What’s your top frustration with hanging exterior doors?
Goodness knows there’s plenty to choose from, so we gathered a Top 10 list. What’s No. 1 on your list? Which one(s) did we leave out? See if any of these ring a bell:
- Out-of-square opening. Old houses that have settled and sagged are notorious for having out of square opening. It’s important to evaluate the opening earlier and order a door that will fit. But even if you do get a unit that fits, there may be plenty of “finessing” of the trim to blend in the old opening and the new square unit.
- Running short of flashing tape. You probably carry plenty of tape in the truck. But when you’re caught short of this must-have exterior door installation material, you better figure a trip to the store. No one needs to tell you how disruptive that is during the workday.
- Running short of spray foam. “Why is it always cold around the door?” Why risk questions like that on callbacks over a drafty door frame? Non-expanding foam sealant is about as handy and effective as it gets.
- Running short of caulk. Another tough one to fake or improvise if you run short.
- Wrong sealant. Yes, you can improvise with any-old caulk. But you may risk callbacks over incompatibility issues with the tape, window frame material, or paint.
- Running short of shims. Can you ever have too many shims?
- No rigid sill pan. Flashing tape makes a poor substitute for a rigid sill pan. The key word is “rigid” –a rigid sill pan slopes water away from areas vulnerable to rot and stands up to the impacts of foot traffic over the threshold. Unfortunately, not every building products supplier keeps them in stock.
- Too much to worry about. Keeping track of all these parts and pieces from project to project is time-consuming and adds complexity that can stifle profitability.
- Door dealer without installation materials. Some door dealers do sell just the doors and do not deal in the “consumables” that are necessary to complete the installation. That means another stop to pick up the needed materials. The trick to staying profitable is making this stop as efficient as possible.
- Bad weather delay. Some sealants, spray foams, or flash tapes aren’t cold- or wet-weather friendly. It’s important to select materials that can be installed in a wide range of temperatures and withstand wet installation conditions.
Even if you routinely restock your truck each night, it’s inevitable you’ll run short of installation material on occasion. The good news is, there’s a handy way to avoid trips to the building material supplier, compatibility issues, falling behind your competition, or installing out of compliance with the latest International Residential Code standards (IRC 2018 703.4.1.1): Ask your building products supplier to include an exterior door installation kit with each single, double, or sliding patio door order. The kit is instant peace of mind and offers you a leg up on every competitor that doesn’t offer this value-added plus.
Learn more about DAP Products Quick Kit for exterior door installation here.