Wife's Art Studio

[Weston]

I'm almost done with the exterior. You can't see from this pic, but there is just a little bit left of siding to do on the gable ends of the building. Work has been very slow on it during late summer and this fall and I'm happy that it is almost done.

I'll probably start back on it this spring to finish off the interior with insulation, electrical, sheetrock, a finished floor, and cabinets.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y96/tytto73/Studio_fall2006001a.jpg

When I'm completely done with the exterior I'll post some progress pics leading up to it.

On a side note... I am having some problems with water coming in under the door between the decking and the threshold and have taken the door out to reflash and caulk... any advice appreciated :)

[Cubfan]

. I am having some problems with water coming in under the door between the decking and the threshold and have taken the door out to reflash and caulk... any advice appreciated :)

As a matter of fact, just 2 or 3 days ago I removed the threshold on the door to the deck and moved it to be more under the door. Honest to God, you could see daylight under the door! It simply wasn't under the door at all so I simply popped it up with a prybar and put a new one in (I damaged the existing one pretty good.)

I'm going to try to attach a picture. (I'm not very good at this), but you should be able to see where the threshold was (glue marks) and where it is now (between the jams where it should be). I did it so recently I haven't even had a chance to put any polyurethane on it to match the floor!

Oh, but my advice would be to make sure you have the rubber sweeps, etc.. in the right place to prevent water from coming in. My threshold is pretty "tall" or high so that alone should keep the water out. There are several types of thresholds for different uses, this one just happens to match my hardwood flooring.

[Weston]

Thanks Cubfan... My threshold is built into the whole door "assembly" and is actually angled down and away from the door. At the top end of the threshold is another piece where the door sweeps hit.

I believe that my problem is actually under the threshold itself and not between it and the door sweeps...even though I caulked the crap out of the doorway before putting the door in. I'm thinking I wouldn't be having this problem if I had built the deck an inch lower than the building floor instead of even with it :mad:

[Will'sdad]

That looks great Weston. As to your water isuue, how about a rain gutter across the front? It would at least keep the water from the roof out.

[sao95]

is there a gap under the threshold that you had filled with caulk? I've always used a bead of caulk under the threashold so that it smashs the caulk when set in place, and another after it is set, if it is a large bead because of a gap I would use a small piece of trim and caulk around it. With that aside are you sure that's where it's coming in at? I had a door that when it would rain hard enough to hit the door about midway in would drain through the door sides and above the threshold. It wasn't set off so the weatherstripping wasn't tight all the way around, I also had to purchase a different kind of sweep to fix it.... btw it looks good, you know we're looking for a house, how much to rent :p

[Weston]

Will'sDad - Thanks, and yeah a gutter is on the list for future... Your right, that would probably help some.

Sao- 320 square feet big enough? ;)

You wouldn't believe the amount of caulk I used after I tore the door out the first time. I used two tubes of caulk on top of some felt and flashing before putting the door back... still leaked and as you said caulked the gap where the threshold meets the decking (small crack less than half an inch and used the clear poly caulk.. seems to have helped a lot, but I think I'm still getting some water in. I also caulked the door assembly itself where the threshold (metal) meets the casing (wood). We will see if that does the trick because it is supposed to rain tonight here.

I'm just worried that even if it does stop coming in the building that it is still leaking in just enough to get the untreated wood of the building wet that is underneath the door threshold - over time would probably rot and might also get the dreaded MOLD. :(

[sao95]

buy me a plane ticket and beer and I'll come down and help :D

[Weston]

That would probably be a deal versus if I have to hire someone here to figure this out for me :D

[tt3]

Hell, provide the beer and I might come out! Been a while since I've seen my brother and his wife! I can't help much with the fix, but I can offer commentary. :lol:

[Weston]

Hell, provide the beer and I might come out! Been a while since I've seen my brother and his wife! I can't help much with the fix, but I can offer commentary. :lol:

You are def. welcome to come, however, I'm already getting plenty of commentary from the wife ;)

[Riggs]

laughing Must be good commentary, right Weston? She's got to think she married right to have a husband who builds that awesome studio and stays home with the kids! They just had a "What Women Want" conference here, think I saw you as the keynote speaker, right? :D

[Weston]

laughing Must be good commentary, right Weston? She's got to think she married right to have a husband who builds that awesome studio and stays home with the kids! They just had a "What Women Want" conference here, think I saw you as the keynote speaker, right? :D

Ha! Far from it. Though my wife is generally kind about it, she sometimes gives me some ribbing about "when is is going to be finished";)

This project is really starting to become somewhat of an Albatross around my neck. Rained two nights ago and found out it is still leaking a little bit under the door.

I'm stumped :-({|=

[sao95]

take a couple of good closeup pics of the door and surrounding area, you know what they say 400 pairs of eyes are better than two ;)

[Weston]

That's exactly what I'm going to do Sao! Thanks for the suggestion.

