Need some advice about home repair
June 16, 2010 6:06 PM Subscribe
So, Mr. Sunny and I need to get some work done on our house.
We need to replace the sliding glass door, probably with another sliding door. There is condensation in-between the panes.
Also, the sun has rotted the carpet at the door, which is south-facing, so we need to replace the flooring. We will probably install an engineered wood floor to replace the carpet.
Here is the question: Assuming we can get a new door the same size at the old one, should we replace the door before the flooring? Will this mean we will have to repair/patch the stucco, also?
Are there any other possible snowballing repairs that might occur? It seems like one repair always leads to many more...
Also, the sun has rotted the carpet at the door, which is south-facing, so we need to replace the flooring. We will probably install an engineered wood floor to replace the carpet.
Here is the question: Assuming we can get a new door the same size at the old one, should we replace the door before the flooring? Will this mean we will have to repair/patch the stucco, also?
Are there any other possible snowballing repairs that might occur? It seems like one repair always leads to many more...
General rule of thumb: floor (especially the finish) comes last. Because doing the floor won't effect the walls, in the way that doing the walls will effect the floor.
posted by StickyCarpet at 6:17 PM on June 16, 2010
posted by StickyCarpet at 6:17 PM on June 16, 2010
Response by poster: Thanks for the answers.
It's a solid concrete floor, so there will not likely be any sub-floor issues, lucky for us.
posted by annsunny at 7:33 PM on June 16, 2010
It's a solid concrete floor, so there will not likely be any sub-floor issues, lucky for us.
posted by annsunny at 7:33 PM on June 16, 2010
General rule of thumb: floor (especially the finish) comes last.
With the important caveat that the elevation of the final floor has important implications for how you install doors. Meaning, you need to have made your final flooring choices before you install the door, even if you then install the flooring later.
posted by Forktine at 9:57 PM on June 16, 2010 [1 favorite]
With the important caveat that the elevation of the final floor has important implications for how you install doors. Meaning, you need to have made your final flooring choices before you install the door, even if you then install the flooring later.
posted by Forktine at 9:57 PM on June 16, 2010 [1 favorite]
Why replace the sliding glass doors? If their structure is OK, and the only problem is condensation between the panes, you can have the glass replaced. It should be much cheaper and less invasive than replacing the doors. Check into the comparative costs and benefits of glass versus entire door replacement.
We had a condensation problem, and since we were planning to replace the glass in the doors, I decided to use my rotary tool to drill a pair of tiny holes in the glass, to let out the moisture. I practiced by drilling a glass bottle, and it worked fine.
When I was almost done with the hole in the glass door, I realized that it was tempered glass, and the whole thing shattered. A spectacular sight. So I had the glass replaced.
posted by mbarryf at 5:41 AM on June 17, 2010 [1 favorite]
We had a condensation problem, and since we were planning to replace the glass in the doors, I decided to use my rotary tool to drill a pair of tiny holes in the glass, to let out the moisture. I practiced by drilling a glass bottle, and it worked fine.
When I was almost done with the hole in the glass door, I realized that it was tempered glass, and the whole thing shattered. A spectacular sight. So I had the glass replaced.
posted by mbarryf at 5:41 AM on June 17, 2010 [1 favorite]
It's a solid concrete floor, so there will not likely be any sub-floor issues, lucky for us.
True, but you might have moisture issues. Are you sure it's sun damage? It's definitely possible that the flashing that should've been installed with the door was poorly done, or not done at all.
You should be able to get the same sized door, but it's also possible to fix the moisture problem. A friend had some sealed windows fail, and the company fixed it by drilling a hole through one of the panes and installing a gore-tex patch, which is vapor permeable, but not liquid. As mentioned above, not for tempered glass.
posted by electroboy at 7:00 AM on June 17, 2010
True, but you might have moisture issues. Are you sure it's sun damage? It's definitely possible that the flashing that should've been installed with the door was poorly done, or not done at all.
You should be able to get the same sized door, but it's also possible to fix the moisture problem. A friend had some sealed windows fail, and the company fixed it by drilling a hole through one of the panes and installing a gore-tex patch, which is vapor permeable, but not liquid. As mentioned above, not for tempered glass.
posted by electroboy at 7:00 AM on June 17, 2010
On the monetary side, I know both things are fairly expensive. Currently(ending Dec. 31 of 2010) there is a 30% tax credit for new windows and doors. I don't have a link handy, but I found info on the U.S. government's energystar website. You'll have to buy a door that's probably a bit more expensive up front, but getting 30% of that money back next april will save you money. If it's a circumstance where you can only afford to do one at the moment, that might be your decider.
posted by specialnobodie at 1:51 PM on June 17, 2010
posted by specialnobodie at 1:51 PM on June 17, 2010
Response by poster: We decided to just have the glass replaced. It's more economical, and all the windows in the house will still match. On the plus side, we can use coated glass, to prevent further damage.
I am fairly sure it's not moisture damage. We have vertical blinds on the outside of the frame, and the carpet is just completely rotted on the sunny side, not so much where the blinds shade the carpet. How would I check to see if it is water damage? It's completely dry there.
posted by annsunny at 1:17 PM on July 2, 2010
I am fairly sure it's not moisture damage. We have vertical blinds on the outside of the frame, and the carpet is just completely rotted on the sunny side, not so much where the blinds shade the carpet. How would I check to see if it is water damage? It's completely dry there.
posted by annsunny at 1:17 PM on July 2, 2010
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posted by labwench at 6:14 PM on June 16, 2010