A couple of days of doors

I finished up my week working for some awesome running friends--Michael and Chrissy Whitten. They selected a ThermaTru Classic Craft Rustic Oak door--a two panel plank design with a cherry stain. This is ThermaTru's top-of-the-line door and will last them years and years. The main thing that fails on entry doors is the jamb. The Classic Craft line has composite jambs, and will never rot, split, or warp.

The old door--a fir craftsman style door already has a new home--and is scheduled to be installed for another of my running friends.

Chrissy had me reinstall the dragonfly door knocker, which doubles as a wreath hanger.

Installing entry doors is usually a fairly easy chore for me--but this threshold had been set in a heavy bed of adhesive, and I turned a B+ wood chisel into a D- one chipping all the hardened goo from the slab. I duplicated the glue-bed by emptying a whole tube of SolarSeal 900 and bedded the new threshold permanently onto the slab. Someday, someone may hate me for that--althoughI am sure this door will never be replaced.


I also trimmed off the bottoms of a dozen interior doors which were rubbing on the carpet. Again, this is an easy job--with the right tools. The crucial procedure is setting the doors onto the saw horses and always making sure you're cutting off the correct end of the door. Scoring the cut line with a box knife insures a clean cut and keeps the edge from splintering. A dozen cuts, and a half dozen trips up and down the stairs--and the job was done.

Thank you, Chrissy, for the cookies, company, and pictures.

ThermaTru doors--the best solution

I am continually impressed with ThermaTru Doors. This is a company that has a wide array of quality door selections. They have a value Traditions steel door, a premium Profiles steel door, a Smooth-Star fiberglass door, a mid priced Fiber Classic in an oak or mahogany grain, and the Classic Craft series is as elegant of door as you'll find anywhere--available in oak, mahogany,  fir, rustic, and canvas grain.

ThermaTru's steel doors are miles better than the big box steel doors-on-the-shelf. Just stop by your ginormous home center and observe all the dents in their steel door displays. With ThermaTru, you have to get raunchy to put a dent in their doors.

There are thousands of glass/door combinations, and while you can spend a lot of time picking out the perfect door, it's easy to select a door that will look awesome on your home.

Why pick a fiberglass door over a steel or wood door? This comparison chart from the ThermaTru website explains it well.

Wood Doors vs. Steel Doors vs. Fiberglass Doors

Even after 25 years, fiberglass remains the most advanced material for entryways — able to satisfy both today’s and tomorrow’s homeowners by giving them the look of wood doors and the strength of steel doors, without the compromises of either. In fact, fiberglass doors offer just what homeowners want* — the optimum combination of security, energy efficiency, performance and aesthetics. Therma-Tru not only pioneered the fiberglass door category but we continue to lead the industry.

Wood Doors Limitations	Cheap Steel Doors Limitations	Fiberglass Doors Limitations
Expensive Absorbs moisture Can peel or bubble out Can bow, warp or twist Will fade Not energy efficient Requires regular maintenance Advantages	Easily dented Scratches can lead to rust Paint chipping can be common Conducts temperature; cold or hot to the touch Advantages	None Advantages
Beautiful wood grain High end look Scratches easily repaired Warm feel and touch	Lower maintenance No cracking or bowing Less expensive Energy efficient Good insulating value Secure	Lowest maintenance Resists denting and scratching Offers wood grain and smooth finish look Won’t rot, deteriorate or rust Energy efficient Can be painted or stained Won’t warp, bow or twist Five times the insulation value of wood Secure

ThermaTru.com has a build-your-door generator which lets you play with the different door grains and glass packages. Add in a transom and sidelights to see how it'll look. We would love to help you in selecting a door for your house--whether it be an elegant door with transoms or sidelights, a french door to replace that old sliding patio door, or just a simple single door. 

Work stuff that's running-related

I have not been running much, but I have been around it. My super-great friends at RunnersWorld are moved into their new huge multi-faceted store, and I have helped build some of their displays. 
This has been fun--getting to hang out with friends and such. Plus--it's been some inside work on super cold days--BONUS!!


No, I did not move or create the signs. It involved wiring, and the extent of my electrical expertise is plugging an extension cord into a wall socket.


I do have some expertise in spending money at Lowe's and Home Depot though!!



