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#1
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How to stop entry door leaks?
I have installed several prehung exterior steel entry doors over the last
few years, and virtually all of them have minor leaks somewhere around the bottom. The first was the entry door to our garage, which has now rotted and will need replacing this summer. Obviously, I don't want any other doors to rot like the first one, or worse yet cause structural damage to the buildings. I've tried to follow the best building practices I can, wrapping the wall felt into the door opening, applying flashing tape around the opening (bottom, sides, then top), caulking with high quality PL polyurethane caulking, etc. The exterior door frame is completely sealed and there's no possible way water is coming in around the exterior of the frame. As far as I can tell, the water comes in somewhere around the door sill at the bottom. I'm not positive, but I think the water runs down the sides of the door against the weatherstripping then along the crack between the metal sill and the the wood jambs. I've tried caulking these joints also, which has helped, but the water is still getting in somewhere. Unfortunately, there's no overhanging roof to protect most of the doors, and adding an external storm door is not an option either. I'm stumped. It shouldn't be this difficult to make a door water tight... Any ideas? Thanks, Anthony |
#2
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How to stop entry door leaks?
On Jan 22, 9:30*am, HerHusband wrote:
I have installed several prehung exterior steel entry doors over the last few years, and virtually all of them have minor leaks somewhere around the bottom. *The first was the entry door to our garage, which has now rotted and will need replacing this summer. Obviously, I don't want any other doors to rot like the first one, or worse yet cause structural damage to the buildings. I've tried to follow the best building practices I can, wrapping the wall felt into the door opening, applying flashing tape around the opening (bottom, sides, then top), caulking with high quality PL polyurethane caulking, etc. The exterior door frame is completely sealed and there's no possible way water is coming in around the exterior of the frame. As far as I can tell, the water comes in somewhere around the door sill at the bottom. I'm not positive, but I think the water runs down the sides of the door against the weatherstripping then along the crack between the metal sill and the the wood jambs. *I've tried caulking these joints also, which has helped, but the water is still getting in somewhere. Unfortunately, there's no overhanging roof to protect most of the doors, and adding an external storm door is not an option either. I'm stumped. It shouldn't be this difficult to make a door water tight... Any ideas? Thanks, Anthony A lot of my doors and windows have a piece of angle tacked above the top trim & it seems enough to make it drip away fro the door or window. The older ones are lead, or something really soft, but so long as it is metal it should work. Drip edge for roofing comes to mind. |
#3
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How to stop entry door leaks?
On Fri, 22 Jan 2010 15:30:21 +0000 (UTC), HerHusband wrote:
I have installed several prehung exterior steel entry doors over the last few years, and virtually all of them have minor leaks somewhere around the bottom. The first was the entry door to our garage, which has now rotted and will need replacing this summer. Obviously, I don't want any other doors to rot like the first one, or worse yet cause structural damage to the buildings. The problem isn't the door; it is drainage around it. It is obviously sitting in a puddle at times. Build up the soil around it so water flows away. You may have to put in a stoop or sculpt the lawn. |
#4
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How to stop entry door leaks?
On Jan 22, 10:43*am, AZ Nomad wrote:
On Fri, 22 Jan 2010 15:30:21 +0000 (UTC), HerHusband wrote: I have installed several prehung exterior steel entry doors over the last few years, and virtually all of them have minor leaks somewhere around the bottom. *The first was the entry door to our garage, which has now rotted and will need replacing this summer. Obviously, I don't want any other doors to rot like the first one, or worse yet cause structural damage to the buildings. The problem isn't the door; *it is drainage around it. *It is obviously sitting in a puddle at times. Build up the soil around it so water flows away. *You may have to put in a stoop or sculpt the lawn. Not build up the soil, but remove some of the soil! |
#5
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How to stop entry door leaks?
On 1/22/2010 9:30 AM, HerHusband wrote:
I have installed several prehung exterior steel entry doors over the last few years, and virtually all of them have minor leaks somewhere around the bottom. The first was the entry door to our garage, which has now rotted and will need replacing this summer. Obviously, I don't want any other doors to rot like the first one, or worse yet cause structural damage to the buildings. I've tried to follow the best building practices I can, wrapping the wall felt into the door opening, applying flashing tape around the opening (bottom, sides, then top), caulking with high quality PL polyurethane caulking, etc. The exterior door frame is completely sealed and there's no possible way water is coming in around the exterior of the frame. As far as I can tell, the water comes in somewhere around the door sill at the bottom. I'm not positive, but I think the water runs down the sides of the door against the weatherstripping then along the crack between the metal sill and the the wood jambs. I've tried caulking these joints also, which has helped, but the water is still getting in somewhere. Unfortunately, there's no overhanging roof to protect most of the doors, and adding an external storm door is not an option either. I'm stumped. It shouldn't be this difficult to make a door water tight... Any ideas? Thanks, Anthony Wind driven rain runs down the outside of a door to the threshold where it is supposed to flow down and off without entering the house. Unfortunately this is not always the case. Some finds it's way in around the door edges and weatherstripping. If it can't run in directly it may wick in through the smallest cracks. I believe this is a common problem that many people are unaware of because water soaks in under the flooring around the threshold and goes unnoticed until the problem becomes a major one. Two of my neighbors have the same problem. By the way we are all building are own houses and are living ln them as they are being completed. I found and corrected a few problems that would not have been very visible once the finishing had been completed. After a few unsuccessful attempts to stop the water leaking in, I ended up installing storm doors on all my outside doors. Not a drop of water on the floor after that. The storm doors keep the inside door warmer during the winter. They may eventually pay for themselves in reducing heat loos through the doors. LdB |
#6
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How to stop entry door leaks?
