Is the head flashing sold at Menards, Home Depot, or Lowe's? I can't seem to find it. If you happen to find it on one of their websites that would be a big help.

Otherwise I may try bending if I can figure that out. What width roll would I start with?

For raising the plywood, would you recommend unscrewing the blocks, shimming down in the basement and then screwing back in?

And if the existing sill seemed like a 1 1/2" 2x, I would just buy a 1 1/2" thick piece of white oak, or clear fir/pine 4' long?

I will have to pick this back up again tomorrow but discussing those 4 points above would help me prepare as best I can.

 

Is the head flashing sold at Menards, Home Depot, or Lowe's? I can't seem to find it. If you happen to find it on one of their websites that would be a big help.

Otherwise I may try bending if I can figure that out. What width roll would I start with?

For raising the plywood, would you recommend unscrewing the blocks, shimming down in the basement and then screwing back in?

And if the existing sill seemed like a 1 1/2" 2x, I would just buy a 1 1/2" thick piece of white oak, or clear fir/pine 4' long?

I will have to pick this back up again tomorrow but discussing those 4 points above would help me prepare as best I can.

Just put a penny or nickle on top the block. Under the plywood.

This might work?

Find the wood you can find, we will just have deal with what ever you find.
You want a quality piece close to that thickness and absolutely from the dry dept. like the trim dept.

10' Residential Steel Siding Door/Window Flashing at Menards®

 

I'll use some pennies or nickels to raise the plywood up to flush with the top of the joists in the morning, and head to the wood store.

I looked back at your drawing of the flex and metal flashing and now I understand how I had the angle of the metal flashing backwards. I was thinking it was to help move water off the plywood and down toward the brick step, but I think it's for the water that makes its way down the flex flashing, to move it under the soon to be installed vertical 2x6 or 2x4 and onto the brick step.

Unfortunately the product you found for me at Menards is a special order thing. I found these two types in stock at Home Depot locally. Would one of these work?

 

Stopped at the lumber/hardwood store and showed them the board and explained it's a replacement door sill, they told me my only option for a door sill was 8/4 white oak, that they could cut that down to 1 3/8" for me. They said mahogany or teak were options, or cedar but that would "get torn up in two weeks". When I asked if there was anything cheaper they said no - white oak. The 3-4' long pieces of 9"+ wide white oak were all marked over $100 so I'm going to have to look elsewhere.

 

The metal flashing is only to hide the flex flashing that goes to the brick so you could leave that for now, It will be last before you add a trim wood under the threshold, now you know the measurement of what is available. I prefer the gal. steel.
The board!! holy crap. Buy just what you need and we can make the same cuts on a scrap of 2x10 for test fitting.
Teak would be great for lasting but I don't know if you have deal with the oils in it before painting, we had to wash it with something before gluing it.

 

Okay, so maybe buy a wet pine 4' 2x10 for test cutting because I don't think I have one in the garage, and then would I be pretty much forced to go with white oak? Pretty sure the teak was even more expensive.

I didn't know if red oak at about half the price was an option if it'll be painted anyway, or 1x10 and raise up a bit with more plywood or something underneath it, or two 1x10 on top of each other which might be able to get at a big box store, or metal trim over a softer wood... willing to explore a more affordable creative solution if it's out there, but don't want to be cheap if $100 white oak really is the way to go.

 

I don't think I would go with 1", can't say it wouldn't work but we might want some sticking out passed the support.
I guess you could look at aluminum thresholds, the ones that will take the front extension.

 

Got the plywood screwed down. Before I did, I took the opportunity to insert some XPS foam in the far left joist bay that is obstructed from the basement.

Not so pretty but it's as level as I could get it and flush with the highest part of the two joists, so a two foot level doesn't rock side to side. A pressure treated 2x sits flush with the finished floor on the left side and is about 1/16" to 1/8" shy of the finished floor surface on the right side. The temporary 2x is not be the straightest piece of wood however. But we do have the slight slope away from the house. What's next? 😀

 

I can do the white oak if that's the right way to do it, maybe I can get a piece that is a true 1 1/2" x 9" rather than having them cut down an 1 3/4" piece? Would that be okay? Might save me $25+.

