I had a wall rebuilt with concrete block. I decided to install a sliding glass door in the wall, and had the contractor leave an opening for the door. The wall is much thicker than the door (especially if I put up 2x4 studs and drywall inside).

1. Should I paint waterproofing on the block for extra moisture protection?
2. Should I install the door to be flush with the outside or flush with the inside?

Thanks in advance for your advice!

Best Regards.

 

If your not using a nailing fin, it'd be easier in the big picture for you the homeowner to flush it to the interior wall then build out the exterior jambs and paint, or hire somebody to come in and cap it.

Or you could install it to the outside, cover the nailing fin paint and cap, then finish the inside with beautiful wood work.

Either way, it's upto you. Just be sure to buck the opening before you install the door.

 

Thanks for your advice!

It is a very nice wood door. I was wondering if I needed to use the nail fin, and if not, what is the best way to attach to concrete?

What do you mean "buck" the opening?

Thanks again.

 

Yoou need to use 2x pressure treated lumber around the inside of the opening, this will give you something to nail/screw into when you get ready to install the door unit, finish jamb material, and casing.

You can go either route for attaching to opening, nailing fins are alot easeir IMO, especially in this situation where you have a "new" opening to work with. Otherwise if just installing the door unit itself you'll have to install insdie/outside stops-these sandwich the door unit after unit is installed/shimmed into place.

 

You have been very helpful.

The opening only has 1 3/4" room on the sides (total, so about 3/4" room on each side).

At my friendly Lowe's store, I found 1x6x8, which I was planning on using on the sides, but they say they are "treated appearance board". What is that and is it okay to use it?

Thanks again for your assistance, it makes this daunting task much easier.

 

Never heard of "treated apperance boards", might be material I'm familiar with, just a different name is all. Too many things in the big construction picture for one person to know all of them LOL.

When they laid the block they "should've" left a rough opening of 75" x 83" to allow proper wood framing prior to patio door install. Only leaving enough room for a 1x on each side is going to make solid attachment a PITA, you'll have to either use the right length trim screws/treated/painted screws or casing nails to anchor the patio door jambs to the wood buck (rough opening wood jamb) If you use a nailing fin, 3/4" of an inch (actually 7/8" to account for swell due to pressure treating) is not a very wide target to hit without splitting or attaining full mechanical strength if a screw/nail goes anything less than perfectly straight into the wood. You'll probably have to predrill prior to nailing/screwing the fin into the 1x's.

Otherwise your only other option would be to get some concrete screws (Tapcons) and anchor the door to the block using them and boring straight into the block. Major PITA, but doable.

Depending on size of block you used, be sure a 1x8 will completely cover the block. I've always bought 2x10's and ripped them down to width to completely cover the block jambs, use construction adhesive prior to placing boards, then Tacon screw them into place. You should do the same, only use 1x10's since you dont have proper clearnace, or have them come back and cut out a peice of the wall so you can frame it with proper material. If they framed it knowing you were installing a patio door, you could use the fact that they should've known what the rough dimension should be, or they shoudl've at least inquired with you first to clear them of any problems in framing-I've been there done this when building on block foundations that homies "knew" a guy that could do it cheap, then when we got there it causes problems. That's why when we as owners get with guys we trust/work with we stick with 'em since we know what to expect of each other.

Just remember ANY wood that comes into direct contact with the cement floor/block walls MUST be treated as they draw moisture and will start rotting/molding up regular lumber over time. ALSO, if you decide to have the exterior wrapped with aluminum, be sure any aluminum coming into direct contact with the treated lumber has 2 layers of building wrap (ie Tyvek) covering the pressure treated. This new Arsenic free lumber has chemicals in it that will literally eat/deteriorate the aluminum. Call backs havebeen coming in for ahile with other builders and I have 1 major job where I need to replace quite a few panels of aluminum siding under a porch we built due to this. Day late and a dollar short from the building materials dept. finnding out about this nice little side effect from the new treated lumber.