On Jan 22, 10:53*am, Eric in North TX wrote:
On Jan 22, 9:30*am, HerHusband wrote: I have installed several prehung exterior steel entry doors over the last few years, and virtually all of them have minor leaks somewhere around the bottom. *The first was the entry door to our garage, which has now rotted and will need replacing this summer. Obviously, I don't want any other doors to rot like the first one, or worse yet cause structural damage to the buildings. I've tried to follow the best building practices I can, wrapping the wall felt into the door opening, applying flashing tape around the opening (bottom, sides, then top), caulking with high quality PL polyurethane caulking, etc. The exterior door frame is completely sealed and there's no possible way water is coming in around the exterior of the frame. As far as I can tell, the water comes in somewhere around the door sill at the bottom. I'm not positive, but I think the water runs down the sides of the door against the weatherstripping then along the crack between the metal sill and the the wood jambs. *I've tried caulking these joints also, which has helped, but the water is still getting in somewhere. Unfortunately, there's no overhanging roof to protect most of the doors, and adding an external storm door is not an option either. I'm stumped. It shouldn't be this difficult to make a door water tight.... Any ideas? Thanks, Anthony A lot of my doors and windows have a piece of angle tacked above the top trim & it seems enough to make it drip away fro the door or window. The older ones are lead, or something really soft, but so long as it is metal it should work. Drip edge for roofing comes to mind.- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - When I built the shed shown below, I installed vinyl drip edge on the roof edges. When I looked at the trim above the doors, it looked like a place that could used some protection, so I installed a piece of drip edge on top of that and caulked the seam. When it rains, I can see the water dripping out away from the doors so it appears to be doing it's job. http://www.handyhome.com/kingston.htm |
#7
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How to stop entry door leaks?
On Fri, 22 Jan 2010 15:30:21 +0000 (UTC), HerHusband
wrote: As far as I can tell, the water comes in somewhere around the door sill at the bottom. I'm not positive, but I think the water runs down the sides of the door against the weatherstripping then along the crack between the metal sill and the the wood jambs. I've tried caulking these joints also, which has helped, but the water is still getting in somewhere. I say you are correct. Often door jambs are not prime/sealed at the bottom, so water wicks up into the wood. Caulking is best done when the door was/is installed, not as a fix later on. Exterior doors clean the sill, caulk along the jamb sides the width of the threshold. Run two 1/2 inch beads of silly-caulk the length of the threshold and set the door. Apply some foot pressure to seat (TH). Caulk lines (top view) ]================[ |
#8
Posted to alt.home.repair
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How to stop entry door leaks?
I have installed several prehung exterior steel entry doors over the
last few years, and virtually all of them have minor leaks somewhere around the bottom. The first was the entry door to our garage, which has now rotted and will need replacing this summer. Obviously, I don't want any other doors to rot like the first one, or worse yet cause structural damage to the buildings. The problem isn't the door; it is drainage around it. It is obviously sitting in a puddle at times. Three doors leak, none of which are anywhere close to the ground. 1. Garage entry door. Top is protected by a 12" roof overhang with a full gutter system. Bottom of door sill sits about 4" higher than the concrete walk in front of it. 2. Back door of house. Gable roof end only overhangs about 6" and is approximately 12' above the door. The sill of the door is roughly three feet off the ground with a wood landing about 6" below the door. 3. Front door at in-laws. Hip roof overhangs about 18", but no gutters installed. Door sill is roughly three feet off the ground with a wood landing about 6" below the door. In all cases, the only source of water would be windblown rain, or splashback from the deck/patio below the door. The doors can't be raised any higher and still comply with stair height codes. Anthony |
#9
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How to stop entry door leaks?
Wind driven rain runs down the outside of a door to the threshold
where it is supposed to flow down and off without entering the house. Unfortunately this is not always the case. Some finds it's way in around the door edges and weatherstripping. If it can't run in directly it may wick in through the smallest cracks. I believe this is a common problem that many people are unaware of because water soaks in under the flooring around the threshold and goes unnoticed until the problem becomes a major one. Two of my neighbors have the same problem. By the way we are all building are own houses and are living ln them as they are being completed. I found and corrected a few problems that would not have been very visible once the finishing had been completed. After a few unsuccessful attempts to stop the water leaking in, I ended up installing storm doors on all my outside doors. Not a drop of water on the floor after that. Yep, we had the same problem with the entry doors of our old mobile home. No amount of caulking would prevent the leaking, but a storm door did stop the water. Unfortunately, for a variety of reasons I do not want storm doors on the doors that are leaking. Especially for the garage and back doors where we're often hauling large objects in and out. My in-laws just splurged on a decorative door and don't want to cover it with a storm door. Anthony |
#10
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How to stop entry door leaks?
