Federated Handy People

This job is an excellent example of how carpenters who are good at math and have problem-solving skills can improve your quality of life.

The original door had fallen into a state of disrepair and the past attempts to fix its wear just made it worse. We could have replaced a double door with a double door, but when we looked into things we could offer the customer a different option.

One of the things the previous owner learned to live with was that the wind crossing the front porch would occasionally open the screen/storm door resulting in damage to the sconce, and the door’s closing mechanism.

A secondary problem was that if in the summer you left the main entrance open to cross-ventilate the house, occasionally the wind would slam the front door shut in the way an evil spirit does in a scary movie. The main cause for that was the way the door knob touched the wall would keep the door from sealing against the partition; the gap would catch air pressure on breezy days.

Another irritation was the awkward way a person had to negotiate the two doors when bringing groceries, gifts, or other items into the house. It always had a tenancy to smash their ankle as they tried to enter.

Switching to a single door solved those problems and more. A single door gave the freedom to reverse the swing on the screen/storm door. That solved the wind-damage risk, and also prevented its ability to close on their ankles. It also changed the angle the main door could swing open which allowed it to seal against the wall despite the door knob preventing it from slamming by the action of the breeze.

One of the unfortunate supply chain difficulties was that an exact fit replacement door wasn’t available at a reasonable price or for a fast enough timetable for the client.

When we suggested building custom hardwood spacers to take up the gap, they were a bit apprehensive and almost decided to stick with the original door which was neither secure nor weather-tight.

It did add a nominal charge to the original estimate, but it was well worth it for the quality-of-life improvements. A marked increase of sunlight warming the area. A very noticeable difference in energy loss from technological upgrades to door engineering. Real security through having a door that stays closed when it’s locked. No more having to chip away icy intrusions to be able to open the door after a bad weather evening.

You can see for yourself that the carpentry resulted in an installation that looked natural and original. If you weren’t explicitly told that the door was too small you would never be able to detect the modification.