watch out for binding at the hinges and for the minutest rubbing at the door jamb as the door closes. If the door frame is square, if hinges were mortised to the correct depth, and if the door operates as expected, we should be home free. (If you do have issues here, you could always contact us at http://www.buildingmoxie.com for guidance.)

If everything checks out though at this point, install the balance of screws, and set the hinges pins fully in place with a handful of light taps on their heads with a hammer

-- Mortise for and relocate the striker plate -- This will require the drilling of a new hole in the latch-side jamb. It will also require new mortising for the strike plate. I am assuming if we have made it this far, there is probably not much need for instruction here.

--Install Dutchman(s) in the vacated hinge mortises (Master Carpenter Work Alert) -- This is the part I don’t love about this procedure. We have flipped our hinges. Now, however, we have the original hinge locations to deal with. To address this, we are going install what are called Dutchmen in these locations. A Dutchman is essentially a patch for wood made of wood.

Start by squaring off the corners of the original rounded hinge mortises. Do this using a utility knife and/or a sharp chisel. We will need to find or make a wood patch that is larger that mortises we are staring at. Our Dutchman needs to be about 5/32” or so thick and it should overlap just slightly the moritises that we have.

Once we found the material we need, we hold it in place over the mortises (as we would in preparation for a drywall repair). Score using a utility knife around the outside edges of our Dutchman. Clean any material out of the way so that the Dutchman will slide neatly in. Once satisfied with the fit of the patch, glue it in place using wood glue or an adhesive caulk. Tack it in at least one location at the top and one location at the bottom. Use 3d finish nails for this, pre-drilling as not to slip the wood. Repeat to all mortises are filled.

Let the glue set up. The Dutchmen should finish just above the surface of the jamb. Once the glue has set up, come behind with a palm sander and sand the Dutchmen down flat.

-- Reinstall the hinge-side stop

-- Then finally touch up paint

Summing up
And you have it, what’s involved with flipping the hinges on a door. This really is not my number one option for Dave, and I did intend to dictate the steps required in his house to replace this type of door. I have simply run out of space here. Depending on feedback gathered from him or others, I will try to detail that procedure in an upcoming post.

More Moxie:

For a little added info on setting hinges in a door slab:
http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/hi_tools/article/0,,diy_13936_3459168,00.html

Having difficulty finding the round hinge jig, so here is the butt hinge rig. (Both are available at the Home Depot.) http://www.factoryauthorizedoutlet.com/porter-cable/products/59370.asp

Tub/Shower Faucet Repair for John L. (Follow Up)

2009-01-20T19:38:00.012-05:00

A critical step in any supply side plumbing repair

I picked up a message from John L. late yesterday afternoon. It seems that everything went as smoothly as we laid out. Almost. It appears, and I am kicking myself now, that I missed a fairly crucial step for him.

After cutting the water, and since his tub repair was happening on the first floor of the home, I should have suggested that he bleed some additional water from the plumbing lines before beginning work on the faucet's stems.

After he removed the problem stem, a steady stream of water ran from the faucet body for about five minutes. What happened here? Well, after shutting the water off, and while it did stop the steady flow of water to fixtures, it did not remove any of the water already in the lines. Therefore, gravity went to work. And it appears that water in the lines from the second floor chose this location for its outlet.

How could this have been avoided?
First, maybe, I could work on not being such a dumbass. And second, we needed to have him bleed a little bit of the water out of the system. This is usually accomplished by a matter of elevation. And yes, I do mean elevation, that is, the elevation of a fixture above sea level.

When shut off values are equipped with a waste outlet, you can open these little grooved nuts, and drain uphill water at a safe location in the basement, usually into bucket . While many older homes are not equipped with these types of values, there are other less hi-tech options.

While it is not totally necessary to drain all water from the system, if I simply would have suggested that he opened the lavatory faucet in the bathroom he was working (at a higher elevation than he was working), he probably would have fared a little bit better.

A more thorough job of draining the system could have been accomplished by opening both the highest fixture and lowest fixture in his house. In doing this, it creates a kind of venting effect that will bleed a majority of the water out of the plumbing system.

As with a lot of things, it is really only a matter of physics
I encourage anyone that has a better concept of these matters, and I know there are many of you, to please write in. If you do not wish to comment on this blog, you could instead email at experts@buildingmoxie.com.