On Fri, 22 Jan 2010 22:55:47 +0000 (UTC), HerHusband wrote:
I have installed several prehung exterior steel entry doors over the last few years, and virtually all of them have minor leaks somewhere around the bottom. The first was the entry door to our garage, which has now rotted and will need replacing this summer. Obviously, I don't want any other doors to rot like the first one, or worse yet cause structural damage to the buildings. The problem isn't the door; it is drainage around it. It is obviously sitting in a puddle at times. Three doors leak, none of which are anywhere close to the ground. Then you need storm doors if rain is that intense. |
#11
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How to stop entry door leaks?
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#12
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How to stop entry door leaks?
Oren,
As far as I can tell, the water comes in somewhere around the door sill at the bottom. I'm not positive, but I think the water runs down the sides of the door against the weatherstripping then along the crack between the metal sill and the the wood jambs. I've tried caulking these joints also, which has helped, but the water is still getting in somewhere. Caulking is best done when the door was/is installed, not as a fix later on. Exterior doors clean the sill, caulk along the jamb sides the width of the threshold. Run two 1/2 inch beads of silly-caulk the length of the threshold and set the door. Apply some foot pressure to seat (TH). When I installed the doors I wrapped the wall felt into the door opening. Then I applied flexible door/window flashing tape along the bottom of the opening, extending it about 6" up the sides of the rough opening. Next, I applied the flashing tape along the sides of the opening, and finally along the top of the door. All layers overlapping in shingle fashion. Before setting the door in place, I ran three beads of caulking along the bottom of the rough opening, with a little extra along each side in the corners. I also ran a bead around the outside of the opening, so the brick moulding sealed against the sheathing when I fastened the door in place. After installing the siding, another layer of caulk was applied between the siding and brick moulding (top and sides). I also caulked all seams on the exterior door trim, jambs, etc. EXCEPT for the bottom of the door sill. This allows any water that might find it's way in to have a way to get out. The gap is covered by lower trim, so there's no way water can splash in from the outside. The beads of caulking under the door sill ensure any water that does end up under the door should go out and not into the building. Once the door was fully installed, I also caulked along the inside of the door sill, and about 12" up between the framing and door jamb on each side. The larger gaps up higher were filled with minimally expanding foam. On the outside of the door, I caulked the seams on each side where the metal sill meets the wood jambs. Despite all my efforts, water is still coming in somewhere (showing up as a small leak on the subfloor right in front of the door jamb, centered on the door opening). At first I thought it was water dripping off the bottom of the door when the door was opened, but my in-laws confirmed it shows up even when the door has been closed all night. In the future, I'm thinking of installing special sill flashing like www.jambsill.com, but that's of little help with the current doors. Anthony |
#13
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How to stop entry door leaks?
AZ Nomad wrote in
: On Fri, 22 Jan 2010 15:30:21 +0000 (UTC), HerHusband wrote: I have installed several prehung exterior steel entry doors over the last few years, and virtually all of them have minor leaks somewhere around the bottom. The first was the entry door to our garage, which has now rotted and will need replacing this summer. Obviously, I don't want any other doors to rot like the first one, or worse yet cause structural damage to the buildings. The problem isn't the door; it is drainage around it. It is obviously sitting in a puddle at times. Build up the soil around it so water flows away. You may have to put in a stoop or sculpt the lawn. Is it on an eave side where the water splashes up? If so, you need to stop the water from splashing or stop it from running off the roof so intensely. Mulch may be a quick half effort thing but that may get washed away and/or dragged in the garage and/or just look like crap. Can a rain diverter be put under the shingles above? Certainly would help minimize splashing. |
#14
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How to stop entry door leaks?
On Fri, 22 Jan 2010 17:30:22 -0600, Red Green wrote:
AZ Nomad wrote in : On Fri, 22 Jan 2010 15:30:21 +0000 (UTC), HerHusband wrote: I have installed several prehung exterior steel entry doors over the last few years, and virtually all of them have minor leaks somewhere around the bottom. The first was the entry door to our garage, which has now rotted and will need replacing this summer. Obviously, I don't want any other doors to rot like the first one, or worse yet cause structural damage to the buildings. The problem isn't the door; it is drainage around it. It is obviously sitting in a puddle at times. Build up the soil around it so water flows away. You may have to put in a stoop or sculpt the lawn. Is it on an eave side where the water splashes up? If so, you need to stop the water from splashing or stop it from running off the roof so intensely. Mulch may be a quick half effort thing but that may get washed away and/or dragged in the garage and/or just look like crap. Can a rain diverter be put under the shingles above? Certainly would help minimize splashing. They're called gutters. |
#15
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How to stop entry door leaks?
