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Door details

Needing to fix the debris problem on the doors, we decided to take this opportunity to add some details to the doors. We decided to continue with the Shaker door style-like our kitchen cabinets.

We went to Home Depot, picked out a simple looking piece of trim and ended up buying 10 x 14' pieces. We decided to buy the exact amount of trim and come back for more if we needed it. Thanks to the HD staff for helping me tie it down to our RAV4!



Between Allison and I, we calculated out that we had exactly the right amount of trim, with only a slight margin of error. I put together a miter saw station with my newly acquired Delta miter saw, donated to me by one of my brother's friends and got to work. I have to give a shout out to This Old House who had a video on how to cut and install trim. It took me about two evenings to cut everything without needing to buy more. Our calculations were correct, even with a few cutting mistakes.


With all of the frames cut and assembled, it was time to nail them to the doors. All of the frames are centered on the door and are secured with wood glue and nails. (I went out and bought a nail set and a nail gun, which really sped up the job.) I used an old piece of trim to line up the frames with each other. After nailing them down, I went around and used the nail set to nail in any nail heads that were sticking up. Then I filled all of the holes with wood putty.

One very important lesson I learned assembling the frames was to make sure your project is square. Otherwise, it might look odd and/or throw off its installation. So check your work and make sure it's square!


I put the kids to work on the doors. They sanded down the wood putty, wiped up the dust and squished the caulk into the gaps between the frames and the doors. This was their first time helping me with the condo and they did a great job!



We finished all of the prep today and now I'm ready to prime the doors again. I hope it goes better this second time around!

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