More Moxie:

I tried to find a quick overview on stop and waste valves. I could not find anything specific to the topic (even at my go to locations). Failing that, I can give you this link so at least you might know what they look like: http://www.nibco.com/assets/StopWastePV.pdf

Tub/Shower Faucet Stem Repair Procedure (3-handle faucet)

2009-01-14T12:35:00.015-05:00

Prepared for: John L. (Halethorpe, MD)

Overview:
John is a first-time homeowner with questions about basic home maintenance tasks. He has a patient, highly analytical nature. So when he asked if I thought he could tackle a leaky tub faucet, I said, “Absolutely.”

His first-floor bath, which he uses primarily as a powder room, is actually a full bath. It includes a standard 5-foot tub/shower that had developed a slow drip at the spout. You see, with stem-type compression faucets, small stem washers wear and fail, and allow for dripping. These gaskets must be replaced.

Shower/tub faucets, those that service both a tub and shower head, come in 1-, 2-, or 3-handle configurations. Of all, the 3-handle configuration is probably the most common, and is relatively easy to repair.

In preparation for the repair, I lent John one my library’s most popular books, “Black & Decker’s Complete Guide to Home Plumbing”. It contains the exact procedure that John would be performing, minus some key information that may be important to a newcomer.

To get him ramped up, and to help illustrate some of my points, I gave him a quick demonstration on a diverter valve that I had removed some years ago.

Costs:
Professional Repair – I estimate cost for a professional plumber to fix this type of leak in a tub faucet at approximately $180-$220 (including trip charge).

John’s Cost – two to three hours on a weekend afternoon, approximately $3 in materials, and my fee: $75, which included a hands-on demonstration, access to literature and the required specialty tools, this expanded procedure, and on-call access to me during the procedure.

Do-it-Yourself Savings -- $180-$78 for an overall project savings of $102.

For John:
Note if you can, before removing handles, the manufacturer of the faucet. (Sometimes on the handles.)

Rule 1 with plumbing – Don’t force anything.
Rule 2 with plumbing – Use two hands.
Rule 3 with everything -- Don’t do more than you have to.

Biggest Risks: (John had asked me up front what I thought his biggest risks were.) Well, damaging the faucet, of course.

1. This could occur when attempting to either “break” or re-install the faucet’s stem. It is important to stay on top of the stem when removing it trying not to apply any undue lateral force.
2. Another big issue would be cross threading the stem when reinstalling it. (I simply told John to avoid this if he can.)

The Procedure:

o Try to determine if it is the hot or cold side leaking.
-- This may be hard if you do not have dedicated shut-off valves for that faucet. If you do, shut each off independently and see when the drip stops.
-- You may get lucky enough, however, to feel that the drip is hot water. If so, just repair the hot side. If drip is cold, I wouldn’t trust it, plan to do both sides.
o Cut the water off for the repair. Open both sides of faucet to drain excess water.
o Amendment: Bleed the system. Many systems are equipped with stop and waste values. A waste valve, in this case, allows you to drain excess water from the plumbing pipes. Failing this, and thinking that you probably do not have an eye for this type of value, I suggest opening a spigot at both the lowest and highest points in the house. This will create a venting effect that will allow you to drain most of the water from the lines.
o Place a towel in bottom of tub to prevent damage to the tub. A second towel will come in handy for excess water.
o Remove handles. (The plumbing book might have a depiction for the use of the handle-removal tool – otherwise, read instructions on the back if you need to.)
o Remove sleeves, if present. Try to avoid using a wrench. If you must use a wrench, place a towel under the wrench to minimize marring of the finish on the sleeves.
o Note type of faucet. If similar to the demo, move forward. Otherwise, hold off for another day (pictures are helpful).
o Ensure that the stem is in the fully opened, full left, position.
-- I am on the fence with this, but I would say try to avoid removing the bonnet nut if you don’t have to. You should use an adjustable wrench on bonnet nut if you decide to do this.
o From above, spray lube with Liquid Wrench -- let sit for one minute.
o Remove stem.
-- Ensure that you have matched your chosen wrench to the stem exactly to prevent stripping of the threads.
-- Use two hands and try to ensure your force is exactly “squared” on the stem.
-- If you have to strain to get the stem to break free, a few light taps of a hammer on the tool's handle may be helpful. Helps vibrate it free.
-- If you feel like you are straining too hard and might break it, you will break it. Stop. Call JB.
o With the stem in hand, go to the home center. This is usually the hardest part of this job. Try to go on an off hour if you can. Look for the faucet repair aisle, and ask for help. They will ask you if you know what kind of faucet it is. (manufacturer)
--While you are there, pick up some thread sealant (also called pipe dope) -- this is for the “just in case” scenario.
o Unscrew and replace stem washer. It may be necessary to clean the “seat” with a wire brush to remove any caked-on debris prior to placing the new one on.
o Lightly clean threads of the stem as per photos in the procedure provided.
o Reinstall stem.
-- Ensure the stem is still in fully retracted position.
-- Don’t cross-thread the stem, square it up and it should screw in with little effort.
-- Hand-tighten till snug. (This is a change from my earlier tune.)
-- Using the stem tool, give it another quarter-turn.
-- Do not over tighten.
-- Close the stem, fully right. Do this by temporarily placing the handle back onto the stem.
o Turn water on and check for leaks at the stem where it meets the faucet body.
-- If leaking, turn water off and try to tighten a touch more.
-- If still leaking, call JB.
o Reassemble sleeve and handle.