AZ Nomad wrote:
On Fri, 22 Jan 2010 17:30:22 -0600, Red Green wrote: AZ Nomad wrote in : On Fri, 22 Jan 2010 15:30:21 +0000 (UTC), HerHusband wrote: I have installed several prehung exterior steel entry doors over the last few years, and virtually all of them have minor leaks somewhere around the bottom. The first was the entry door to our garage, which has now rotted and will need replacing this summer. Obviously, I don't want any other doors to rot like the first one, or worse yet cause structural damage to the buildings. The problem isn't the door; it is drainage around it. It is obviously sitting in a puddle at times. Build up the soil around it so water flows away. You may have to put in a stoop or sculpt the lawn. Is it on an eave side where the water splashes up? If so, you need to stop the water from splashing or stop it from running off the roof so intensely. Mulch may be a quick half effort thing but that may get washed away and/or dragged in the garage and/or just look like crap. Can a rain diverter be put under the shingles above? Certainly would help minimize splashing. They're called gutters. Actually, they are called roofs or awnings. This is one of the things we lost when deep covered porches went away. Exterior doors really need an overhang over them. They also need a step down in front of them, so there is no ponding at threshold level. My garage service door has same problem, but I won't replace it until I figure out how to lay some pavers in front of it a couple inches lower than threshold level, and maybe also add a little eyebrow awning over it that doesn't look TOO tacky. Front door needs a roof too, but short of adding an actual dormer to the house roof, no way to do it that would look right. Top of door is only a couple inches below the soffit. Overhangs on that part of the house are only 18" or so, instead of the 36" they should have been. -- aem sends... |
#16
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How to stop entry door leaks?
AZ Nomad wrote in
: On Fri, 22 Jan 2010 17:30:22 -0600, Red Green wrote: AZ Nomad wrote in : On Fri, 22 Jan 2010 15:30:21 +0000 (UTC), HerHusband wrote: I have installed several prehung exterior steel entry doors over the last few years, and virtually all of them have minor leaks somewhere around the bottom. The first was the entry door to our garage, which has now rotted and will need replacing this summer. Obviously, I don't want any other doors to rot like the first one, or worse yet cause structural damage to the buildings. The problem isn't the door; it is drainage around it. It is obviously sitting in a puddle at times. Build up the soil around it so water flows away. You may have to put in a stoop or sculpt the lawn. Is it on an eave side where the water splashes up? If so, you need to stop the water from splashing or stop it from running off the roof so intensely. Mulch may be a quick half effort thing but that may get washed away and/or dragged in the garage and/or just look like crap. Can a rain diverter be put under the shingles above? Certainly would help minimize splashing. They're called gutters. Gutters are another option. What I was mentioning is the strip that under the shingles a few rows up and slants to one side. But if wind driven rain against the door is the root cause, none of that will help. As mentioned, storm door. |
#17
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How to stop entry door leaks?
"HerHusband" wrote in message
... Oren, As far as I can tell, the water comes in somewhere around the door sill at the bottom. I'm not positive, but I think the water runs down the sides of the door against the weatherstripping then along the crack between the metal sill and the the wood jambs. I've tried caulking these joints also, which has helped, but the water is still getting in somewhere. Caulking is best done when the door was/is installed, not as a fix later on. Exterior doors clean the sill, caulk along the jamb sides the width of the threshold. Run two 1/2 inch beads of silly-caulk the length of the threshold and set the door. Apply some foot pressure to seat (TH). When I installed the doors I wrapped the wall felt into the door opening. Then I applied flexible door/window flashing tape along the bottom of the opening, extending it about 6" up the sides of the rough opening. Next, I applied the flashing tape along the sides of the opening, and finally along the top of the door. All layers overlapping in shingle fashion. Before setting the door in place, I ran three beads of caulking along the bottom of the rough opening, with a little extra along each side in the corners. I also ran a bead around the outside of the opening, so the brick moulding sealed against the sheathing when I fastened the door in place. After installing the siding, another layer of caulk was applied between the siding and brick moulding (top and sides). I also caulked all seams on the exterior door trim, jambs, etc. EXCEPT for the bottom of the door sill. This allows any water that might find it's way in to have a way to get out. The gap is covered by lower trim, so there's no way water can splash in from the outside. The beads of caulking under the door sill ensure any water that does end up under the door should go out and not into the building. Once the door was fully installed, I also caulked along the inside of the door sill, and about 12" up between the framing and door jamb on each side. The larger gaps up higher were filled with minimally expanding foam. On the outside of the door, I caulked the seams on each side where the metal sill meets the wood jambs. Despite all my efforts, water is still coming in somewhere (showing up as a small leak on the subfloor right in front of the door jamb, centered on the door opening). At first I thought it was water dripping off the bottom of the door when the door was opened, but my in-laws confirmed it shows up even when the door has been closed all night. In the future, I'm thinking of installing special sill flashing like www.jambsill.com, but that's of little help with the current doors. Anthony Is the door closing TIGHT ??? I had that problem on 1 door out of the 4 I installed and I moved the latch in a bit to hold the door closed tighter and it is fine now...HTH.... |
#18
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How to stop entry door leaks?