These 2'x 8' shelves were a snap, but were heavy to move. We joked about them getting double-duty as coffins.

This was actually an unpopular post on Facebook. (There were a few peeps who were less than amused.)


Building the cash wrap was a huge challenge. I can't say I breezed through it. I actually have a bald spot from scratching  my head  and saying "hmmmmm."


The marble top had to be reused, as did the counter-top on the inside of the half round structure. I made the walls to fir the marble, before considering the curve of the counter-top. It was a tighter curve. (More head scratching here.) However, with some minor modifications and some good fortune, it all came together.


Weighing 10,000 lbs, this fixture will never move. In case of a tornado, this would be a good shelter.


Besides my poor skills with electrical wiring, my plumbing skills also suck. The most skillful feat of plumbing on my resume is remembering to put the seat down, and I only get a C- on that.. Kathy had this vision of displays made out of galvanized steel pipes. (Could that be called a "pipe dream"?) I think she could have built all of these pipe displays herself, but I was eager to lend a hand. I was confident I could fit these pipes together and guarantee they would not leak.


Kathy wasted no time in filling these racks up.


Notice the metal trim on the edge of the plywood. That is steel shelf tracking, and Kathy thought it would look good along the edge of the wood. It DOES look good. The girl has the knack.


Kathy, as well as Derk and Barbara have worked their hineys off getting the store put together, and it is awesome. This series of projects was a great challenge, and I loved every bit of it.

A comparison of thermal conducivity of various building materials

Thermal conductivity of some common materials and products are indicated in the table below.

• 1 W/(m.K) = 1 W/(m.oC) = 0.85984 kcal/(hr.m.oC) = 0.5779 Btu/(ft.hr.oF)
• Conduction will take place if there exist a temperature gradient in a solid (or stationary fluid) medium.
• Energy is transferred from more energetic to less energetic molecules when neighboring molecules collide. Conductive heat flow occurs in the direction of the decreasing temperature since higher temperatures are associated with higher molecular energy. 
• Fourier's Law express conductive heat transfer as q = k A dT / s (1)
•  A = heat transfer area (m2, ft2)
•  k = thermal conductivity of the material (W/m.K or W/m oC, Btu/(hr oF ft2/ft))
•  dT = temperature difference across the material (K or oC, oF)
•  s = material thickness (m, ft)

Krypton                      .0088
Argon                         .016
Acrylic                        .02
Oxygen                       .024
Cotton                        .029
Polystyrene                 .03
Polyurethane foam       .03
Styrafoam                   .033
Wool blankets            .04
Fiberglass                   .04
Fiber insulation board .048
Plywood                    .13
Pine                           .147
Oak                           .17
Gypsum                     .17
Vinyl                         .25
Water                       .58
Concrete                  1.0 - 1.8
Glass (single pane)    1.05
Slate                         2.01
Marble                     2.08 - 2.94
Ice                           2.18
Rock                        2 – 7
Stainless steel           16
Lead                        35
Carbon steel             54
Tin                           67
Platinum                   70
Nickel                      91
Brass                       109
Zinc                         116
Aluminum                 250
Gold                         310
Copper                    400

Taken from http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/conductive-heat-transfer-d_428.html

A table of materials and their conductvity

This list can be used to compare different materials used in construction and particularly windows and doors. The ratings given for aluminum as compared to vinyl or wood are significant. It is accurate to say that vinyl as a window material is 1000 times more energy efficient than aluminum, and that pine is 1700 times more energy efficient. Now to be realistic, most of the surface in windows is glass,  where vinyl is a mere 4 times more energy efficient than single pane glass. Make that glass thermal pane with a non-conductive spacer system, and add in argon (or krypton) gas, and you have a superior window from a efficiency standpoint. The material that conducts the quickest--copper, which is why it is used for electrical wiring. Also, it's good to know where wool blankets rank in the mix.