Call or email at http://www.buildingmoxie.com if you have questions. Or call if you need help once you get into the middle of this.

Summary:
In tackling this job himself, John is acquainting himself with the fundamentals of home plumbing repair and the anatomy of faucets, which together will apply to all faucets in his house.

While John has yet to execute this procedure (January 13, 2009), I will surely let you know how he does. My apologies for being so lazy with supporting photos. (Maybe John will supply some.)

Note too, that I will not bill John until he has completed and is happy with the fix.

More Moxie:

Black & Decker’s Complete Guide to Home Plumbing: http://www.amazon.com/Black-Decker-Complete-Guide-Plumbing/dp/1589232011/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1231858049&sr=1-6

2- and 3-handle faucet repair (The exploded view is useful here): http://www.stemdoctor.com/stemdrcom/default.aspx?pg=ae72f874-a56a-4911-9a95-68c1335aa569

Here is a this how-to, with photos; I discovered it in the most amazing of ways (courtesy of Charles and Hudson): http://www.charlesandhudson.com/archives/2009/03/how_to_fix_a_leaking_bathtub_faucet.htm

Prop to John L. who is nearing launch @ http://www.actividates.com

it's really about how you swing (part 1 of 2)

2008-12-17T05:55:00.031-05:00

A Door Layout Fix
Requested by Dave S. (Perry Hall Farms)

Dave and Kirsten, in my mind, throw a pretty decent Christmas party. The spread was very impressive; we all marveled at the impeccably decorated tree, some new faces, some young, some old. (Never mind that the Ravens collapsed again against that team from Pittsburgh.) And I will be honest; Dave did not really request this article. I am not really "on the job," but I am taking it upon myself rather to give him some thoughts on a situation he will eventually address.

I am not quite sure how long he has been in this house, but it has to be going on four, five, or six years. And in my opinion, he has done a fantastic job of managing his home. He has made all the right home improvement decisions: finished basement, expanded pool deck and patio, upgraded floor coverings, trim, and paint. These things add comfort and value. All feats made more marvelous by the fact that he has four children.

The situation
Dave and his family live in what is called an "Executive Line" home. All major production builders (as opposed to "custom builders”), it seems, build in this line. And like most in recent years, the interior greets you with a two-story foyer. The foyer, with a large "living room" and study spilling off, eventually funnels into a hallway that directs you to a kitchen with a breakfast nook and an ample sunken family room. In my opinion, and most would agree, a very good floor plan.

Dave is not the original owner of this house. Sure, he sometimes thinks about blowing out the kitchen, but to be honest, he has pretty much accomplished all of what he had "needed" to do with this house. His major improvements aside, he now has some time to turn his thoughts to smaller things.

As things are, and in this hallway, he has a situation. And I have to admit, I had always noticed the awkwardness of it, but I guess I just never dedicated any real thought to it. You see, in his front hallway, the one noted above, you will also find his powder room and the entry to his basement. The problem: their doors. Each 32" wide (that's 2-8 in builder's speak), exactly opposing each other. Both swinging outward. And in their fully opened positions, they create a virtual road block if opened simultaneously. (Maybe Dave would be so kind as to send a pic to help me illustrate.)

Needless to say, whether entertaining or not (remember four kids), both of these doors get lots of action.

The trim load
The trim load is a big day in the building process. And with most builders, this is the day that all the interior trim, including the interior doors, are delivered. Usually coming off a flat-bed or 18-wheeler, it represents the beginning of the end. As you can imagine, it marks the point exactly when "finishing" can begin.

