There’s a Hole in the Wall

Now that the outback trip is over it’s time to do something about that door I made.

It’s the first time I’ve removed an exterior glass sliding door and adjacent panel.  It wouldn’t come out after removing the visible screws which meant I had to cut the aluminium baseplate with the angle grinder before proceeding to use brute strength (No! I didn’t use Jan) to rip it out somehow managing to avoid breaking any of the glass panels in the process.  It’s stacked ready for a trip to the tip.

The major reason why I’ve been delaying tackling this project is the weather.  If you are going to remove an exterior wall then it would be better to complete the task after winter and before it gets too hot.

With the door and panel removed I could confirm what Ken had told me regarding the structure.   Unsurprisingly the wall was double brick with a cavity in between.  There was also a rebate in the floor.   My next step was to hand mix some concrete and fill in the rebate.  When the project is complete this concrete will be concealed.  However I need it in order to anchor the bottom plate of my timber frame.

 

The metal anchors for the aluminium frame that had been mortared into the brickwork needed to be cut out.   I used the angle grinder to achieve that.

The wall and door frame need to be anchored to the brickwork and I did this by cutting and gluing some treated timber into the rebate on both sides..

Ken had already informed me I’d probably find the soffit lining would only be sitting on top of the aluminium frame.  Again he was right and the lining sagged once the aluminium frame was removed.

Obviously the soffit lining needs to be secured and I achieved that by getting into the roof cavity where I installed a top plate securing it to the rafters with jack studs.

The concrete was allowed to cure for two days and I then installed the timber framing.

 

I took a great deal of care ensuring the framing was plumbed true as this would make the installation of the door frame easier.

Then the door frame I’d made was fitted.

With the framing completed I cut and glued the formica panel Jan had selected on the inside of the framing.  It was held in place with clamps, wedges and a prop before being left for 24 hours to allow the glue to go off.

Meanwhile I’ve decided to do something about the washing machine’s frequent attempts to runaway from home or disco around the laundry.

Four holes in the tiles behind the washing machine have been drilled and plugged.  I’m going to bolt the storage cabinet under the washing machine to the rear wall and the adjacent bench.

The following morning I cut and fitted the fibrocement sheet to the exterior of the framing before installing the timber trim.  The door was then installed followed by the fitting of the handle and the door stops

The washing machine was then reinstalled.

The outstanding work consists of:

• Sanding and painting
• Fitting a door stop
• Making a front step

I’m so excited about the thought of painting

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