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Installing a door with exterior rigid insulation

user-7005676| Posted inEnergy Efficiency and Durabilityon

I feel comfortable installing all my windows as “outies”, …I feel I can support and anchor them comfortable, but what about a heavy sliding glass door…wouldn’t that have to set on solid framing? I plan to go 2×6 walls, with 2 layers of 1.5 rigid insulation, rain screen, and cedar siding. I have been looking at youtube videos, finehomebuilding, this site and others and can’t find the details on how to install a heavy sliding glass door with rigid foam on the outside…please help.
Thanks,
Jeff

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Replies

  1. GBA Editor
    Martin Holladay||#1

    Jeff,
    For advice on this topic, see a previous Q&A thread:"Outie doors."

  2. Joel Cheely||#2

    I wrestled with that also and decided to make all windows outies; all doors(except one) are innies. It's working out well as I used two layers of 1 1/2" rigid insulation and substituted a 2x4 for the outside layer where I needed a nailer for trim. I did not trust trying to support the weight of a large door on material attached to side of rim joist.

  3. user-7005676||#3

    Thanks guys, what about adding one or two layers (3 inches to match rigid insulation) to extend the floor out. So the sill would sit on this extended floor ..maybe structural lags tied back into the rim joists? I would lose the insulation value of the rigid foam, but could insulate in the basement.

  4. GBA Editor
    Martin Holladay||#4

    Jeff,
    It's up to you. But if you want to install two 2x6s, one on top of the other, to your rim joist with either long carriage bolts or long lag screws, you could do that.

  5. user-7005676||#5

    Hi Martin,
    I'm new to using this site, when you said look at "outie doors"...do I just type that in the search engine above to get to the information you were referring to?
    Thanks,
    Jeff

  6. GBA Editor
    Martin Holladay||#6

    Jeff,
    The words "Outie doors" are a link. Click the words to be transferred to the page I was talking about.

  7. user-7005676||#7

    Thanks Martin...it worked slick!

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