# Cutting a storm door.



## TimNJ (Sep 7, 2005)

Jughead said:


> We bought the door today at Lowe's for $200-, I'd describe the bottom panel as 1/4 and flat.
> Pretty nice door, wood core and vinyl clad with the bottom adjustable sleeve that goes on after I cut it.
> When you lower the top glass it pulls the screen down with it, the screen rolls up when you close it.
> I need to reduce it to 6-4 but that works since the first bottom hinge is about 6" from the bottom.
> ...



Wood core... whole different animal. Piece of cake. I cut the metal edging with my mini sawzall with metal blade, then just cut the wood core with regular circular saw. Don't forget to smear caulk on the bottom of the wood core or it will pick the water and start disintegrating.

The Zbar on those Larson doors is steel, not aluminum.


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## Jughead (May 31, 2017)

TimNJ said:


> Wood core... whole different animal. Piece of cake. I cut the metal edging with my mini sawzall with metal blade, then just cut the wood core with regular circular saw. Don't forget to smear caulk on the bottom of the wood core or it will pick the water and start disintegrating.
> 
> The Zbar on those Larson doors is steel, not aluminum.


Thanks for the assurance Tim, and the reminder to seal the bottom cut so it doesn't wick like a sponge.
My experience is a diamond blade sails through steel too, the sparks keep me focused like when I cut hot wires.
I'll take a couple pics to share here.

And yes, sometimes storm doors will need to be trimmed. Either pay custom or learn how to do it as here provided by Tim with my newbie input.


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## Jughead (May 31, 2017)

Turned out I needed to take another 1/2" off the storm to allow clearance over an old inverted and huge granite threshold. 
The job is complete and the main task was rebuilding the sidelight stiles and base rails.
A new stone threshold wrapped it up and made up the difference in inward pitch. There was no adjusting the 12" x 12" x 7' existing granite to have it pitch outwards without a crane in an inaccessible location. 
Materials used to make this a usable doorway were southern yellow pine pressure treated and pvc base trim. It's estimated this back door of the mansion has been out of use at least 30 years. I'd warrant what I did for another 30. Broken lights were also replaced.


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## Jughead (May 31, 2017)

*Before pics of the defunct doorway*

Background - This was probably an open porch before being enclosed with storm windows and a door like a much larger veranda farther down the back of the mansion, where the doors and sidelights were removed leaving the arched storms in place, tenuously.
I neglected to provide before pics of the opening I did:

Sorry site won't upload the pics tonight


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