Hole in the Barn Door

Hole in the Barn Door is the name of a classic quilt pattern.

We didn’t really have a hole in the barn door, but we did have a hole in our front door, which is worse.
Casey, our old friend, came by this week to help us batten down the house for the winter. Casey did our kitchen remodel in 2003.

Our front door has been leaking for about 10 years. We’ve tried all sorts of solutions – new thresholds, more caulking, new weather stripping, new under-door sweeps. Nothing has worked. Several contractors have told us we needed a new door (they recommended steel). I just love our wooden door, which I bought on sale 25 years ago when the house was being built.

Casey started taking the whole frame apart and pulling up the threshold. He was preparing to put on a new under-door sweep when he found a soft spot in the wood. Robert probed the spot and found wood-rot. They pulled out the soft, splintery wood and there was a big hole.

I figured we would have to buy a new steel door. Casey thought perhaps the rotten spot could be cut out and filled in with a patch of new wood. I said, “Why not cut off the whole bottom of the door and replace it with a new board?”

The guys thought that was a good idea. Robert got the wood and dowels for the replacement while Casey cut off the door bottom.
Casey put the whole thing together, repainted the bottom of the door, added more weather stripping, put on a new sweep, and hung it back up. Rain is predicted for tomorrow. ...