On Fri, 22 Jan 2010 23:25:47 +0000 (UTC), HerHusband
wrote: Despite all my efforts, water is still coming in somewhere (showing up as a small leak on the subfloor right in front of the door jamb, centered on the door opening). At first I thought it was water dripping off the bottom of the door when the door was opened, but my in-laws confirmed it shows up even when the door has been closed all night. Does this door have a transom window above and/or side lights at the door? Water can travel, even along an outside light that needs a little caulk around the edge trim. A picture of your trouble spots, perhaps? Post @ http://tinypic.com/ |
#19
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How to stop entry door leaks?
HerHusband wrote:
In the future, I'm thinking of installing special sill flashing like www.jambsill.com, but that's of little help with the current doors. Anthony I could have used one of those before installing my garage entry door. Only a problem with wind driven rain, but it only takes a very light wind. |
#20
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How to stop entry door leaks?
I took a PDH in waterproofing a few years ago and the main point was you don't stop water, you redirect it. - = - Vasos Panagiotopoulos, Columbia'81+, Reagan, Mozart, Pindus, BioStrategist http://www.panix.com/~vjp2/vasos.htm http://www.facebook.com/vasjpan2 ---{Nothing herein constitutes advice. Everything fully disclaimed.}--- [Homeland Security means private firearms not lazy obstructive guards] [Urb sprawl confounds terror] [Phooey on GUI: Windows for subprime Bimbos] |
#21
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How to stop entry door leaks?
Is the door closing TIGHT ??? I had that problem on 1 door out of the
4 I installed and I moved the latch in a bit to hold the door closed tighter and it is fine now...HTH.... The garage entry door is a little looser, which may have accelerated it's demise. But, the other doors fit tightly against the weatherstripping. Anthony |
#22
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How to stop entry door leaks?
Does this door have a transom window above and/or side lights at the
door? Water can travel, even along an outside light that needs a little caulk around the edge trim. There are no transoms or side lights around the door. Just your basic prehung steel entry door mounted in a wall. Anthony |
#23
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How to stop entry door leaks?
"Tony" wrote in message
... HerHusband wrote: In the future, I'm thinking of installing special sill flashing like www.jambsill.com, but that's of little help with the current doors. Anthony I could have used one of those before installing my garage entry door. Only a problem with wind driven rain, but it only takes a very light wind. We have wind driven rain A LOT here on the coast of Maine and even the cheap doors I bought a Homedepot do not leak even though I don't have them flashed or the siding on yet...I think you need to talk to a pro and have him look it over...No offense , but you obviously messed up something on the install as everyone you did leaks......If it were just one in a specific location it would be one thing but that is not the case... |
#24
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How to stop entry door leaks?
benick wrote:
Is the door closing TIGHT ??? I had that problem on 1 door out of the 4 I installed and I moved the latch in a bit to hold the door closed tighter and it is fine now...HTH.... How do you move the latch in a bit? And by latch I assume you mean the strike plate. I'm guessing you need to redrill the mounting holes for the strike plate, no? |
#25
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How to stop entry door leaks?
"Patrick Karl" wrote in message
... benick wrote: Is the door closing TIGHT ??? I had that problem on 1 door out of the 4 I installed and I moved the latch in a bit to hold the door closed tighter and it is fine now...HTH.... How do you move the latch in a bit? And by latch I assume you mean the strike plate. I'm guessing you need to redrill the mounting holes for the strike plate, no? Yep...Filled them in with toothpicks and Elmer's and started over again..Didn't move it much..Perhaps an eighth...Made a world of difference though... |
#26
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How to stop entry door leaks?
On Sat, 23 Jan 2010 21:05:56 -0500, "benick"
wrote: "Patrick Karl" wrote in message ... benick wrote: Is the door closing TIGHT ??? I had that problem on 1 door out of the 4 I installed and I moved the latch in a bit to hold the door closed tighter and it is fine now...HTH.... How do you move the latch in a bit? And by latch I assume you mean the strike plate. I'm guessing you need to redrill the mounting holes for the strike plate, no? Yep...Filled them in with toothpicks and Elmer's and started over again..Didn't move it much..Perhaps an eighth...Made a world of difference though... Golf Tees (hardwood) work great. Drill the larger hole, tap the tee in with small hammer and cut with a utility knife. You can also use glue, so let it dry. |
#27
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How to stop entry door leaks?
benick wrote:
"Tony" wrote in message ... HerHusband wrote: In the future, I'm thinking of installing special sill flashing like www.jambsill.com, but that's of little help with the current doors. Anthony I could have used one of those before installing my garage entry door. Only a problem with wind driven rain, but it only takes a very light wind. We have wind driven rain A LOT here on the coast of Maine and even the cheap doors I bought a Homedepot do not leak even though I don't have them flashed or the siding on yet...I think you need to talk to a pro and have him look it over...No offense , but you obviously messed up something on the install as everyone you did leaks......If it were just one in a specific location it would be one thing but that is not the case... Huh??? Every door I installed leaks? Where did you get your information? I've only installed one steel entry door in my life. When the wind blows the rain to the area where the weather striping touches the steel door, it gets wicked in between the two and flows down and runs both inside and outside. The door opens into the garage so the water wicked between the door and the weather stripping is already on the inside part of the jamb. Now where are all the others I did? |
#28
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How to stop entry door leaks?
