Hi there,

Long story short, I live in a condo building on the first floor. The
backyard in this condo building is deeded to me but I currently do not
have direct access from my unit to the yard - I have to walk through a
common basement to get to it. I am in the process of getting building
permits to turn one my large bedroom windows into a door and build a
small deck and stairs so I can walk straight out of my bedroom to the
yard.

I have friends who have offered to build the deck part of it (they
have done this sort of thing before) but have no experience taking out
windows and putting in doors. The window is just large enough that it
doesn't need to be expanded to accomodate a door, but I will need a
professional to do it. The door will open to the outside, toward the
future deck.

What I am wondering is, will it make any difference which part gets
built first? Should I have the window turned into a door first before
attempting to build the deck part?

Thanks in advance for your advice.

In article . com,
wrote:

Hi there,

Long story short, I live in a condo building on the first floor. The
backyard in this condo building is deeded to me but I currently do not
have direct access from my unit to the yard - I have to walk through a
common basement to get to it. I am in the process of getting building
permits to turn one my large bedroom windows into a door and build a
small deck and stairs so I can walk straight out of my bedroom to the
yard.

I have friends who have offered to build the deck part of it (they
have done this sort of thing before) but have no experience taking out
windows and putting in doors. The window is just large enough that it
doesn't need to be expanded to accomodate a door, but I will need a
professional to do it. The door will open to the outside, toward the
future deck.

What I am wondering is, will it make any difference which part gets
built first? Should I have the window turned into a door first before
attempting to build the deck part?

Thanks in advance for your advice.

Hey, your subject line and the body of your post don't agree.

I know this is a first floor apartment, but I can't help thinking about
a cartoon character stepping out a door onto a non-existent deck.
Whatever you do, make sure you have a *complete plan* before you begin.
The deck and the door need to coexist peacefully.

On Oct 21, 11:45 pm, wrote:
Hi there,

Long story short, I live in a condo building on the first floor. The
backyard in this condo building is deeded to me but I currently do not
have direct access from my unit to the yard - I have to walk through a
common basement to get to it. I am in the process of getting building
permits to turn one my large bedroom windows into a door and build a
small deck and stairs so I can walk straight out of my bedroom to the
yard.

I have friends who have offered to build the deck part of it (they
have done this sort of thing before) but have no experience taking out
windows and putting in doors. The window is just large enough that it
doesn't need to be expanded to accomodate a door, but I will need a
professional to do it. The door will open to the outside, toward the
future deck.

What I am wondering is, will it make any difference which part gets
built first? Should I have the window turned into a door first before
attempting to build the deck part?

Thanks in advance for your advice.

I had a similiar situation except it was 2 double hung windows, side
by side, about 6' off the backyard. I could see the yard, but either
had to go out the front door and around the house or down the basement
steps (which also ended at the front of the house) and then through
the basement to get to the yard.

I built the deck first, 6' off the ground and then cut out the windows
and installed a sliding glass door. It was so much easier to work on
the door from both sides than to deal with a 6' drop outside the
opening. I finished the siding and completed the door installation and
then went back and finished the deck railings and stairs.

On Oct 22, 12:30 am, wrote:
On Sun, 21 Oct 2007 20:45:03 -0700, wrote:
Hi there,

Long story short, I live in a condo building on the first floor. The
backyard in this condo building is deeded to me but I currently do not
have direct access from my unit to the yard - I have to walk through a
common basement to get to it. I am in the process of getting building
permits to turn one my large bedroom windows into a door and build a
small deck and stairs so I can walk straight out of my bedroom to the
yard.

I have friends who have offered to build the deck part of it (they
have done this sort of thing before) but have no experience taking out
windows and putting in doors. The window is just large enough that it
doesn't need to be expanded to accomodate a door, but I will need a
professional to do it. The door will open to the outside, toward the
future deck.

What I am wondering is, will it make any difference which part gets
built first? Should I have the window turned into a door first before
attempting to build the deck part?

Thanks in advance for your advice.

Cut the door and finish it first. If you really think you will forget
and fall in the hole, put in a temporary set of steps.

- It is easier to make the deck match the door (right heaigt) than to
make the door match the deck.

If you can't determine the correct height of the deck before you
install the door, you shouldn't be attempting this project.

- It is also easier to get the door cut and threshold set without the
deck there

Why would it be easier to be restricted to working on one side of the
opening than to be able to work from both sides?
In addition, since the deck should be lower than the threshold to
account for rain, snow, leaves, etc. why would the deck make it harder
to cut the door and set the threshold?

wrote in message


What I am wondering is, will it make any difference which part gets
built first? Should I have the window turned into a door first before
attempting to build the deck part?

Thanks in advance for your advice.

Deck first. Makes doing the door MUCH easier.

On Oct 22, 1:03 am, DerbyDad03 wrote:
Why would it be easier to be restricted to working on one side of the
opening than to be able to work from both sides?
In addition, since the deck should be lower than the threshold to
account for rain, snow, leaves, etc. why would the deck make it harder
to cut the door and set the threshold?

Because standing and working at knee-to-waist height is easier than
working on your hands and knees at floor level, maybe? You put the
deck in first and you're restricted to crawling around on a hard,
rough deck surface to do the outside portion of the work. If this is
typical construction, the first floor is 2-3' above ground level.