The first to be applied from this load are the interior doors. In the case of Dave's house, and with any production builder, a trim carpenter and crew have been hired to install them. Before these guys go to work, however, the builder "stages," prepping for their installation.

The superintendent is responsible for layout
I will try not to digress too much here. I mean, out of all the jobs I can think of, a position as a superintendent with a production builder has got to be one of the most stressful jobs in the world. There are not many positions you can find (barring maybe the president of the United States) where the job is -- to control, in so many cases, the totally uncontrollable.

In this case, and if my guess on who built Dave's house is correct, the superintendent there was spread across several communities working on several different job sites. This is mainly why I don't blame him (or her). One of the superintendent's primary duties is to ensure before, during, and after the installation of things that the builder's and/or architect's (with final approval from the homeowner) vision is executed.

With interiors doors, and while the task of layout was probably delegated, it is the superintendent's duty to ensure that they go in "per plan." Unfortunately, it appears, these did not.

After some thought, I am now about 95% sure that these doors got mixed up. The powder room door meant for the basement, and vice versa. And until right now, it seems that everyone has missed it. If executed as planned, the door on the powder room should have swung inward. Further, I am going to assume that the basement door should have opened away from the main entrance of the house, orienting towards the kitchen.

So what?
I am sure that when Dave brought it up, in passing, at the end of the party on Sunday, he certainly didn't think that I would put this much thought into it. But oh well, I guess that is how I am. And I'd like to give him some input on how to address it.

Now, mind you and I got sucked into this too, the first idea - we can move one of the openings. A couple of quick taps on the drywall around the openings, and really more like the chest beating of the male gorilla, we spout, "Load bearing" -- "Load bearing." While modifying load bearing walls really isn’t that big of a deal, common sense, in this case, will prevail.

And based on what Dave told me next, he does have another idea. To him, and not to criticize, he presents it, though, as his only option.

I am here to expound on the contrary. In fact, the number of options I could present here in this case would be way more than you would be willing to read.

Ok, jb. So what's your idea?
Well, I am going to start with the most unlikely (based on Dave's perceived "home plan") and lay out a few for him. These are the ones that pop quickly to mind:

1. What about a "pocketless" door for the powder room? Like a pocket door without the pocket. Hung on a track inside the bathroom, it would slide over the opening when occupied.

He does have limited wall space in the bathroom, and not enough maybe to conceal the total width of the door. I am ruling this out. He would possibly have to shrink the opening, disturbing custom paint and custom trim work. And while the cost of the hardware isn't prohibitive, he would probably have to buy a new door "slab."

2. What about a mini-French? Paired, hinged doors swinging inward, the phrase being borrowed from Dave's new brother-in-law.

I have never shopped for French doors this small. And I feel that if you could find them, they would carry a steep price tag. Considering the cost of the door unit (though another option may be a salvaged door cut in half) and needed modifications to the frame -- probably out.

3. Why not just make it right? Switch the basement door and the powder room door, frame and all.

While minimal cost in material, probably more work then he needs to commit to.

4. Why not just flip the hinge of the door to make it swing inward? This is the option Dave is leaning toward.

While obviously the least invasive, the abandoned mortises in the existing frame leave a problem (or is that a solution?) that may not be desirable for house of this age.

Still on the table.

5. Why not replace the door, frame and all? Buy a matching door unit and replace it so the door swings inward.

This is the option for Dave that I like the best. While there will be some "surgery" involved with removing the existing door. It can be done, and as long as he has retained the paint used in the vicinity, the door should be able to be matched at a cost that won't put a hurting on him.

Note for Dave -- Let's get interactive
Now, in almost all cases I would recommend using an experienced handyman to execute this fix. But being how I am all about imparting information, I'd like to write at least one of these procedures for you. I feel that my loyal readers (lol) would be interested. So Dave, please advise.

While you may not decide to tackle yourself, you may. And in having the information associated with it, you'll know exactly what to expect going in.

More Moxie:
From the first page of google results (Production Builder vs. Custom Builder):
http://ezinearticles.com/?Choosing-the-Right-Home-Builder-For-Your-New-Home&id=1535155

In honor of my new found editor who prefers to be known as anonymous: http://www.zappos.com/

A Quick DIY Inspection

2008-11-26T11:22:00.014-05:00

House Health
A short checklist prepared for Jeff B. (Lanham, MD)
9.08

Overview:
With the housing market as it is, some us may have opportunity and/or desire to take a look at a house that is on the market as a foreclosure. Unfortunately these kinds of sales are often "as is" sales and do not allow much time for a proper home inspection.

