door doctor - basement edition, part 1

jambaloney here!

sky pic for helga - nice evening about 4:00 PM, days are getting longer - FINALLY!

it's been only about, ohhhh 2 years with the same crappy basement door, what the heck has been keeping me??

you can see here how nicely the basement door accommodates runoff  - NOTHING i can do to prevent this from happening right now, i CAN control it, the trench was a great start!

need a new door for starters, where is the best place to get one?? you guessed it, other people's garbage!!! i have scavenged 3 of these doors so far, they are the exact same as our front door, really popular in cape breton , 1/2 our neighbors have the same!

what is wrong with the old door, well, it's wood with cracks and this hook is how is closes... no knob, no latch no... etc....

oh an aside upgrade, i built some steps with pieces of  railway ties and gravel i excavated from the basement  while digging the drain pit ..

2 years ago after the pump and pipes froze i hastily stapled carpet to the door to cut down on drafts... i am always worried when the temperature drops... i have been insulating like mad, but the door is  a weak spot. to heat the basement in the colder months (nov - march), i leave the lights on. in dec, jan and feb, i add a small ceramic heater attached to a timer -  it goes off for 15 mins every hour. this has been pretty successful - BUT... drafts are a killer when the temp really drops.

here is the inside

and here is the bottom --nice and cracked - i filled in some of the gaps with strips of foam meant for pipes..

here is the sill - that sheet prevents drafts from entering at the bottom - i know, i know....

here is the rotten sill - years of runoff have taken their toll. note the bulge at the bottom right - that is spray expanding foam. the gap between the concrete and sill is filled in with foam.

these are my snazzy steps - better than the slippery slope. i am letting them compact and freeze all winter before the final leveling off.

more door jam joy - it is a mess! that white wire is our phone line going in - all i could do at the time when we were desperate to get it working again.

my idea for a new sill begins with 1 1/4 " flex abs and pressure treated 2x6

when you cut pressure treated lumber for a damp place, ya gotta  re-seal the cut ends - this stuff reeks, be sure to use outside or near an open window!

i cut a whole pile of these small lengths of flex pvc and screwed them into the new sill.. with about 1/2 inch indent and an inch sticking out the other side

the idea is to replace the foam with something that controls the water getting in the basement... i will install a catch trench later. these sections of pipe are easily rock solid to walk on too

i used concrete to hold a number in place while drilling them in - it left both hands free for working

this screen in installed on the indented side - it goes outside and keeps the gravel from getting in and clogging the pipes. the indent space allows for free water travel.

on the other side, the overhanging pipe with drain into a catch trench/pipe for controlled diversion to the drain pit..

so with the new sill done - we are ready for a new door - stay tuned for part 2!!!

as an aside after 2 years of moving stuff around and around... i have a small functional work area... about 10 x10, shared with the dishwasher you see ;-)) the workbench is our old kitchen sink vanity (kee rap) and a solid core door that has seen better days - BUT.. it works!

here is my tool "box" .. i plan on making an old fashioned wood box, but until then and while i figure out what tools i will need at all times, i opted for the 5 gallon bucket with skirt - i do have it packed pretty tight it is very heavy;-))

sandy - this one is for you ;-)

 

 cheers all - thanks for stopping by!