A New Storm Door

About 17 years ago, not too long after I bought my home, I removed the flimsy aluminum storm door from the back entrance and replaced it with a fairy solid (ergo more substantial) new one made by Anderson/EMCO.  It was a really great door.

Then, about 9 years ago, I noticed a problem with it.  The internal mass of the door was made of particle board that is surrounded nicely by an aluminum/vynal frame and covering.  On the base of it's exterior, it had developed a "blight".  Something was decaying the covering.  It seemed very specific to a certain place and it began to slowing appear on the inside of the door, too.  It manifest itself like a growing white powdery fungus OR rust.

It's progression was very slow but persistent.  For the longest time it was a great curiosity to me, and my eventual conclusion as to its origins may just be hogwash, but I believe it is the result of a neighborhood cat marking the door in response to the cats that lived inside with me at the time--may have even been a bit of a pissing war between my girls and this Tom--so it was corrosion instigated by uric acid.

Whatever fungal/chemical reaction this set into motion just continued over the years--and for years past the demise of the feline players in the drama.  Also the door looked horrible.  So when I had the kitchen completely redone this past March/April the door's condition was only exasperated, until finally I had to  do something.

Therefore; yesterday, I went to my local Home Depot armed with only a few measurements and purchased the latest iteration of the same door.  I did not think that

Anderson/Emco still made the door, but was pleased by the possibility that it would make installing it easier.  And what I had completely forgotten was just how damned heavy the door was/IS!  70 pounds in the shape of a door is a bit of a trick to wield.

Today, I spent from about 10:30 AM until 2:30 PM affecting the switch.  There was no urgency in it and it did require a certain amount of patience and measuring to get the drilling for the pieces parts right and the hanging that also took a little creative contrivance in making a "scaffolding" to support the door properly while holes were drilled and screws driven to secure it in its frame.  It's actually the kind of challenge that I really enjoy--especially when it works out!

But that's not the best part of the project.  After successfully mounting the door, I had to measure and apply the various aspects of the hardware.  First, there was the door knob.  Then I had to put the bottom plate on, which is an extension that helps to seal the bottom of the door.

Finally, it was time to mount the hydraulic tensioned closer bar.  The mechanism the pulls the door safely shut after opening it with that familiar "woosh" sound.  It's under a lot of pressure as it has to "grab and pull" a 70 pound door.  SO the screws to mount it's brace on the door frame are 200 inches long!  And the brace on the door are mounted by screws 200 inches wide!  In other words, they big and or long and substantial to apply.

At one point in the drilling and driving of these mega-screws, I was sitting on the floor of the threshold of the door criss cross applesauce when suddenly Romeo was there. So I greeting him and then he proceeded to step into the space created by my encircled legs and just sat down! I was like, "And...?" And I got a lick on my face. AND I laughed.

Sometimes he's so silly sweet!