A New Security Door in the Basement

Over the course of many weekends, Bob was helping to install a new security door for us in the basement. The old door was… well, pretty old actually. And not all that secure. So it was something we’ve needed for a good while now.

In addition to just putting in the new door, there was a lot of repair work related to the bricks on the North side of the door – an area that needed some cleanup and strengthening.

Beneath the threshold of the door.

The old door, which was pretty huge source of drafts in the basement.

Liz, doing what we learned was a “rat pour” of concrete. It wasn’t meant to be precise or pretty, just something that was “enough to keep the rats out.”

A bit of Visqueen helped keep the cold at bay, allowing work to continue on the inside.

The new security door, in place.

Liz, helping to inspect some of the bricks on the outside.

Unfortunately for us, we had misplaced the accessories that came with the door (the keys, the strike plate, etc). So we ended up having to order a new set from Home Depot before we could officially finish the installation.

Bob, showing Liz how to go about setting and installing the hardware.

While Bob was working on the door, Liz and I continued to mix cement and apply it to the bricks in the back area. Snapped this photo because it was messier than usual (a huge splash shot out of the mixer, and hit Liz’s leg).

Putting down the threshold.

The new door, locks installed, secure and snug!

The new door from the outside, looking in. It’s a silly thing to say, but this is really pretty to us.

Having a new security door in the basement is another one of those big milestones for us. It seems that there is a never-ending list of things that need to get done in the basement… but to have this particular item checked off the list? It’s huge.

Related:
Tuesday Night, Working in the Basement
The Basement Shuffle