# Crawlspace door



## Cochese (Jan 12, 2010)

I know - I ask a lot of questions. And I seem to have about 50 projects I want to do at once.

I would like to replace my crawlspace door. I know what I want to do, and how to get there, but I don't know what materials I should use. It's an exterior door, on hinges to a wooden frame set into concrete block. I believe it is simply a 1/2 sheet of ply, painted to match the house.

What I'd like to do is have the exact same dimensions (approx 3'x2.25'), opening the same way, but I'd like to insulate the door. I was thinking 1x2 or 2x4 bracing (x inside a rectangle), with foam/glass insulation, and perhaps a poly sheet as a vapor barrier on the interior.

What should I use as the exterior panel? OSB? Ply?


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## Gene Howe (Jul 10, 2007)

We've had really good luck with painted plywood on a wellhead roof. We painted it with a product used on mobile home roofs. It's quite thick and lasts a long time. I don't know if a water based paint (to match your house color) over it would work, though. I'd think it would. We gave it 3 coats. 
A piece of 1 1/2" thick insulating foam would work easily for the interior. 
Just glue it on between the frame you described.


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## levon (Sep 14, 2008)

hi Chris,

im assuming your talking a crawlspace door and not a basement door?

living in Georgia and being an exterminator, i know the problems 1st hand of wood, even pt wood. i always advise anyone to get someone to fabricate a metal door and let that be the last door you put up. 

p.s. it probably wont cost much more. we have them made frequently.

yes, you can build it, will it last? no!


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Chris

They make crawlspace door kits just for that type of job, most are plated steel with foam insulation block that just snap into place...once you bolt it into place most come with rubber flap seals to keep the weather out..

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Cocheseuga said:


> I know - I ask a lot of questions. And I seem to have about 50 projects I want to do at once.
> 
> I would like to replace my crawlspace door. I know what I want to do, and how to get there, but I don't know what materials I should use. It's an exterior door, on hinges to a wooden frame set into concrete block. I believe it is simply a 1/2 sheet of ply, painted to match the house.
> 
> ...


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## Cochese (Jan 12, 2010)

I'm coming back to this, as I'm going to be doing it this weekend.

I considered a metal door, but I don't think that's in the current budget. And for the length of time I hope to stay in this house, I'd only have to replace the door maybe once, hopefully.

So, the construction aspect. The foundation is standard concrete block, and the current door is (probably) 1/2" ply backed with an unknown dimensional wood (1x4 seems likely).

I'd like this door to no longer be the weak link in keeping the crawl space free of bugs and cold air. While I'm not expecting an airtight seal, I'd like to get as close as possible. The opening already has a 2x6 wood frame, and except for one little bit where the hinges are mounted, looks to be in great shape. I don't need to replace it, except for that one side.

Two final questions, and I can build this thing:
1) is there a mathematical formula I can use to determine how much of an offset from the frame I need to be able to open/close it on a pivot without striking the frame? I think I can do this myself on paper, but if there's an online calculator or something I can double-check, that would be great.
2) what hinges should I use? Piano, Tee, strap?

OK, I may have answered my own question concerning #1.

If I have my wits about me, I need to calculate something like this:

Door dimensions - h*w*d = 54*37*5 (2x4 + 2 pieces of 3/4" ply) Looking at the door from the top, my door's _c_ length (the distance from the pivot corner to the opposite corner - the hypotenuse) can be no bigger that the width of the opening. So if my width across the opening is 37", then my _c_ length must default to 37" as well. Using Pythagorean theorem, my formula becomes a^2 (the new, unknown width of the door)+5^2 (depth)= 37^2. My door width is now 36.66", and I'll need to get weatherstripping to cover that 1/3 gap on the front side. Yes?


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Chris

Make your own , just stop by HD/Lowes pickup some of the metal angle iron they use for shelving with holes , pickup some out door plywood and tar paper and some roofing shingles , hand full of some car. bolts ,bolt the frame up with metal and plywood ,bolt on a pair of hinges,your done it in no time at all..

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Cocheseuga said:


> I'm coming back to this, as I'm going to be doing it this weekend.
> 
> I considered a metal door, but I don't think that's in the current budget. And for the length of time I hope to stay in this house, I'd only have to replace the door maybe once, hopefully.
> 
> ...