"Oren" wrote in message
... On Sat, 23 Jan 2010 21:05:56 -0500, "benick" wrote: "Patrick Karl" wrote in message ... benick wrote: Is the door closing TIGHT ??? I had that problem on 1 door out of the 4 I installed and I moved the latch in a bit to hold the door closed tighter and it is fine now...HTH.... How do you move the latch in a bit? And by latch I assume you mean the strike plate. I'm guessing you need to redrill the mounting holes for the strike plate, no? Yep...Filled them in with toothpicks and Elmer's and started over again..Didn't move it much..Perhaps an eighth...Made a world of difference though... Golf Tees (hardwood) work great. Drill the larger hole, tap the tee in with small hammer and cut with a utility knife. You can also use glue, so let it dry. Yea , I saw that in the other door thread and already have it stored in the memory banks...LOL... |
#29
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How to stop entry door leaks?
"Tony" wrote in message
... benick wrote: "Tony" wrote in message ... HerHusband wrote: In the future, I'm thinking of installing special sill flashing like www.jambsill.com, but that's of little help with the current doors. Anthony I could have used one of those before installing my garage entry door. Only a problem with wind driven rain, but it only takes a very light wind. We have wind driven rain A LOT here on the coast of Maine and even the cheap doors I bought a Homedepot do not leak even though I don't have them flashed or the siding on yet...I think you need to talk to a pro and have him look it over...No offense , but you obviously messed up something on the install as everyone you did leaks......If it were just one in a specific location it would be one thing but that is not the case... Huh??? Every door I installed leaks? Where did you get your information? I've only installed one steel entry door in my life. When the wind blows the rain to the area where the weather striping touches the steel door, it gets wicked in between the two and flows down and runs both inside and outside. The door opens into the garage so the water wicked between the door and the weather stripping is already on the inside part of the jamb. Now where are all the others I did? Sorry for the brain fart , I was responding to the OP... Quote from the OP... "I have installed several prehung exterior steel entry doors over the last few years, and virtually all of them have minor leaks somewhere around the bottom. The first was the entry door to our garage, which has now rotted and will need replacing this summer. Obviously, I don't want any other doors to rot like the first one, or worse yet cause structural damage to the buildings" End quote....I should have said...To the OP... |
#30
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How to stop entry door leaks?
"benick" wrote in message
... "Patrick Karl" wrote in message ... benick wrote: Is the door closing TIGHT ??? I had that problem on 1 door out of the 4 I installed and I moved the latch in a bit to hold the door closed tighter and it is fine now...HTH.... How do you move the latch in a bit? And by latch I assume you mean the strike plate. I'm guessing you need to redrill the mounting holes for the strike plate, no? Yep...Filled them in with toothpicks and Elmer's and started over again..Didn't move it much..Perhaps an eighth...Made a world of difference though... Forgot to add that I did have to egg out the mortise (?) a bit with a sharp utility knife...It wasn't enough to notice though as the other side is covered by the strike... |
#31
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How to stop entry door leaks?
We have wind driven rain A LOT here on the coast of Maine and even the
cheap doors I bought a Homedepot do not leak even though I don't have them flashed or the siding on yet...I think you need to talk to a pro and have him look it over...No offense , but you obviously messed up something on the install as everyone you did leaks......If it were just one in a specific location it would be one thing but that is not the case... No offense taken, but we built our own house, garage, several remodeling projects at my in-laws, installed numerous windows, doors, etc. Installing an entry door isn't exactly rocket science, and I've researched and followed every recommended guideline I can find. I can't imagine a "pro" would have done anything different than I did, and probably wouldn't have taken the time to be as thorough. It is something of a mystery, so I'm going to try tightening the latch up this afternoon to see if that will help. By the way, the water seeps in under the door sill on the subfloor. If you already have a finished floor installed, you would probably never see it leaking... Anthony |
#32
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How to stop entry door leaks?
HerHusband wrote:
.... Unfortunately, for a variety of reasons I do not want storm doors on the doors that are leaking. Especially for the garage and back doors where we're often hauling large objects in and out. My in-laws just splurged on a decorative door and don't want to cover it with a storm door. Well, you can solve the problem or replace the sills over and over, your choice... There are full-exposure s-doors that won't hide the face of the inner door if that is a requirement. W/O pictures including installation details it's hard to make any specific conjecture but I'd say the likely culprit is there is no slope outward so water stays where it lands rather than drains. As well, capillary action may be pulling some under the sill if there is any small crack at all. Depending on where and how they were caulked, it (the caulk) may be server more as a drainage dam than as a sealant. -- |
#33
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How to stop entry door leaks?
