How to Turn a Window Into a Door | Ask This Old House 

In this video, This Old House carpenter Nathan Gilbert helps a pair of homeowners provide safe passage to the backyard for their children by replacing a double window with a sliding patio door and building a beautiful, low-maintenance deck.
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What good is a beautiful backyard if you don’t have a way to get into it? That’s what a pair of homeowners faced when they called the Ask This Old House team for help. Their beautiful home has a fenced-in backyard, but to gain access, the couple’s children would have to walk out the front of the home and through a garden gate.
Carpenter Nathan Gilbert Knew just how to help. He located a double window on the backside of the house that would be perfect for converting to a door. With the couple’s help, Nathan removed the old windows, wall paneling, and even some framing to make way so he could install a new sliding patio door. Here’s how he did it.
Difficulty: ⅗
Time: Several days
Cost: Around $1,500
Where to find it?
To remove the windows Nathan starts by scoring the paint around the window stops with a utility knife [homedepot.sjv....]. Then he uses a pry bar [homedepot.sjv....] and hammer [homedepot.sjv....] to pull off the window stops.
After removing the stops, remove the window sashes and the frame. Score along the paint line of the window trim with a utility knife. Use a pry bar and hammer to remove the window trim and the wall paneling under the window.
To remove the jamb, use a combination of prying tools and a reciprocating saw [homedepot.sjv....].
Self-adhesive flashing tape [homedepot.sjv....] provides an added layer of protection to the rough opening. Create a water-resistant seal by putting a layer of silicone sealant [homedepot.sjv....] along the edge of the flashing tape.
After fitting the door in place, support, and level the door with shims [homedepot.sjv....]. After checking that the door is level use screws [homedepot.sjv....] to secure it. Add flashing tape around the exterior border of the door with a ¼” overhang. Add Self-adhesive flashing tape to the exterior header.
If you have questions about your DIY door and window projects, speak with a The Home Depot associate through the Home Depot’s Millwork Virtual Apron program [homedepot.sjv....] for expert help and advice.
Products and Services provided by F.D. Sterritt Lumber Company [www.sterrittlu...] and MP Doors [mpdoors.com/].
Looking for more step by step guidance on how to complete projects around the house? Join This Old House Insider to stream over 1,000 episodes commercial-free: bit.ly/2GPiYbH
Materials:
2x6 lumber [homedepot.sjv....]
2x8 lumber [homedepot.sjv....]
1x6 lumber [homedepot.sjv....] (for balloon-framed homes)
Rubber membrane [homedepot.sjv.io/GmdOLn]
Silicone caulk [homedepot.sjv....]
New patio door [homedepot.sjv....]
Wood shims [homedepot.sjv....]
Wood screws [homedepot.sjv....]
Rubber flashing tape [homedepot.sjv....]
J-channel [homedepot.sjv....]
Tools:
Utility knife [homedepot.sjv....]
Hammer [homedepot.sjv....]
Pry bar [homedepot.sjv....]
Impact driver or drill [homedepot.sjv....]
Reciprocating saw [homedepot.sjv....]
Sledgehammer [homedepot.sjv....]
Caulking gun [homedepot.sjv....]
Level [homedepot.sjv....]
Oscillating multitool [homedepot.sjv....]
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About Ask This Old House TV:
From the makers of This Old House, America’s first and most trusted home improvement show, Ask This Old House answers the steady stream of home improvement questions asked by viewers across the United States. Covering topics from landscaping to electrical to HVAC and plumbing to painting and more. Ask This Old House features the experts from This Old House, including general contractor Tom Silva, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, landscape contractor Jenn Nawada, master carpenter Norm Abram, and host Kevin O’Connor. ASK This Old House helps you protect and preserve your greatest investment-your home.
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How to Turn a Window Into a Door | Ask This Old House
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