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| Older steel bulkhead doors can present a real danger over time. Rusted, heavy steel doors can pose a threat, especially to children. A safe alternative is a lightweight, high density polyethylene bulkhead that never rusts and does not need painting. |
Start by removing the old basement door, which will likely be attached to the foundation with rivets driven directly into the concrete. |
The following techniques could be used on any rusted fasteners that can’t be unscrewed. First, be sure to wear eye protection. Then place a chisel at the base of the rivet head, and hammer it with a 2-lb. sledge to attempt to remove it. |
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| If the chisel only lifts the rivet head without removing it entirely, try using either a reciprocating saw fitted with a metal-cutting blade . . . |
...or with a 4.5" grinder. Note that this tool will throw off red-hot sparks, so full face protection is necessary. |
Now remove the metal rods, tension springs, or any other parts that secure the door hinges to the frame. |
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| With all the fasteners gone, corrosion should be the only thing holding the frame to the foundation.
Use a pry bar or two to pop the frame loose. |
If any flashing remains under your shingles, tap it out with a hammer. |
Now you're ready to install your new frame. |
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| This project features a high-density polyethylene door from Bilco. If your new frame is larger than the old one and your home has shingles, trace the outline of the new frame onto your wall, then trim the shingles back with a small battery-powered circular saw. |
Cut away the remaining shingles at the rounded corner with a hammer and chisel. |
Next, you should measure to make sure the frame is square. Otherwise, the doors won't fit! The best way to do this is to measure from corner to corner and make sure each diagonal is the same length. |
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| If everything is in the right place, mark the location of the mounting holes with a permanent magic marker or felt-tip pen. Then use a punch to make a small depression in the center of each of your marks. This will prevent the drill bit from wandering when you drill holes at these spots. |
Use a hammer drill with a carbide-tip masonry bit to drill holes in the concrete foundation at these points. Before you do so, hold your plastic anchors up against your drill bit. Put some tape around the drill bit past the anchor's length; this is a depth gauge that will help you to drill holes at the perfect depth to accept the anchors. |
After drilling holes at all of the mounting area marks, make sure to vacuum away the dust (it's almost impossible to properly insert an anchor in a hole that's filled with dust). Then insert a plastic anchor into each hole. |
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