Note:
While this list in no way replaces a home inspection from a licensed professional, it does present a couple of things to look for from a guy that has bought and sold a couple of houses and who has done work on all of them.

Tools:
1. Digital camera, 2. Good flashlight (w/ fresh batteries), 3. Flat head and Phillips head screw drivers 4. Mold testing sticks (available at Home Depot for few bucks)

Note to Jeff B.: This assumes that you have seen the house, and are happy with its (potential) make-up: Number of bedrooms, number of baths and the condition all; etc. This also assumes house has public water and sewage.

For lots of reasons, make sure that the main house water and power supplies are on or can be turned on!

Basement:
Start in the Basement.
For the most bang for your buck, try to find the mechanical room.

Locate furnace/boiler, hot water heater, etc. Labels on most tell when an appliance was manufactured or installed (part of the serial numbers sometimes). Check on the inside of covers, in breaker box, etc for as much information as possible.

-- Try to the note, if you can, the type of plumbing supply lines. If it has (smaller tubing) copper, plastic good – silver galvanized steel or iron bad (will eventually need to be replaced and not to be confused with galvanized (most times black) gas lines).

-- Try to note, if you can, type of electrical wiring – This probably won’t be an issue considering age of the house. But you want to see modern “Romex” wiring (term misleading for number of reasons, but don’t worry about that here).

-- Look up. Try to locate some exposed floor joints near outside walls. Inspect for noticeable termite damage. If you see signs of termite treatment, that is good. (Anyway, even if you don’t see damage – or if you do not have any reason to believe there is a problem, still might be a good idea to budget in the near future for a professional treatment $800 to $1200.)

-- If you can see the foundation, do a visual inspection. Try to note type. Long vertical cracks can be bad especially if you see anything that would indicate water penetration (discoloring, mold, dirt, soil, clay, etc.) Foundation cracks may not be the end of the world, but look for areas where the material has shifted out of plane (could indicate a structural issue).

-- In general, look for signs of water damage/penetration, etc. – signs listed above. Is there a sump pump, does it work? If yes, this is good.

Roof:
Try to head to the top floor and look up at the underside of the roof.
Are there any signs of water damage? Moisture, discoloration, etc?

Interior:
-- Check a couple of the plumbing fixtures, under sinks, etc. Are there signs of bad pressure, leaks or anything like that? Rusty or dirty water may not be the end of the world – especially if the house isn’t occupied.

-- Do any of the floors show signs of “significant” deflection? Dips bigger than an inch?

-- Does Heat and Air Condition work?

-- Are there any extremely large cracks in walls?

-- Check a couple of windows and a couple of doors to make sure they open and shut and lock, etc.

Use your common sense. Note anything unusual.

Outside:
--Quick visual inspection of the roof, siding, and the trim around it –
You can tell a lot from looking at the roof from the ground. Missing shingles, aluminum/vinyl siding and trim – sure signs of water entry.

-- If there is an air conditioning compressor – check its sticker.

-- Check the grade around the house. You want fall away from the house and the first floor separated from the earth. These are good things for many reasons.

Good Luck. Checking these things out can help you prepare for a lot of things.

Check back with me at BuildingMoxie.com if you have further questions or pictures to provide.

building a smart chase for a split system ac lines

2008-11-26T10:52:00.008-05:00

Requested by John S. (Fells Point, Baltimore) 4.08

Procedure -- Padding Pass-thru Attic
Prepared for John S.
April 1, 2008

Estimated project time – 4 to 5 hours

Material
(5) 2x4x92 5/8 (if cost dictates)
2 1/2 inch deck mate screws
16d framing nails
Drywall (enough for patch)
1 1/4 to 1 5/8 in. drywall screws
(2) 1 1/4 inch drywall corner bead – 8ft lengths
1 3/8 drywall nails
1 tube liquid nails
Caulk gun
Drywall Mud
Drywall Tape

Tools
Hammer
Aviator Snips
4’ level
Punch/Keyhole/Drywall Saw
Utility Knife
Tape Measure
Pencil
Miter or Circular Saw
Screw Gun
Sawzall
Drywall Tools

Steps
1. Remove corner beads from horizontal surface and top most portions (8” from top) on verticals on pass thru opening. (You may have to cut the corner bead on side with Aviator snips) Do this by hitting outside corners of drywall with hammer/hammer claw to crack existing drywall mud. Locate corner bead fasteners, either screws or nails and take appropriate action to remove (be conscious of sharp edges on metal corner bead). Discard.

