How to Install a French Door

Disclaimer: This is the Kirk Method. Individual results may vary.


S: Our homebuilder used two sliding glass doors in our home, one in the dining room and one in our master bedroom, both leading to the outdoor patio. The previous owners had replaced the dining room door with a french door, and we were finally able to find the time and money to replace the door in our bedroom.

We had already removed the horrible vertical blinds, and temporarily pinned up a couple of curtain panels for privacy...classy. So after removing the curtains, and the board wedged inside the door frame that served as a lock for over a year, we were ready to remove the sliding glass door.

First, we took out the screen and two sliding glass doors by removing a few screws and using that handy orange suction cup handle to hold the glass The frame came out easily as well by removing all the screws around the perimeter. 
After taking a look at our rough opening, we realized the new door was a lot thicker than the old one, which meant that drywall and carpet would have to be cut back. Using a utility knife, we scored and removed the extra drywall and carpet, making it even with the stud. 

We also found that the base of the old door had been adhered with spray foam, instead of caulk, so the cement slab had to be cleaned up and all the old foam scraped off. Once the slab was clean, we applied a generous amount of silicone caulk, then scrambled to set the door in place. 

Easier said then done....there were a couple of close calls where I was sure the door was going to fall and shatter into a million pieces, crushing me on the way down. But after many fancy maneuvers, we had the door in place...or so we thought.

Z: And then we took the door back out. Essentially the rough opening formed a slanted square, a rhombus for those geometrically inclined. The old sliding glass door did not fit well, leaving a slight gap at opposite corners, but the door would still open and close just fine. However, the frame of the new pre-hung doors was pinched, making them bind and pinch together. A rough opening that's a bit too big can be solved easily with nailing in another stud or extra shims, but one that's too small creates a difficult situation. I thought, why don't I just move the wall. So I did, I moved a wall. I let my hammer loose on the base plate (the bottom 2x4 that rests on the foundation). I noticed it was moving ever so slightly, millimeter by millimeter until my hammer did this.

Or rather I did that to my hammer. The head simply, by the strength of my own hand, sheared off. Granted, the hammer was not the highest quality, but I'm a skinny guy and inch thick forged steel does not crumble at the hands of the weak. All this to say, it boosted my ego and I already sent my application in to the Spartan Army. I used another hammer to finish budging the wall over, ran another thick bead of silicon caulk and, with Sarah's help, set the the french door in its home. After shimming it in place, screwing it the frame at the hinges, and checking for level after every screw, I sprayed polyurethane spray foam to fill in all the gaps and increase the thermal insulation.

After

Felt and Ric Rac Together Again

I love seasonal table settings...however, this is the first Christmas we've had a formal dining room, so our table linens are a little lacking in Christmas spirit. I had a set of Christmas napkins given to me by my mother-in-law, but no napkin rings to match. So I thought a bit, and came up with these felt and ric rac napkin rings.

I cut out 8 rectangular strips of red felt and 8 lengths of white ric rac. Two straight stitches each, one to sew on the ric rac and another to close up the ring, and I was finished!

Gift Card Holder

Inevitably, someone on my christmas list ends up getting a gift card. Gift cards are great, especially for those hard-to-shop-for family and friends, but aren't very personal. A handmade gift card holder, in place of a plain envelope, is a great way to make the gift a little more thoughtful.

It only took a few minutes to make this gift card holder, using felt and ric rac leftover from another project. I cut the felt to size around the gift card, added ric rac at the top, then sewed around three sides to create a little pocket. I used a small hole punch to make holes near the top, then tied it closed with red ribbon. It makes me think of gingerbread...

Max and Jax Vintage

I won the Max and Jax Vintage giveaway on the Daily Etsian blog! Max and Jax Vintage sells vintage glass, pottery, books, and ephemera. I chose this little bird dish...

and these vintage Christmas cards

Images from Max and Jax Vintage

Tip top

Zach and I just finished putting up our Christmas decorations, including this mini Christmas tree in our bathroom. It was looking a little naked without a tree topper, so I made one out of felt.

First, I cut out two large stars from blue felt and sewed them together around the edges. I made sure to leave the bottom of the star open so that it could fit over the top of the tree. Then I traced out a smaller star on green felt and embroidered around the edges, before cutting it out. This made the embroidery a lot easier. To finish it off, I attached the green star to the front using fabric glue.

Trash to Treasure

S: Another trashy find from my mom's neighborhood, circa college, was a wooden rocking chair. When I found it, it was bare wood, and missing all the caning in the seat and the back. My dad helped me cut out a piece of wood for the seat and screw it in to place. Then the whole chair got a coat of earl gray paint, one of my favorite colors.

I covered the repaired seat with an inexpensive cream colored cushion, but had to be a little more creative with the back of the chair. After pricing caning I decided to use ribbon instead. I weaved it in and out of the holes left from the caning and tied it off in the back. ta da! a brand new look!

Thanks Giving

Image from klove.com

We're looking forward to a delicious Thanksgiving dinner this afternoon, and are thankful for all we've been blessed with...family, friends, our home, and plenty of food!

Hope to the Hungry provides meals to those in need. It cost just $1.96 to feed one person. You can donate to a local mission of your choice, and it can all be done online with just a few clicks.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!