HerHusband wrote:
We have wind driven rain A LOT here on the coast of Maine and even the cheap doors I bought a Homedepot do not leak even though I don't have them flashed or the siding on yet...I think you need to talk to a pro and have him look it over...No offense , but you obviously messed up something on the install as everyone you did leaks......If it were just one in a specific location it would be one thing but that is not the case... No offense taken, but we built our own house, garage, several remodeling projects at my in-laws, installed numerous windows, doors, etc. Installing an entry door isn't exactly rocket science, and I've researched and followed every recommended guideline I can find. I can't imagine a "pro" would have done anything different than I did, and probably wouldn't have taken the time to be as thorough. It is something of a mystery, so I'm going to try tightening the latch up this afternoon to see if that will help. By the way, the water seeps in under the door sill on the subfloor. If you already have a finished floor installed, you would probably never see it leaking... Anthony If the water is coming in UNDER the threshhold, that is probably where the problem is. Can't see your door from here, but I suspect improperly installed flashing, or the threshold is sitting higher than you thought and did not get bedded in the caulk. Sometimes you need to add something to the sill of the rough opening. And how much drop is there from the front edge of threshold to the porch surface outside? If it is less than a couple of inches any 'sheeting' rain that get blown against door will get in there. (A common problem when people add slate or faux brick to an existing porch.) Short of a remove and reinstall, you could always drill through the threshold (in dry weather), and pump the cavity below full of silicone sealant. Unless maybe some of the threshold trim is removable, and you can get access that way. -- aem sends... |
#34
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How to stop entry door leaks?
"HerHusband" wrote in message
... We have wind driven rain A LOT here on the coast of Maine and even the cheap doors I bought a Homedepot do not leak even though I don't have them flashed or the siding on yet...I think you need to talk to a pro and have him look it over...No offense , but you obviously messed up something on the install as everyone you did leaks......If it were just one in a specific location it would be one thing but that is not the case... No offense taken, but we built our own house, garage, several remodeling projects at my in-laws, installed numerous windows, doors, etc. Installing an entry door isn't exactly rocket science, and I've researched and followed every recommended guideline I can find. I can't imagine a "pro" would have done anything different than I did, and probably wouldn't have taken the time to be as thorough. It is something of a mystery, so I'm going to try tightening the latch up this afternoon to see if that will help. By the way, the water seeps in under the door sill on the subfloor. If you already have a finished floor installed, you would probably never see it leaking... Anthony The 2 in the garage and the one in the basement I would and the one in the kitchen was without trim or finished floor for quite a while as I was doing it on just weekends when not working..Actually it was the kitchen door that I had the leak in that I fixed by adjusting the strike as was recommended by a carpenter I do alot of drywall work for..You know , one of those pro's that do **** work and just rip folks off.......Like I said you have something going on that we can't diagnosis without seeing it which is why I said have a pro look at it....But if your already better at it than somebody that does it DAILY and has to pay for damages caused by leaks than I guess we are done here......Good Luck...... |
#35
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How to stop entry door leaks?
On Sun, 24 Jan 2010 16:24:53 +0000 (UTC), HerHusband
wrote: Installing an entry door isn't exactly rocket science, and I've researched and followed every recommended guideline I can find. I can't imagine a "pro" would have done anything different than I did, and probably wouldn't have taken the time to be as thorough. I had some tutelage from a pro. A two man crew. We hauled a LARGE picture window up the scaffold. Set the window with a couple of fasteners. The more I looked I figured out what was wrong. The window was upside down and weep holes were on top. Also it is easy to think you have the flashing/wrap tucked correctly. In such a case I found it before the (another) window was set. The *moist wrap* on one side was lapped wrong, so water would get behind it - eventually. Point being? The leak is right in front of you! |
#36
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How to stop entry door leaks?
benick wrote:
"Tony" wrote in message ... benick wrote: "Tony" wrote in message ... HerHusband wrote: In the future, I'm thinking of installing special sill flashing like www.jambsill.com, but that's of little help with the current doors. Anthony I could have used one of those before installing my garage entry door. Only a problem with wind driven rain, but it only takes a very light wind. We have wind driven rain A LOT here on the coast of Maine and even the cheap doors I bought a Homedepot do not leak even though I don't have them flashed or the siding on yet...I think you need to talk to a pro and have him look it over...No offense , but you obviously messed up something on the install as everyone you did leaks......If it were just one in a specific location it would be one thing but that is not the case... Huh??? Every door I installed leaks? Where did you get your information? I've only installed one steel entry door in my life. When the wind blows the rain to the area where the weather striping touches the steel door, it gets wicked in between the two and flows down and runs both inside and outside. The door opens into the garage so the water wicked between the door and the weather stripping is already on the inside part of the jamb. Now where are all the others I did? Sorry for the brain fart , I was responding to the OP... Quote from the OP... "I have installed several prehung exterior steel entry doors over the last few years, and virtually all of them have minor leaks somewhere around the bottom. The first was the entry door to our garage, which has now rotted and will need replacing this summer. Obviously, I don't want any other doors to rot like the first one, or worse yet cause structural damage to the buildings" End quote....I should have said...To the OP... OK, I'm over it. **** happens. |
#37
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How to stop entry door leaks?
