I'm replacing a storm door and the opening is not a standard width. I have
a 30 1/4 opening and the smallest standard width door is for a 32" opening.
Don't want to spend the extra $150 to order a custom size. The door I have
purchased is aluminum clad over particle board with mitered caps around the
sides and top. (A Larson "wood-Core series" storm door).
Larson does not recommend cutting the door down, but I think they are being
overly conservative. I don't care about warranty. This door will be here
long after I'm gone.
I can remove the caps and plan to rip the door sides down. Then I'll
re-miter the top cap to make it shorter.
Any recommendations on what saw to use on the door? I have a 7 1/2 Skil saw
and a hand held scroll saw. Also have an 8' aluminum straight edge to serve
as a guide. Would probably take 5/8" off of each side and it would be
quicker with Skil saw but I'm concerned about what blade to use with the
alum/wood combo and how the finished cut would look. (even though it will
be covered by the replaced channel cap)
Would love to finish this project tomorrow so I don't have any "Honey-do"
projects pending for father's day.
Dustmaker wrote:
> I'm replacing a storm door and the opening is not a standard width. I have
> a 30 1/4 opening and the smallest standard width door is for a 32" opening.
> Don't want to spend the extra $150 to order a custom size. The door I have
> purchased is aluminum clad over particle board with mitered caps around the
> sides and top. (A Larson "wood-Core series" storm door).
<snip>
I'm surprised Larson doesn't carry a 30" width as it's not uncommon. I know
Anderson/Emco, Forever, Pella and a number of other manufactures do. I replaced
mine last year. In my case the width wasn't the problem. The height was.
--
Jack Novak
Buffalo, NY - USA
(Remove "SPAM" from email address to reply)
Dustmaker wrote:timer_manager.c
> I'm replacing a storm door and the opening is not a standard width. I have
> a 30 1/4 opening and the smallest standard width door is for a 32" opening.
> Don't want to spend the extra $150 to order a custom size. The door I have
> purchased is aluminum clad over particle board with mitered caps around the
> sides and top. (A Larson "wood-Core series" storm door).
>
> Larson does not recommend cutting the door down, but I think they are being
> overly conservative. I don't care about warranty. This door will be here
> long after I'm gone.
>
> I can remove the caps and plan to rip the door sides down. Then I'll
> re-miter the top cap to make it shorter.
>
> Any recommendations on what saw to use on the door? I have a 7 1/2 Skil saw
> and a hand held scroll saw. Also have an 8' aluminum straight edge to serve
> as a guide. Would probably take 5/8" off of each side and it would be
> quicker with Skil saw but I'm concerned about what blade to use with the
> alum/wood combo and how the finished cut would look. (even though it will
> be covered by the replaced channel cap)
>
> Would love to finish this project tomorrow so I don't have any "Honey-do"
> projects pending for father's day.
>
>
First off, I have one of these doors installed and really don't like it.
It never has any water on it except for the rare rain storm here in
central NM. The door is rotting out (rusting) in various places after
being in service for only about 6 years.
Anyhoo, the metal coating on these doors is very thin. You could try and
cut it in one pass with either a fine toothed (non carbide) circular saw
or scroll saw but I'd bet you would get a very rough edge. I would use
the circular saw with a fine tooth plywood blade (non-carbide!) and make
a pass on each side that just cuts through the metal. Follow by a full
cut of the interior wood. Pay close attention to how the hinge attaches
to the door. You want to be sure you can re-attach the hinge securly.
Also consider what you will do with the door knob/latch since it will
protrude 5/8" unless you relocate it inboard.
-Bruce
-----= Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News =-----
http://www.newsfeeds.com - The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World!
-----== Over 100,000 Newsgroups - 19 Different Servers! =-----
Bruce
Thanks for the quick reply and helpful suggestions.. I think my door might
be slightly different and fortunately the latch assembly is surface mount
and in a separate package. I will use the supplied template and drill holes
for it after the door is hung.
"BruceR" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> First off, I have one of these doors installed and really don't like it.
> It never has any water on it except for the rare rain storm here in
> central NM. The door is rotting out (rusting) in various places after
> being in service for only about 6 years.
>
> Anyhoo, the metal coating on these doors is very thin. You could try and
> cut it in one pass with either a fine toothed (non carbide) circular saw
> or scroll saw but I'd bet you would get a very rough edge. I would use
> the circular saw with a fine tooth plywood blade (non-carbide!) and make
> a pass on each side that just cuts through the metal. Follow by a full
> cut of the interior wood. Pay close attention to how the hinge attaches
> to the door. You want to be sure you can re-attach the hinge securly.
> Also consider what you will do with the door knob/latch since it will
> protrude 5/8" unless you relocate it inboard.
>
> -Bruce
>
>
>
> -----= Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News =-----
> http://www.newsfeeds.com - The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World!
> -----== Over 100,000 Newsgroups - 19 Different Servers! =-----
Got the job done! Cutting the door was easy and uneventful.
Used a 40tooth carbide tipped blade on the circular (Skil) saw to rip off
5/8" from each edge of the aluminum skinned wood core(particle board) door.
Clamped a 1x3 to use as a rip guide. Glad I wore safety glasses. Sawdust
(with metal) really poured back at me.
Trimming the Z bar header took longer than cutting the door. Used the
bandsaw for that.
"Nova" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Dustmaker wrote:
>
> > I'm replacing a storm door and the opening is not a standard width. I
have
> > a 30 1/4 opening and the smallest standard width door is for a 32"
opening.
> > Don't want to spend the extra $150 to order a custom size. The door I
have
> > purchased is aluminum clad over particle board with mitered caps around
the
> > sides and top. (A Larson "wood-Core series" storm door).
>
> <snip>
>
> I'm surprised Larson doesn't carry a 30" width as it's not uncommon. I
know
> Anderson/Emco, Forever, Pella and a number of other manufactures do. I
replaced
> mine last year. In my case the width wasn't the problem. The height was.
>
> --
> Jack Novak
> Buffalo, NY - USA
> (Remove "SPAM" from email address to reply)
>
>
In article <[email protected]>, BruceR <[email protected]>
wrote:
> First off, I have one of these doors installed and really don't like it.
> It never has any water on it except for the rare rain storm here in
> central NM. The door is rotting out (rusting) in various places after
> being in service for only about 6 years.
I don't like it either. I've got one that after only about 3 years (in
an admittedly harsh environment), started corroding out at one of the
bottom corners.
Larson agreed to replace the door under warrenty, but sent us a
different kind, with plastic cladding instead of the aluminum. The
cladding was cracked and broken when it arrived. They agreed to send us
yet another one, but by the time it showed up, I was sick of the project
and didn't like the plastic replatement anyway.
So, at this point, I've still got the original door up there, with the
corrosion in the corner. At some point, I'll just write the whole thing
off as a total loss and buy some other brand to replace it.
I won't buy another Larson product. We bought the door because we were
told Larson was a quality brand. I don't remember what we paid for it,
but it was near the top of the price range. So much for "you get what
you pay for".