 

I am not sure how much changes if you have the thicker wood.
You maybe would have to trim a bit off the bottom the the jams, we have to make the bit under the door level anyway.

 

Okay, maybe I will head back there this afternoon to grab a 6/4 piece and have them plane it flat as little as possible to keep it close to 1 1/2", and grab a pine 2x10 at a box store while I'm out, then will be ready to proceed with test cuts on the pine.

 

Starting to get a little frustrated by the lack of wood, was back at the lumber store and the only two pieces of white oak that were around $100 each had damage to them so there was no way I was getting 9" width from them. Maybe I can start with the 2x10 test pine first.

Is the next step the flex flashing? Would be great to get that on this weekend before the next rain if you could guide me through that.

 

Starting to get a little frustrated by the lack of wood, was back at the lumber store and the only two pieces of white oak that were around $100 each had damage to them so there was no way I was getting 9" width from them. Maybe I can start with the 2x10 test pine first.

Is the next step the flex flashing? Would be great to get that on this weekend before the next rain if you could guide me through that.

It can be I would like to dry fit first but we can likely deal with it.
The tape can be a fun nightmare, don't rush into that.

 

With the 2x6 pulled forward under the screen door, there is maybe 1/4" of clearance.

I hadn't noticed before, but the screen door does look like the bottom might drop down if I loosen a couple bolts along the bottom on the inside?

I bought an 8' 2x10 for a practice sill cut, so I guess that's the next step. Did you need some more photos of the plywood framing or any more measurements?

 

With the 2x6 pulled forward under the screen door, there is maybe 1/4" of clearance.

I hadn't noticed before, but the screen door does look like the bottom might drop down if I loosen a couple bolts along the bottom on the inside?

I bought an 8' 2x10 for a practice sill cut, so I guess that's the next step. Did you need some more photos of the plywood framing or any more measurements?

Earlier you mentioned 3 degrees, was that a guess or did you measure that somewhere, and where did you measure it?
Do you have a table saw?

 

I measured the three degree angle along the ends of the 2x4 blocks under the plywood, they were cut at 3 degrees on the miter saw, but since then had to shim them with various coins, so I'm not sure the exact angle. Should be close to that. I could measure with a bevel gauge and compare the bevel gauge reading to the miter saw or a protractor, must have one around somewhere.

 

It will be a plumb line on the end of the 2x6 that you have laying on the slope now.
If something like a jam is plumb and you can use that to draw a line on the end of the 2x6 and then measure that angle.

 

With that angle set on the saw the first cut is the level under the door.
Measure the cut out for the door on the jam, and that will be the height where the blade comes out of the board..

Then the plumb cut on the inside

#3 will be measured to width and plumb cut on the outside.
Cut this to as wide as the board will allow and after test fitting, cut to finished width

Cut 4 to finished width.

Cut 5, drip cut after confirming it will work here.

 

A couple questions while I review this.

Are cuts 1, 2, and 3 all using that same table saw blade angle, which is the angle from plumb that the plywood is at?

Measure the cut out for the door on the jam, and that will be the height where the blade comes out of the board..

Is that this measurement in the photo below?

 

Okay, I tried...

Measured the angle against a level on the finished floor and transferred that angle to the table saw. I know this isn't perfect but it is likely close.

Measured the cutout for the door in the jamb depth to be about 1 3/4".

Did cuts 1, 2, and 3 with the table saw. Cut 1 was difficult to line up properly, so for next time I'll probably run a test piece through a couple times until I get the exact width.

Cut the drip edge using the same angle on the saw just to make sure I didn't lose that exact angle.

I trimmed it about 1/16" or so too short in final length but will be more careful next time.

It slides right in under the door jambs with the old front kick removed.

There is more of a gap on one side under the jamb than the other.

The one thing I didn't account for is the total width of the doorway in front of the jambs, so I have a gap on either side.

Next time will I need to use the longer overall length and not notch to get under the jambs but notch to get up against them? Or will there be a new kick and/or blocking to close that gap (last photo)?

 

Also I was wondering what you thought about using this wood that I posted about a month ago, that I found in our basement. Possibly spruce or fir but has had about 30-50 years to dry out, and is thick and wide enough.