On 22 Oct, 08:31, wrote:
On Oct 22, 1:03 am, DerbyDad03 wrote:

Why would it be easier to be restricted to working on one side of the
opening than to be able to work from both sides?
In addition, since the deck should be lower than the threshold to
account for rain, snow, leaves, etc. why would the deck make it harder
to cut the door and set the threshold?

Because standing and working at knee-to-waist height is easier than
working on your hands and knees at floor level, maybe? You put the
deck in first and you're restricted to crawling around on a hard,
rough deck surface to do the outside portion of the work. If this is
typical construction, the first floor is 2-3' above ground level.

At best, I'll grant you a 50-50 split. No deck makes the top of the
door/window 2 - 3 higher than it would otherwise be, assuming the
first floor is 2-3' above ground level. This would probably require
the use of a ladder that would not be required if the deck was already
there. On the other hand, the OP simply said "stairs" but didn't give
us a height, so we're both making assumptions.

In any case, 2 feet or 10, I would rather (and did) have a platform to
work of off. More time is spent up-right when removing a window and
installing a door than "crawling around on a hard, rough deck
surface".

wrote in message
ups.com...
Hi there,

What I am wondering is, will it make any difference which part gets
built first? Should I have the window turned into a door first before
attempting to build the deck part?

Thanks in advance for your advice.

Deck first. Will make working on the door (more finicky) much easier to do.

On Oct 22, 1:54 pm, "Mamba" wrote:
wrote in message

ups.com... Hi there,

What I am wondering is, will it make any difference which part gets
built first? Should I have the window turned into a door first before
attempting to build thedeckpart?

Thanks in advance for your advice.

Deckfirst. Will make working on the door (more finicky) much easier to do.

It is much easier to make the deck match the door. Besides, if you
build the door first you will have easier access to the deck project.

On 29 Oct, 17:42, wrote:
On Oct 22, 1:54 pm, "Mamba" wrote:

wrote in message

oups.com... Hi there,

What I am wondering is, will it make any difference which part gets
built first? Should I have the window turned into a door first before
attempting to build thedeckpart?

Thanks in advance for your advice.

Deckfirst. Will make working on the door (more finicky) much easier to do.

It is much easier to make the deck match the door. Besides, if you
build the door first you will have easier access to the deck project.

You're the second person to suggest that matching the deck to the door
is easier and I just don't get that.

As part of planning the project, you should be able to determine
exactly where the deck should be in relation to the door whether the
door is there or not. It's merely a matter of measuring correctly.

Then, once the deck is in place, you'll have a platform on both sides
to make the installation of the door much easier.

In article . com,
DerbyDad03 wrote:

On 29 Oct, 17:42, wrote:
On Oct 22, 1:54 pm, "Mamba" wrote:

wrote in message

oups.com... Hi there,

What I am wondering is, will it make any difference which part gets
built first? Should I have the window turned into a door first before
attempting to build thedeckpart?

Thanks in advance for your advice.

Deckfirst. Will make working on the door (more finicky) much easier to
do.

It is much easier to make the deck match the door. Besides, if you
build the door first you will have easier access to the deck project.

You're the second person to suggest that matching the deck to the door
is easier and I just don't get that.

As part of planning the project, you should be able to determine
exactly where the deck should be in relation to the door whether the
door is there or not. It's merely a matter of measuring correctly.

Then, once the deck is in place, you'll have a platform on both sides
to make the installation of the door much easier.

It seems to me that the deck will be easier to build if the door is
there, and the door will be easier to install if the deck is there.

I agree that planning is essential, and said so quite a while back. The
OP, IIRC, said he had friends who could help him build the deck, but
they didn't know how to install the door. I inferred, perhaps
incorrectly, that the OP might be planning to build the deck before he
even tried to figure out how to do the door. That approach is one many
of us wouldn't recommend.

Smitty Two wrote:
In article . com,
DerbyDad03 wrote:

On 29 Oct, 17:42, wrote:
On Oct 22, 1:54 pm, "Mamba" wrote:

wrote in message
ups.com... Hi there,
What I am wondering is, will it make any difference which part gets
built first? Should I have the window turned into a door first before
attempting to build thedeckpart?
Thanks in advance for your advice.
Deckfirst. Will make working on the door (more finicky) much easier to
do.
It is much easier to make the deck match the door. Besides, if you
build the door first you will have easier access to the deck project.
You're the second person to suggest that matching the deck to the door
is easier and I just don't get that.

As part of planning the project, you should be able to determine
exactly where the deck should be in relation to the door whether the
door is there or not. It's merely a matter of measuring correctly.

Then, once the deck is in place, you'll have a platform on both sides
to make the installation of the door much easier.

It seems to me that the deck will be easier to build if the door is
there, and the door will be easier to install if the deck is there.

I agree that planning is essential, and said so quite a while back. The
OP, IIRC, said he had friends who could help him build the deck, but
they didn't know how to install the door. I inferred, perhaps
incorrectly, that the OP might be planning to build the deck before he
even tried to figure out how to do the door. That approach is one many
of us wouldn't recommend.
You really need to do the door first, or at a minimum, leave off a
couple 3 or 4 deck boards by the wall where the door is. Proper
installation of a door includes flashing the sill, and it is awful hard
to do that if the deck is in the way. I see plenty of rotted-sill
exterior doors where they poured a porch first, making it impossible to
flash properly. Deck should be BELOW floor level slightly.

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