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## Cochese (Jan 12, 2010)

Started a bit on this Saturday. Took some PT 2x4 and made a frame with 45deg mitres. Have to screw everything up this week and put the plywood on.


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## levon (Sep 14, 2008)

hi Chris,

when you sell the house you will need a clearance letter.

our company has to exempt that portion of the house from being clear of termites etc.

wish you the best of luck with it.


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## Cochese (Jan 12, 2010)

We had that inspected as part of our purchase agreement and have it covered already. Not an issue.


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## levon (Sep 14, 2008)

im not sure if you mean you have your house under a yearly bond.

either way it will have to have an inspection when you sell it and may have to be inspected by a home inspector also.

like i say, i do hope you have good luck with it.

its an issue when we inspect one. pt 2x4's arent even rated for ingrown use, so if they touch the ground we cant clear that.


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## Cochese (Jan 12, 2010)

There's no wood that touches the ground. The bottom of the 'doorway' is cement block. We had an inspection done when we bought the house, and required treatment to pass FHA standards, as well as a vapor barrier. It has quarterly inspections, and no recurrence thus far since the purchase.

Of course, I've only spent about $20 on this, at best. If there's an alternative that costs even five times that, I'm all ears. I have to wonder at either the cost or weight of putting in anything metal, even if I made it myself. Again, this is a 3'x4.5' doorway.


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## levon (Sep 14, 2008)

that sounds good, most of the time the bottom of the door is so close that soil seems to pile up there. that is a big crawlspace door. 

i know no one wants to hear this that is trying to save money, and by that im not talking about you , but people who read this, but we recommend a heavy duty diiamond plate mesh mounted on a metal frame. 

up north this isnt practical, but here in Georgia, its a necessity to allow air under the house along with open ventilation. with enough ventilation you dont need vapor barriers.

but there are always a lot of problems that are built into homes that dont allow proper ventilation. examples are front concrete porches and the same type porch on the rear of the homes. also garages block foundation walls cut off ventilation. garages seldom have foundation vents.

and then you have these so called salesmen from orkin terminix and others that sell people temp vents. they never work and close off all ventilation to homes.

we see these problems daily and see people losing a lot of money.

but it sounds like you have everything under control Chris. the best of luck to you on this. i wasnt preaching , but have seen so many problems and maybe what i said might help someone sometime.


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## Cochese (Jan 12, 2010)

I always want to learn, especially from people who have more experience than I do.

It was one of the most confusing things about this house so far, is the difference in opinions about crawl spaces these days. Some people say vents, some say no vents and complete moisture control. The other issue we have is our furnace and water heater are in this space. From a lot of places I've read from, they state that this should be a conditioned space and without ventilation, but total moisture control. And since those are down there, the vapor barrier could not be installed (or, laziness interfered) under them. I wonder if the size of the door is directly related to moving these items under the house.

The other issue I seem to have too, is I can't seem to figure out how the system (furnace, A/C) was designed to get air. There is no return register that I have found, it looks like it gets the air directly from the crawlspace. The original system was in the attic, and the ducts are unfortunately still up there. I have fears we are going to have a multitude of issues trying to sell this house no matter what. All I know is to try and improve what I can as funds allow. I'd like to get those ducts out of the attic and put some more blow-in insulation up there, but I'm sure some issue would come up with it.

The current door has come off it's bottom hinge and there are huge gaps around it. I was hoping that replacing the door and perhaps temporarily blocking the two vents with foam until the temperature moderates would help keep that particular room a bit warmer.

I really should make a running diary thread on this house. I still need to replace the vent that has a raccoon-sized hole in it. Or at least take some mesh to it. We've had the roof replaced, the shed needs help, the backyard needs work, and I may have to do significant work on the carport. It's a nightmare. Not a complete wreck of the house, perhaps I'm a bit critical.

Oh yeah - either the people who remodeled it were horrible drywall joint tapers (to ceiling) or the hole house is separating from itself.


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## levon (Sep 14, 2008)

hi Chris,

a home is a never ending expense, lol.

my house was built in 1938 and i always have something i need to do to it.


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## Derek1980 (Mar 4, 2011)

I would use a product called forever door, it is a real tough plastic substance about 1/2 a inch thick. I used it for my crawlspace door. I found it on crawlspaceinfo.com


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