 

Also I was wondering what you thought about using this wood that I posted about a month ago, that I found in our basement. Possibly spruce or fir but has had about 30-50 years to dry out, and is thick and wide enough.

With all the home work you are doing, the actual threshold wood is less important as it could be changed out in an hour next time. I like the idea of the used lumber if you can clear any nails.
I will post shortly about cutting tricks and measurements.

 

Thanks! I think the gaps in question will be covered by the kick piece or pieces, because the gap is I believe between the rim and the outdoors.

 

Measure from the floor out to the end of the trim and subtract 1/4" and make that the width of the threshold.

The length is the distance between the white trim.

Screw a 2x? to the back side or bottom side of the board so it will have 3" to stand on when cutting.
Just for cut #1.

Mark the height of the cut.

With the little angle finder draw the angle on the end of the board.

Measure the distance at the bottom to the fence.

Then you can just raise the blade and then set the fence.

 

Then you have to do some precise measuring and cutting to fit around the door jams.

 

Good to know the sill can be replaced fairly quickly after this is all rebuilt so I can try the workbench wood and see how it holds up.

So the sill will look like the image below, with "wings" on the front, 1/4" shy of the trim. I think I can do that in the next couple of days. Thanks for the table saw trick.

And there will ultimately be space between the 1x6 rim board and the 2x kick, or we will fill in that space with ply or something?

And also, if the sill I cut from the workbench wood is also 1 1/2" thick like this pine, it will be 1/8" to 1/16" shy of the finished floor. Is that okay, since I will be putting a threshold strip back under the door? It originally had wood with brass over that, and I'm fine with that look.

 

So to cheat the cut 1, I would use the same angle but I would lower blade slightly and move the fence a bit wider to make the cut closer to 1 1/2" than it 1 3/4".

And my next attempt at the threshold/sill will have to be cut at a width of 1/4" shy of the outside edge of the trim, and following the green line below.

Could I also measure the distance from the 1x6 rim to the outside edge of the trim, and the threshold/sill down, and use that to determine what size filler I will need? Or wait on that until the flashing is in place?

What's an example of a type of wood that can be used for filler, and a paint grade trim?

 

Also those drawings are great and that really helps me visualize what's going to happen. Will the trim still have to be removed to get the flex flashing on, and would you be able to show the flashing from a front view facing the house? I assume this is applied piece by piece in whatever width I have, overlapping an inch or so as I move up.

 

Yes it would be moving the fence further away in the first cut .
The red line will be the shape of the threshold in the end.
Use a cardboard for a pattern and scripe the shape.

It looks like you can add 2 2x4s to the 1x6 that would support the outer edge of the threshold.
green lines.

Then it would be ready for the flex flashing.
something like this in blue.

 

Great! Thank you. You're right, I think I'll try this with the scrap old fir or whatever it is from the workbench I have out in the garage, or more of the pressure treated 2x10 to make sure I have the shape perfect. And then after it's flashed and supported with 2x I can switch to nicer wood or even replace it in the future. The next threshold test cuts will unfortunately have to wait until tomorrow or the next day.

But we have about 4" of depth and 4 3/4" height up to the underside of the threshold.

Could that be two pressure treated 2x6 ripped down from 5 1/2" to 4 3/4", on a slight angle to match the slope of the threshold? That would leave about an inch in front of the two pieces to the outside edge of the trim. So if the threshold is 3/4" past that, it should still leave me plenty of room for a shallow saw blade width cut for the drip edge.

There will still be a gap where the brick meets the house though. Will that just be covered by tape and then metal?

 

Great! Thank you. You're right, I think I'll try this with the scrap old fir or whatever it is from the workbench I have out in the garage, or more of the pressure treated 2x10 to make sure I have the shape perfect. And then after it's flashed and supported with 2x I can switch to nicer wood or even replace it in the future. The next threshold test cuts will unfortunately have to wait until tomorrow or the next day.

But we have about 4" of depth and 4 3/4" height up to the underside of the threshold.

Could that be two pressure treated 2x6 ripped down from 5 1/2" to 4 3/4", on a slight angle to match the slope of the threshold? That would leave about an inch in front of the two pieces to the outside edge of the trim. So if the threshold is 3/4" past that, it should still leave me plenty of room for a shallow saw blade width cut for the drip edge.

