Thursday, October 4, 2012

A-Door-Able

Doors are such a simple thing. 
We take them for granted. 
Until they don't work right. 
Or at all.

This was the sad state of affairs once upon a time in this charming little bungalow.

 

We had two doors to the back yard.  Neither in good shape.  One permanently screwed shut because it would no longer latch or lock properly.  The other worked.  Barely.  It would open and close with a little "encouragement".  The lock wasn't anything to brag about.  Just about anyone could have taken those doors down with a kick or a good solid shoulder.

I had them replaced for security purposes a while back, but they still didn't work quite right.  They weren't plumb.  The framing wasn't rebuilt the way it should have been.  One would lock if you used the dead bolt, but the latch on the knob would never quite catch.  Even so, it was a HUGE improvement over what we had.  In function and certainly in security.

Last weeked we fixed all that.

We took out both doors, added framing to make them more secure.  Worked meticulously to ensure that they were both level and plumb - with the house and each other.  We also took out the framing around another doorway that sits perpendicular between these two and separates the starwell from the back hallway, which has helped open up very this small space.

Here's the progress:


Now they work like they should.  They lock properly. 
A little primer and paint and they'll be good as new!