Fitting the GBS Performance side door

The side door of the house was inward opening, clashing with the cupboard-under-the-stairs access door as well as the bathroom entrance, and sweeping across the tiny corridor. An outward opening door would solve these problems so this was included with the order for the extension door set and windows. The door is from the Green Building Store Performance range, with triple glazed panel and a U value of 0.8 W/m2K.

This fine door has been sitting around in our house for more than a year, and finally I got fed up with it being in the way, and me thinking the fitting through over and over again so that on 10 November I decided to finally just do it. It was going to be a nice day, and if winter decided to come knocking it could take until March to get this job done.

The old door was fitted with steel lugs sunk in the frame so unfortunately the saw and angle grinder had to come out to get it removed.

The door is projected out into the EWI layer with the inside of the door flush with the pre-EWI outside. It is resting on 100mm of CompacFoam200, bolted to the outer leaf with 3 stainless M8 studs with counterplates and lock nuts on the inside, and recessed EWI fixings heads, washers & locknuts on the outside. The CompacFoam was buttered with Parabond adhesive before mounting and looking at the adhesive being squeezed out when tightening the nuts was very reassuring.

The door was fitted with a 18mm marine ply head plate and straps at the sides. these were all screwed to the masonry on the inside. Although an all around plywood/OSB box makes achieving airtightness easier, it would have reduced the door size even further as the structural opening size is of course fixed.

Bricks of the outer leaf are folded back and where they meet the inner leaf it is all less than perfect and very uneven, making an airtight seal to the door a challenge. In the end, Siga Majpell 5 airtightness membrane was taped to the door and folded over the brickwork, then  covered with 6mm OSB, shaped to level out the wall. Insulated plasterboard was screwed to the OSB, leaving the inner reveal smooth and hopefully well insulated.

The door closes with a reassuring thud and the inside stays free of condensation and I feel no drafts so I am happy. The airtightness foil is taped to the masonry, and where possible buried in render or plastered over.

I have not got much of an idea yet how to make it all look nice in the end, but with the MVHR taking most of the door head out of sight anyway it is not time to call in the plasterers just yet.