There will still be a gap where the brick meets the house though. Will that just be covered by tape and then metal?

View attachment 705442

Yes the flashing flex and metal go out to the brick.
I would like to put a paint grade trim in front of the flashing.
so one 2x6 cut like you said and one spacer, something 3/4"

So it would 3/4" +2x6. + flex flashing+ metal flashing, + paint grade trim and the drip cut.
Something like this.

 

Would the actual materials be okay as follows: 3/4" ply, pressure treated 2x6, pine 1x6 from the trim department, or would other selections be better?

 

Yeah something like that, for the outside trim you might go with PVC and never have to worry about it.
I would leave that and buy it later so you know exactly what size to work with.
You will want it tight up to the threshold but you want it to tight at the bottom so it would be a guessing game, better just to wait and see.

 

I got the templates cut today, and included length measurements at a few points. So I think I will go back to another piece of construction grade pine 2x10 and try to cut what I have left to the longest dimension and then transfer the templates and dust off the jigsaw. Hopefully if that's a good fit, I can use it to transfer the outline to the final piece of threshold wood.

 

That looks great .

 

Okay, well I wouldn't call this next attempt a failure, but it's not pretty. I transferred the templates to the remaining 2x10, made the notched cuts with a jigsaw, but the blade was skewing so I had to pare down the ends too far and shim the left side back up because I took off too much. The result is a threshold that is fairly gap free, but by no means perfect.

I think I'll have better luck transferring this board to a new one instead of working with two separate cardboard templates. If I had to do the templates over again I would've made sure one long template fit perfectly before moving to wood.

I suppose now I should decide on what threshold wood to use, and be more careful with my cutting. I knew I was undercutting with the table saw to clean up the jigsaw cuts, so disregard the gouges in the board - I won't be that careless on the final piece.

 

Okay, well I wouldn't call this next attempt a failure, but it's not pretty. I transferred the templates to the remaining 2x10, made the notched cuts with a jigsaw, but the blade was skewing so I had to pare down the ends too far and shim the left side back up because I took off too much. The result is a threshold that is fairly gap free, but by no means perfect.

I think I'll have better luck transferring this board to a new one instead of working with two separate cardboard templates. If I had to do the templates over again I would've made sure one long template fit perfectly before moving to wood.

I suppose now I should decide on what threshold wood to use, and be more careful with my cutting. I knew I was undercutting with the table saw to clean up the jigsaw cuts, so disregard the gouges in the board - I won't be that careless on the final piece.

Experience is what you learn from mistakes. It looks like you have a good understanding of it and where you have to be careful.

 

Thanks. How tight does this have to be? Basically perfect, or is it okay if there are 1/32" to 1/16" gaps in places? And I still haven't decided what wood to go with for the final piece...?

 

I may head back to the lumber store and get clear fir or cedar in 2x10, flattened on just the faces to 1 1/2" thick since I'll be trimming the edges anyway to achieve 9" width, and just use a good oil based primer and a couple coats of paint. I would hate to spend $100+ on white oak and ruin the board. Maybe I can try white oak in a couple years when my cutting skills are better.

I think I also have enough 3/4" ply and pressure treated 2x6 to make the filler/kick boards for behind the flashing. Getting those in place today would be good to prevent pests from having basement access.

 

I may head back to the lumber store and get clear fir or cedar in 2x10, flattened on just the faces to 1 1/2" thick since I'll be trimming the edges anyway to achieve 9" width, and just use a good oil based primer and a couple coats of paint. I would hate to spend $100+ on white oak and ruin the board. Maybe I can try white oak in a couple years when my cutting skills are better.

I think I also have enough 3/4" ply and pressure treated 2x6 to make the filler/kick boards for behind the flashing. Getting those in place today would be good to prevent pests from having basement access.

A quality fir or SYpine is likely what was there to start with.

 

The lumber store didn't have any 9"+, 7/4 or 8/4 fir or pine, so I just got the driest, most clear piece of #2 2x10 SYP I could find at Home Depot. It'll look fine primed and painted, and shouldn't move much - at least that's what I'm telling myself. I think I might actually try cutting the notches in this piece tomorrow with a hand saw rather than a jigsaw.