"Oren" wrote in message
... On Sun, 24 Jan 2010 16:24:53 +0000 (UTC), HerHusband wrote: Installing an entry door isn't exactly rocket science, and I've researched and followed every recommended guideline I can find. I can't imagine a "pro" would have done anything different than I did, and probably wouldn't have taken the time to be as thorough. I had some tutelage from a pro. A two man crew. We hauled a LARGE picture window up the scaffold. Set the window with a couple of fasteners. The more I looked I figured out what was wrong. The window was upside down and weep holes were on top. Also it is easy to think you have the flashing/wrap tucked correctly. In such a case I found it before the (another) window was set. The *moist wrap* on one side was lapped wrong, so water would get behind it - eventually. Point being? The leak is right in front of you! Nah , he is an expert who is more thorough than anybody else could possibly be...It can't be something he did...I mean , only every door he has installed leaks..It has to be the rotation of the Earth or some strange phenomenon..Either that or he is cursed by the Door Gods....LOL... |
#38
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How to stop entry door leaks?
"Tony" wrote in message
... benick wrote: "Tony" wrote in message ... benick wrote: "Tony" wrote in message ... HerHusband wrote: In the future, I'm thinking of installing special sill flashing like www.jambsill.com, but that's of little help with the current doors. Anthony I could have used one of those before installing my garage entry door. Only a problem with wind driven rain, but it only takes a very light wind. We have wind driven rain A LOT here on the coast of Maine and even the cheap doors I bought a Homedepot do not leak even though I don't have them flashed or the siding on yet...I think you need to talk to a pro and have him look it over...No offense , but you obviously messed up something on the install as everyone you did leaks......If it were just one in a specific location it would be one thing but that is not the case... Huh??? Every door I installed leaks? Where did you get your information? I've only installed one steel entry door in my life. When the wind blows the rain to the area where the weather striping touches the steel door, it gets wicked in between the two and flows down and runs both inside and outside. The door opens into the garage so the water wicked between the door and the weather stripping is already on the inside part of the jamb. Now where are all the others I did? Sorry for the brain fart , I was responding to the OP... Quote from the OP... "I have installed several prehung exterior steel entry doors over the last few years, and virtually all of them have minor leaks somewhere around the bottom. The first was the entry door to our garage, which has now rotted and will need replacing this summer. Obviously, I don't want any other doors to rot like the first one, or worse yet cause structural damage to the buildings" End quote....I should have said...To the OP... OK, I'm over it. **** happens. Thanks..I'll sleep better now...LOL... |
#39
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How to stop entry door leaks?
if your already better at it than somebody that does it DAILY
Relax... I never said I was an expert, just that I had more experience than the average weekend handyman. I wouldn't be here asking questions if I had all the answers. Obviously I'm overlooking something or the door wouldn't be leaking. I make mistakes, I learn, I move on... I fixed by adjusting the strike I adjusted the strike plate yesterday to get the door to seal a little tighter to the weather stripping yesterday. We only work at my in-laws on weekends since they live out of town, but I'm having them keep an eye out for leaks. Naturally, it's not supposed to rain much this week. There are a couple of small spots I want to recaulk, but I can't really do that while it's raining heavily. Sorry to offend, but thanks for the input! Anthony |
#40
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How to stop entry door leaks?
If the water is coming in UNDER the threshhold, that is
probably where the problem is. Yep, makes sense... What's strange is the leak is right in the middle of the door. Until yesterday, the space on both sides of the door were open (to the interior) and were completely dry. If the exterior flashing was incorrect, or the caulking along the sides was failing, I would think the leak would tend to come in along the sides. But, I know water can travel in strange paths sometimes. Can't see your door from here Yeah, unfortunately, without tearing things apart again I can't see it either. I didn't take photos along the way because I didn't expect any problems. the threshold is sitting higher than you thought and did not get bedded in the caulk. It's possible. Oddly, I left drainage on the outside, but sealed the inside. In theory, any water getting in should drain out, but it's seeping under the interior caulking instead. I verified the subfloor was level before installing the door (actually had a very minor slope outwards). That's what makes me think the water is coming in at the sides and running down BEHIND the caulking I installed under the door. how much drop is there from the front edge of threshold to the porch surface outside? About 4-5 inches right now. We will be rebuilding the front steps and landing this summer when things dry out again and the new landing will be a couple inches lower. Thanks for the advice! Anthony |
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