Hedwig is out of Commission

- for the time being anyway....

This is the driver side, rear suspension support arm. Cracked just above the axle. Looking for a replacement for a part that should never need it. I actually thought I had a flat tire but it was just that the spring seat (to the right of this picture) was sagging down.

The Back Door - Installation

Here is the new door from Jeld Wen (Home Depot $188). A steel, nine-light pre-hung door. Very nice. Very durable.


Dry fitting the door. It fits!


What's going on? Just you wait, some of this is for you Nico!


I actually thought that this would take most of Saturday and some of Sunday and I'd be done. Boy was I wrong. Saturday removal and clean up. Sunday I got the door hung and started to figure out how to fix the trim and the threshold. Monday working on priming trim and installing the new storm door. The storm door is from Larsen ($224 from Lowes). Great door, lifetime warranty, many many instructions.

The door(s) in and trim re-installed. Back is sore and I'm wiped out.

Nico likes. Now he can be on squirrel patrol and he won't have to wait for someone to open the door for him. Lounge in the sun for a while then come back in to cool off. Ah - the life.

The Back Door - Removal

The back door has been a leaky, creaky, rotting piece of junk since we bought the house. You'd turn the knob, put your shoulder into the door and jiggle the handle just right and you'd get it to open. The diagonal stays you see on the door are really the only thing holding it together.

Time to replace it.


The threshold feels a bit weak.


Oh - that's why.


Door has been removed and the rough opening revealed.


Of course, a couple pieces of trim cracked and broke when I removed them.