[CompleteW&D]

I hope you guys don't get tired of all these custom sized door installs, but each one is unique in many respects and my customers have generally been through several contractors who told them no, it couldn't be done the way the wanted or needed it done. They are often frustrated and skeptical that I can in fact, do what I say we can do.

But the gratification of using a company like ProVia who CAN do just about anything I need and having installers who really care about their craft, well.... the thrill and feedback from these customers after we're done, is what makes this business really fun.

So, without further adieu, we begin.

Many homes built in this area in the late 1960's and early 1970's, have odd sized entry door systems. I have no idea why. Maybe it was exposure to all the aluminum wire that was the craze at that time, I don't know. But I love every minute of it because it's job security for me.

On this one, we started with a door that was a 42" wide steel smooth slab (that at one time had the raised plastic molding on the surface to make it "look" like panels of some sort) and no amount of filling, sanding and painting could get rid of the "evidence" of them being there. The sidelite also had some sort of privacy Plexiglas in it like another door we did recently.

The height was good on this one, but the rough opening width was 60." When you change to a standard 36" door, add in 2-1/4" (minimum) for vertical framing, that leaves you with an oversized sidelite (roughly 20-3/4") that no one wanted to touch. Even on a direct set sidelite like we used, no one wanted to do it.

A peak at the inside....

With very little door glass, the glass being up high with a large porch overhang and the privacy Plexiglas, it left very little light coming into the entry foyer. The customer wanted that changed in a BIG way. They still wanted privacy, but more light for sure.

Ok, the old door is out and we're getting ready to prep (MAN it's tough to get a good photo when your in a darker area shooting into sunlight, with my little point and shoot)....

Next up, prep and going back in with a GORGEOUS ProVia (custom in nearly every respect), SIGNET fiberglass entry door system.

:thumbsup:

 

[CompleteW&D]

Ok, once again the door is out and we're getting everything clean and prepped for setting the new entry door system.

We added some threshold sub sill and covered it with some compression foam adhesive threshold tape. This compression foam tape is designed for thresholds and eliminates the need for, or practice of using some type of silicone or sealant. No mater how good the sealant, you can never really be sure you get full coverage once you set the door. Eventually, it's going to dry out and be less effective too. None of those issues at all with the compression foam....

I'm not going to show all of the exterior cladding steps on this one, you've all seen them before. Suffice it to say, after configuring this door to fit the rough opening, the brickmold was also custom sized along with the jamb and BM cladding.... and pre-bent at the factory to fit the custom sizing all around. The one thing I DID do, was build the vertical mull width between the door and direct set sidelite to a full 2."

This did three things. First, it cut down the size of the direct set glass (thus reducing the cost a bit), second, it made the entire system a little structurally stronger (ok maybe not, but it didn't hurt) and third (and even more important in my feeble little mind) it gave a more uniform appearance across the entire door system on the verticals - each side frame, brickmold and the vertical mull.

Looks nice no?

All finished and trimmed out on the inside, including new custom stained Mahogany casing and mull strip cover. Still, a very high privacy rating on this glass (9 or 10 out of 10 I believe), but oh so MUCH more light....

And, finally.... as I was driving away, I was moved by just how nice this new entry door system really "popped" and drew your attention to the home.

I just love it. And, so did they!

:clap:

 

[Brian Peters]

Looks really good! Nothing like the feeling you get when you tear out something ugly and replace it with something beautiful..

 

[CompleteW&D]

Looks really good! Nothing like the feeling you get when you tear out something ugly and replace it with something beautiful..

Thanks Brian.... I can't take any credit for the work.... that's all on my talented guys. But I can take a "little" credit for knowing what ProVia can do for me and designing a new entry door system that actually fits the opening, rather than having to use something stock and needing to "make it fit" in the field.

You know, I forgot to mention that when I took these after pics earlier today, the homeowners went on and on about how much better the door sealed and how much warmer their entire foyer was, compared to their old door AND storm door.

We had WEEKS of below zero temperatures and wind chills, yet this new entry door system WITHOUT a storm door.... kept the entry way nice and toasty.

The NFRC numbers on this particular entry door system are:

Energy Performance Ratings -
- U-Factor: 0.21
- Solar Heat Gain Coefficient: 0.10
- Visible Transmittance: 0.17
- Energy Star: All Regions
- Qualifies for 2012/13 Tax Credit: YES

Pretty incredible considering all that glass if you ask me. :clap:

They also loved the privacy, yet all of the extra light. The Mrs. actually said she thought her husband had "left the door open" the first time when she came down the steps from the upper level, after we had installed it.

 

[CarpenterSFO]

John, thanks for the post. Behind all that shameless pimping :laughingfor which I hope that company rewards you with great prices) I appreciate the product knowledge, as I'm sure your customers do. Somehow I have to figure out how to roll that sort of knowledge into my business.

- Bob

 

[CarpenterSFO]

Nice work, well integrated inside and out. It can be tough to make a sidelight look good - fitting what's often an unusual opening, getting the width between the door and the sidelight, lots of trim questions, and a lot of manufactured sidelights have very light glass area.

 

[CompleteW&D]

Nice work, well integrated inside and out. It can be tough to make a sidelight look good - fitting what's often an unusual opening, getting the width between the door and the sidelight, lots of trim questions, and a lot of manufactured sidelights have very light glass area.

Thanks for your comments Bob. As a fellow contractor who's all about quality in everything he does, I always appreciate what you have to say.

I've said it before, but it's worth saying again. I suppose as a manufacturer, you have to make some sort of choice who you want to cater to. You can't be all things to all potential customers. I think ProVia was very smart when they decided to break away from the norm and cater to the remodeling side of our business. Especially with regard to being able to customize their products to a contractors needs.

Sure, a lot of other manufacturers think they cater to remodelers, and they do to the degree that they sell a lot of product, but when I want something the slightest bit different or out of the "norm" I get the deer in the headlights stare or a "no, we can't do that" every single time. from other manufacturers.

For example, I'm working with another customer right now with yet another 60" front entrance opening. Although, this one has a set of French doors that they want to change to a regular entry door with two sidelites. Now, it would be easy enough to do with a 32" door and two 12" sidelites. But, they don't WANT a 32" main entry door, they want 36" which is totally understandable.

Plus, they have a field stone exterior with a nasty caulk line around their existing entry. With, ProVia.... no worries. I can do 10" sidelites on the 36" door and I can do a 4-7/8" solid jamb depth (no jamb extension) to come out past the old caulk line and of course custom sizing all the brickmold (and all of the factory pre-bent jamb and brickmold cladding) to accommodate all of that field stone.

But, ProVia is a bit out of their price range and they aren't thrilled with ProVia's glass choices. So, I've been trying diligently to find another solution for them. I can get them ThermaTru, but no custom brickmold sizing, and no custom bending the exterior cladding. I was also told the jamb depth could be made to 4-7/8", but with a jamb extension, it won't be solid.

My Masonite rep, just shook his head no to the 10" sidelites and HELL no to anything other than a 4-9/16" or 6-9/16" jamb depth. I didn't even take it to the custom brickmold sizing and external cladding. Unfortunately, the Mrs likes one of the glass offerings from my Masonite distributor. :blink:

So, even though I don't want to.... I may walk away from this one.