Thermal conductivity of some common materials and products are indicated in the table below.
* 1 W/(m.K) = 1 W/(m.oC) = 0.85984 kcal/(hr.m.oC) = 0.5779 Btu/(ft.hr.oF)
* Conduction will take place if there exist a temperature gradient in a solid (or stationary fluid) medium.
* Energy is transferred from more energetic to less energetic molecules when neighboring molecules collide. Conductive heat flow occurs in the direction of the decreasing temperature since higher temperatures are associated with higher molecular energy. Fourier's Law express conductive heat transfer as q = k A dT / s
* A = heat transfer area (m2, ft2)
* k = thermal conductivity of the material (W/m.K or W/m oC, Btu/(hr oF ft2/ft))
* dT = temperature difference across the material (K or oC, oF)
* s = material thickness (m, ft)

Thermal conductivity of some common materials and products are indicated in the table below.
 1 W/(m.K) = 1 W/(m.oC) = 0.85984 kcal/(hr.m.oC) = 0.5779 Btu/(ft.hr.oF)
 Conduction will take place if there exist a temperature gradient in a solid (or stationary fluid) medium.
 Energy is transferred from more energetic to less energetic molecules when neighboring molecules collide. Conductive heat flow occurs in the direction of the decreasing temperature since higher temperatures are associated with higher molecular energy. Fourier's Law express conductive heat transfer as
 q = k A dT / s (1)
 where
 A = heat transfer area (m2, ft2)
 k = thermal conductivity of the material (W/m.K or W/m oC, Btu/(hr oF ft2/ft))
 dT = temperature difference across the material (K or oC, oF)
 s = material thickness (m, ft)

Krypton                       .0088
Argon                          .016
Acrylic                         .02
Oxygen                        .024
Cotton                         .029
Polystyrene                  .03
Polyurethane foam       .03
Styrafoam                    .033
Wool blankets             .04
Fiberglass                    .04
Fiber insulation board  .048
Plywood                     .13
Pine                            .147
Oak                            .17
Gypsum                      .17
Vinyl                           .25
Water                         .58
Concrete                    1.0 - 1.8
Glass (single pane)      1.05
Slate                           2.01
Marble                       2.08 - 2.94
Ice                             2.18
Rock                         2 – 7
Stainless steel            16
Lead                         35
Carbon steel              54
Tin                            67
Platinum                    70
Nickel                       91
Brass                        109
Zinc                          116
Aluminum                 250
Gold                        310
Copper                    400

Taken from http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/conductive-heat-transfer-d_428.html

A leap of faith, and my first project under my own new company

Since I was 16 years old, and even before then if I count years being a helper to dad and grandpa, I have been involved in specialized home improvement work--mostly with doors and windows. Besides working as a helper, I have installed for Sears from 1976-1986,  and Mill Creek from 1986-1996. In 1996, I got into commission sales for Mill Creek, and worked there 10 years. From 2007 to present, I sold for Allied Home Specialties and Windows by Jeff. One week ago, I took a leap of faith, and began being my own boss.

'It is exciting, and a mere seven days in, I have been busy and have one nice window replacement lined up and a few good prospects. I am really thankful and trusting God to bless this endeavor. I have 1100 Facebook friends, and if the encouraging comments on my status updates are a good indicator, things are going to be AWESOME. My friends Mike and Diana Snyder have their house in Broken Arrow as a rental, and I have helped them in the past with clean-up and repairs between renters. They now live in St Petersburg FL and the maintenance has been tough. Property managers have seemed to be unreliable, yet expensive. They needed help again this time and this could not have come at a better time. This has been my every day project this past week, and I'll have it shining like a new car by the weekend.
The front yard got a haircut. The back yard was slain with a machete and baled. Ceiling fans were adjusted/replaced, walls and trim were painted, utility room was retiled, and new carpet was installed.


The kitchen spills right into the breakfast nook, which opens up into the spacious living room. Many a time have I lounged around during trail running gatherings at Mike and Diana's, and this is one comfortable house for entertaining.


Mike and Diana now refer to me as their property manager, and that has me thinking that I need to get a few more gigs like this.

Green Country Carpets did the carpet, and they were courteous, hardworking, prompt, and honest. I'd use them again.


The dining room had been a two-tome blue, and I painted it a driftwood color, which matches the adjoining hallway and kitchen walls. I barely had it done by the time the carpet went in--no color splash on the new threads!

 
I still have a long list of small clean-up tasks ahead of me, and should be tackling them instead of typing about them.

On the agenda for today--a rebuild of 13 feet of fence.