Removing exterior shelter and door and sealing up wall?

[Ironman1079]

just got done with reroofing my garage and plan on starting another project come next spring/summer and want to get some thoughts and opinions on the best way to achieve this.

i recently added a door in my back yard to enter house so this side door/mudroom is no loner an entrance that i use. i normally only use it to start my garden plants indoor in early spring.

the whole thing is built on concrete, not sure if it is solid or not.

the door leads into my tiny kitchen so removing this door and putting up a wall would give me more room for cabinets and cupboards in the future.

anyone done anything like this in the past as for as removing something like this.

thanks....

[Mr T]

Remove the trim around the door (do the outside too if its possible), remove the door. Take a sawzall and cut through the door frame about half way up on each side and the door frame will pop right out in a few pieces. Piece of cake...

Put down a toe plate, attach a stud to each side of the door frame to give you something to nail drywall/sheating to. Put a stud down the middle. Add sheating to match your house material. Insulate and drywall the inside. If its counterspace, you may want to extend some electric to that area for outlets.

The enclosure should come off fairly easy. THe steps may take come work to break up. You can rent eletric power hammers from tool stores. Its a handheld jackhammer. Punch a bunch of holes in it and it should crumble fairly easy with a few sledge swings.

Finding matchign siding may be a challage. If someone in your area is putting on an addition or residing, see if you can get some of theirs that they are pulling off. Worst case you may have to have some made at a millshop. Take a piece in. The setup costs will kill you but the cost of running the wood through will be cheap.

Go to a liibrary and get a remodeling book. Removing a door is a common task, there should be some step by step guides in there. G'luck, let us know how it turns out.

[Bumblerazz]

I agree. It's dead easy. And you're lucky, you've got an easy set up. You can do the job in stages since you have an exterior door as well, so no worries about weather (i.e.: do the inside door first, then dissamble the mud room).

Just think ahead a bit for power, both for the kitchen as well as any lighting/exterior outlets you might want for your parking lot/driveway.

Just make sure that removal of the door doesn't break any building codes for fire exits/escape routs for the building (I know you said you've put a door in the back, but it's always good to check).

[Ironman1079]

(i.e.: do the inside door first, then dissamble the mud room).

).

thanks for both the replys.

i didnt even think about that, but makes perfect sense to do the interior door first.
that way, i can seal it all up before i rip down exterior shelter....good point.

thanks.

[Mr T]

And put your cats in the other room, or they will want to 'help' :D

If you want to put a outlet there easily. Carefully remove the outlet box visible in the pic without damaging the wiring. I found that cutting around the edge of the box with a drywall saw gives you just about the opening you need to install a old-work box. You can use a hack saw blade or a saber saw to cut the nails/nail plate. Once its out, carefully drill through the studs from the doorway (gotta do it before you stud the door in) and with a long bit you can hit that outlet opening with ease. aim above or below it. Pull wire, replace the box with a old work, install a new box where the door is and you are all set.

With this in mind, a kitchen counter circuit can not serve a outside light (or any lights for that matter) or anything else. If as mentioned earlier, you need outside electric, or plan to move the dishwasher there, you need to pull a new circuit or tap into another non-kitchen counter circuit (or other dedicated)

Good luck.

[scuba_dave]

I think I'd leave the outside up, unless you really hate it
You could still use it as a "greenhouse"
And if you ever change your mind, you could easily re-install the interior door
I've added a 7' x 10' greenhouse on the back of my house
It also cuts down on wind & helps keep the house warmer in the winter
Getting rid of that concrete base may be a pain

[Ironman1079]

I think I'd leave the outside up, unless you really hate it
You could still use it as a "greenhouse"
And if you ever change your mind, you could easily re-install the interior door
I've added a 7' x 10' greenhouse on the back of my house
It also cuts down on wind & helps keep the house warmer in the winter
Getting rid of that concrete base may be a pain

yeah, like i mentioned, i only use it as a greenhouse now in the spring, but from inside, it is wasted space that could give me alot more cupboard space.

i have the whole fall/winter to think about it though...........