ISO help to replace a basement door

Dear neighbors,

Due to moisture and bugs coming in through the door in our basement which leads to the old coal chute to our front yard, we are looking for help with replacing this door. The chute is still worth keeping because it does allow for moving things into and out of the basement.

What type of contractor could help with this and what type of door would be best?

Many thanks in advance!

citizenjane

in Renovation 8 months ago

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Brownstone Home Inspection | 7 months ago

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citizenjane, nice to see another “old timer” on here.

i have avoided your query because i am afraid i cannot offer you any solutions but i can tell you the challenges you will face and why and what to avoid.

i decided to respond after following the link from rosedablo below. i can understand if that was an automated system that put this there but it looks like someone created a screen name and posted and, by the looks of it, that company CooperBuild would have no interest in coming out to look at your basement door situation.

for those reading this who are not aware, i am a former (still sometimes) restoration wood worker.

the problem with finding a door for that area, in addition to possible size issues, will be finding something made of material that will not begin to decay in a few short years. Doors for basements (and doors in general) used to be made of solid planks of wood (not the best thing because they can warp or curve away from the humid side). this solid wood was sturdy and offered more rot resistance than what is commonly found on the retail market today (even though it was often pine, it was old growth white pine). By the late 1870’s in New York City (with the start of the Brownstone period) we saw what are known as stave doors come along. You can look this up and you will see a picture of a stave and how it is made: Doorstiles.com. Essentially a pine core with the better wood on the edges and facing. these doors are overkill for a basement but they are the best way to make a door because of the stability. You can still get a stave door but now they are a specialty item – or at least a top-shelf item. Trustile’s top line are stave doors. Jeldwen made stave doors and i modified and hung one circa year 2000 but by the time i needed one about 3 years ago, i called them and they told me “we no longer make anything like that” (i do not think the person on the other end of the line knew what a stave door was). For what you need, if you wish to spend money, you would have to probably call a custom door maker like Upstate Doors.

failing that, if you find a stock door like jeldwen fits, you will encounter imported garbage made of MDF and glued-up and veneered bits of scrap wood and these doors will all begin to decay.

i would almost say that maybe you have to have a local person make up a “batten” door but you mention bugs and as the wood swells and contracts on batten doors, things open up and in march the insects. it is possible to make a batten door out of tongue and groove wood but i am not sure that will be tight enough on the contraction to keep the bugs out. it would also be possible to maybe use wood a little on the drier side when making a batten door so that is always remains tight in the damper celler.

batten doors are cheap and easy to make but finding someone willing might be hard. the skillset to make anything is fast disappearing and those skilled enough have enough work at the high-end don’t want to be bothered with something that a handyman could have managed with perfection a generation ago.

whenever you install a door, be sure to seal the bottom. one reason so many doors decay is in old brooklyn is because when they hung them in 1890, they never sealed the bottoms and water wicks up through the underside of the door.

last thought, if that opening is big enough, i mean too big, you can possible have someone install a steel door and frame. this is easy to do and there are guys running around doing it. they would have to close the opening down around the door frame with mortar. it will come down to size of the opening.

if you have any questions, fire away.

steve

rosedablo | 7 months ago

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I recommend reaching out to CooperBuild, a trusted general contractor in NYC. They can assess the situation and recommend a durable door solution that fits your needs, whether it’s a steel, fiberglass, or weatherproofed wood door. CooperBuild can handle both the door installation and any moisture control issues to ensure your basement stays protected!

Try to read there blog about door pocket system
https://cooperbuild.com/blum-revego-pocket-door-systems-a-guide-for-architects

I hope this can help.

BobMarvin | 8 months ago

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If OTOH you mean the inner door down in your cellar, I replaced mine with a solid core wood door, secured with a wood 2X4 bar. I did that mainly for security in the “80s.

cate | 8 months ago

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Is this the metal hatch over the coal chute? Ironworkers can make one that is customized to fit the opening.