Not much to report this month except on two fronts. I ordered the InsoFast internal insulation and designed and built a framing structure that will work for any internal wall as well as the end wall used to hold a patio sliding glass door WITH enough structure to hold a mini-split HVAC system above as well.
Internal Insulation Ordered! ETA, mid November.
Insofast can be installed inside, outside, or both if you live in Northern climates.
Internal Wall Framing
Assembly instructions for framing with a sliding patio door
Next comes the inner frame, or buck, that your sliding door frame will mount to. The “inner box” can be installed on either side depending on your layout needs.
Last step. Dry fit and install last two components, using standard installation methods (flashing tape, caulking, etc.)
All containers are built to (fairly) strict standards. That said, dry fit all of your components to make sure everything is as planned before securing in place. For example, many of the weld beads prohibit a square fit into any internal corners requiring a bit of trimming to fit them flush.
And, of course, dry fit everything before you start screwing anything together.
Yes, that’s pressure treated lumber for the bottom piece.
The slot left between the two top sill 2×4’s will come in handy if you need to route power lines down to the side box. It’s advisable to screw in a spacer block or three to keep any wiring from getting pinched or chaffed in final assembly.
I don’t have a finished and screwed and glued-in-place image just yet. The frame and its inner box are finished but set aside next to the sliding glass door for the time being to make sure I can get other components in and out more easily. The two planned window bucks aren’t that big, but the “H”-frame we have planned for the back door is going to be WAY too big to get thru a sliding glass door.
UPDATE (June 2021): Glad we waited on the external framing final assembly as we ended up needing a wide opening to bring things in and out. LESSON LEARNED: Strongly recommend building from the inside, out. Especially the large components like door frames and inner wall framings.
Next month…we start on the window cuts, window bucks, and InsoFast insulation installation. Stay Tuned!
Thales of Miletus 