Installing a Fire-Safe Entry Door

Two of the items on our "to do" list, stem way back to recommendations from our home inspection back in December 2010. Since they weren't immediate issues, they have been put off for far too long now. And while I would love to say that we got both things accomplished... I am here to report we crossed 1 item off the list... #4 Replace door into the garage and clam shell moulding.

The existing entry door was a regular interior door that was not cut to size at all. It was such a poor fit the that door would "wiggle" in its jamb if we left the garage door open when it was windy out. And I am convinced this is how flies would get into our house! While our inspector did comment on the poor fit, his main concern was that it was not a fire safe door and should ideally be replaced with a true exterior door.

Awhile back, Lowe's had a sale on 6 panel steel exterior doors. I think they were marked down to around $119. After taking measurements, Tim went back to the store with me to pick one up. Sadly, the door has sat in our back bedroom (soon to be nursery) since then. This entryway was also the only remaining clam shell moulding in the house as we replaced all the moulding with colonial moulding after we purchased it. Since I didn't take a picture of the ill fitting door... for a visual it is the door on the left side of this picture ( back when we did the garage floor).

So one Saturday while Tim was at a training, my dad and I tackled the door.  First thing we did was to remove the door from its hinges. Then we popped off the clam shell moulding with a crowbar.

This is the view from inside the house. 

 We had a few minor damage issues on the garage side when we removed the moulding but nothing a little paint and spackle couldn't fix.

Next, we removed the door jamb itself since my new door was a prehung door that came with a new jamb and threshold. Turns out, it was the original door jamb circa 1976.

Then we placed the new door into place. It was a tight fit but we made it work.

The door is pre-primed but unpainted in the picture above. We kept the same hardware as the original door. The threshold was higher on this door, creating a bit of a step-up into the house. We just used regular trim caulk to seal under the threshold for a smooth look.

Even though the door came pre-primed, I added a coat of primer after my last door painting incident. We used the same paint and primer as we did on that door since they are SO close together( as you can see in the picture above).

Here is what it looks with new moulding and paint on the door:

Inside view, garage view. 

I know it is just a plain white door so it isn't a very dramatic transformation. However, it has made an impact on both sounds in our house and our electric bill due to the increased insulation. So not the most "fun" project but one that was completely necessary.

Unfortunately, we still have more more door to replace, the door that leads from the garage to the side of the house. This door is going to be very difficult to replace due to how it was installed. It is a wooden door that swells in the jamb and gets stuck every time it rains.  While there are no immediate plans to replace it, it remains a standing to do item. I would love to put in a door with a window and add a homemade roman shade...someday!