2. Attempt to identify beam material by viewing the exposed corner

3. On Anne Street side of knee wall – cut and remove drywall – entire section from floor to knee wall cap – measure approximately 8” (or where you are certain no framing exists) over from corner made on Eastern Ave. side of the house. Start this process by making a plumb line with a level – 8” inches in from the corner. Then score both this line and the corner with your utility knife. (In the corner you actually want to cut the paper.) Cut the drywall along the line you made using the hand held drywall knife. Cut with knife held on angle while remaining conscious of both wiring and the top and bottom horizontal plates of the wall. If you are nervous about this, flip the breaker off before you begin. Your goal here is to make this cut as plumb and perfect as possible. This will facilitate easy repair later. You may have to remove some screws before you remove drywall. If you are neat about this task, we can re-use, otherwise discard drywall.

4. Frame ladder that will pad beam downward. Well, you saw how we constructed a ladder before. I would choose to assemble with screws, and be conscious of the fact that drywall will cause this opening to finish a ½ inch lower. The only note I have on its construction is this– when installing the “cripple” studs that will make up the ladder rungs. Turn the studs perpendicular to the rails and install on the outside edge of the rail. In other words, turn the stud so the wider 3 ½ inch side provides the face for screwing mounting bracket, drywall, etc. On the Wolfe Street side of the ladder, space all cripples at 16” oc. with two being 8” from either side of your center point. On the opposite side, (Anne Street Side) 16” on center and turned, but “staggered” from those found on the Wolfe Street side. They should NOT line up. You will be using twice as many rungs, yes, but with studs turned and staggered; you will give Mike an area to weave his Freon lines through. If you follow – good, if not - ask.

5. Install ladder at top of pass thru. Try to hold the ladder exactly centered in this opening. This will give you a better finish on the drywall. If the beam (from step 2) is in fact dimensional lumber (not engineered lumber or steel) nail it to the top – you may have to improvise a way to hold it up there until you can get first couple of fasteners in. You can nail or screw, but if I were to come, we could shoot it in with my framing nailer. If the existing beam is engineered lumber and or steel – you should glue it at the top and nail to the sides. Be conscious of wiring for lights.

6. Build pocket for lines – This will occur on the Eastern Ave side of pass-thru. Despite what I said earlier, you are going to use 2x4s and span the width of the opening. In other words, the 3 ½ inch side will point at Wolfe & Anne (can’t figure a better way to put this). Cut to size and nail 1st 2x4 to the Eastern Avenue side of the opening. Next cut another to the same size and install 4 inches inward in the Bank Street direction. This will form your pocket. (Later we will in insulate for sound). Fasten using screws or nails – you might have to “toenail”. Screw the interior 2x4 at both the top and the bottom.

7. Use the Sawzall to cut out 2x4 stock that blocks our path – This is the same technique framers use when framing a doorway in a new wall. I want you to cut out the 2x4 that appears between the 2 studs in our line pocket (Step 6). It should essentially be a 4” length of 2x4 – With that Mike will have an unobstructed path in our framing. You are cutting out a portion of bottom rung in the “ladder” you just built, and a portion of the top plate in the knee wall that is already there. You can do this and get away with because the 2nd “interior” 2x4 in the “pocket” is now providing some “structure”. Later, we will come back and put another 2x4 and construction adhesive in the knee wall before we patch the drywall on the Anne Street side (step 3). It is the quickest way to pull this off – and trust me; this step will make you feel like a real construction dude.

8. Install new drywall and corner bead – Only on Wolfe side and bottom of the new framing. Let me know if you need some tips on this.

9. Finish newly installed drywall – Again let me know if you need some tips on this.

Note: When it came time for our hvac guy, Mike, to install the line set and condensate line, he did not use the horizontal portion of the chase described above (steps 4 and 5). He opted to poke thru the wall instead, and we will finish later with a manufacturer's specified trim kit. His reasoning; with the interior end of the split unit -- the lines and their connections to the unit must remain accessible for easy service.

More Moxie :
old house web : Ductless, Split-System Air-Conditioners