More later :rolleyes:

[Weston]

In this first one you can see my sloppy caulking job. As messy as it looks it is very thick underneath the metal threshold and seems to be sufficiently sealed on top of the threshold where it meets the casing.

Where the outside trim of the door meets the decking I used white caulk... seems to be holding there but further down the deck I caulked where the siding channel meets the decking and that caulk seems to be washing away. Where it is washing away is not near the doorframe so I just don't see that that's where it is getting in


http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y96/tytto73/door_threshold_leak001a.jpg

Next picture is similar except you can see where the door meets the door frame it is not exactly tight. There is a small crack starting about 2 to 3 feet up the door where it meets the gasket.... but I took a hose and sprayed there and had my wife watch on the other side and no water leaked in there.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y96/tytto73/door_threshold_leak004a.jpg

Here's an inside shot and you can see how the threshold is made with a piece that is higher up that the rest of the threshold... that piece meets the bottom of the door and the "sweeps" seals everything there. As far as I can tell that piece is doing it's job.

You can't really tell from this picture but there is a very small gap between the threshold and the floor... big enough to put a nail through and I can push it in just a bit and I hit caulk with it all the way down... towards the center of the door I had so much caulk that it oozed out from under the door and into the building some.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y96/tytto73/door_threshold_leak005a.jpg

Last picture you can see the dark spot in front of the door where it keeps getting wet at

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y96/tytto73/door_threshold_leak007a.jpg

Hey, thanks guys for looking. If you think of something, suggestions/comments appreciated :)

[Weston]

I wonder... does it have the characteristics of being "wicked' under the door? whatever those are.

Missed your post Louis!

Could be... though I seem to remember it being a bit of a puddle in front of the door, so I wouldn't think the water soaking through the wood would make a puddle at the end. Not sure though

Also, if that is happening and I end up stopping the leak some and don't see any water wicking through - then who knows it may still be getting wet where I can't see it

[LooneyToonDad]

This is probably an after the fact question, but did you put the deck on after the studio part was built (ie does the deck have a ledger board) or are they both on the same supports? If there's a ledger board, did you use any type of z-flashing on it? I had leaks on my back deck into the basement wall and wicking into the subfloor because there wasn't any flashing and the water went straight through the bolt holes on my ledger board.

Just thought I'd throw it out there.

[Weston]

I did flash over the ledger board, but I'm not confident now that I did it "properly", especially where the ledger board goes under the doorway. I had no clue how to do it there... thus all of the caulk.

Thanks for bringing that up though. I think my last resort will be to tear the door out and bottom piece of siding to get to the deck and look at the flashing job better. I am just putting that off to see if the leak might be something more simple to take care of :confused:

[jeffus]

Stupid question....did the dogs pee on it from inside? :eek:

Or maybe the boy whizzed on it?

Can't rule out the impossible with kids around! ;)

Pee came to mind since Louis was the last one to post on this topic! :)

[Porschephile]

Nice looking art studio Weston atleast it's big enough for a sleepover, if she kicks you out of house for any reason right? Louis and Sao both have good idea's about the leaky door!

[jeffus]

What ?? Like a border collie? Arf! Arf! :p

[Weston]

Thanks Porsch

I've caulked everywhere I can think of including where the siding meets the door trim. Also there is a thick bead of caulk where the door trim meets the building.

Thanks for all the help guys...

I think I'm going to end up making the wife take a day off of work to watch the kids and I'll just have to bite the bullet and tear the siding and door out enough so I can access where the deck meets the building better. See if I need to reflash better and maybe will have a better idea where it is getting wet and getting in the building.

%^&$!!!

[jeffus]

I thought my dishwasher was leaking and tore it out, looked everywhere for a leak. Turns out the kid was spilling stuff near it while trying to get her dirty dishes into the sink.

Over the span of a couple days, it did enough damage that it looked like the dishwasher was leaking.

[DarthDaddy]

Sorry I can not help... Not too good with things like that...

However that is a really cool studio...

If this takes much longer it sounds like it might be your "Dog House"

Good Luck!

[sao95]

Meant to post and forgot :oops: I was thinking along the lines of Louis that if might be getting in high and running down the inside of the jamb? I noticed your pictures are all of the opening side of the door, is that where the puddle is?

[Weston]

Yeah, it puddles up just on the inside of the building next to the threshold.

I might do some more "experimenting" with the water hose and maybe even put a tarp temporarily over and around the door for when it rains again... see if I can eliminate the possibilities some.

[sao95]

no I meant "opening side" as in hinge side, swing side ;)

[Weston]

Not sure but I think it is coming in on both sides then pooling in the middle.

Hell, I don't know

[sao95]

:lol: another question, and to obvious but I have to ask, did you caulk around the prehung door trim?

[jeffus]

Was Louis' kid anywhere near it? :p

[Weston]

Was Louis' kid anywhere near it? :p

:D

[Weston]

:lol: another question, and to obvious but I have to ask, did you caulk around the prehung door trim?

yeah... up, down, and all around ;)