door,windows handrail

Page Three: The door, windows and handrail

Step nine: The door
The cutout piece of plywood saved from the door hole can now be made into the door. Trim the bottom edge (about 3/4") to ensure the door will easily open and sand the edges. There should be about 1/4" clearance both sides of the door.
Reinforce the door with 1x4 strips of wood nailed to the back.

Pack the door in place and screw on the hinges. See diagram.

Nail a piece of doorstop (1"x 1") down the doorjamb stud the thickness of the door in from the outside. This acts as both a doorstop and wind and weather seal.

A preferred door handle / lock / or latch can be fitted.

Step ten: The windows
Draw a window pattern such as an oblong or heart or 4 squares (keeping within the perimeters of the window frame) and cut out with a jigsaw. First drill a hole through the plywood using a drill bit large enough to make a hole that will accept the jigsaw blade.

Once the windows are cut out, cover with an oblong piece of 1/8" acrylic sheet (plastic glass) . Ensure the acrylic sheet is larger than the window holes to allow for waterproof mastic sealant and screwing.

The tops of the acrylic sheet on the sidewalls should tuck under the existing flashing.

Step eleven: The handrail
Cut the 1 1/2"x 3 1/2" top and bottom rails to length (to fit between the posts) and rebate them.
On one side only, pencil two lines 1" apart along the length in the center of the rails.(see handrail detail diagram).Set the blade on your circular saw to a depth of 3/4" and do repeated cuts along and between the two pencil lines.
Clean out with a chisel.
This will give you a rebated groove 1" wide x 3/4" deep along the center of the rails.

Cut 1x6 treated lumber board into 22 1/2" lengths and implement a pattern of your choice. The pattern shown in the handrail detail diagram is just one idea. Make the pattern on one piece of board and use that as a template to do the rest.

Fit the 1x6 board into the rebated grooves in the top and bottom rails.
This is best done by laying the top and bottom rails on the ground and then inserting the boards into the grooves.
If the number of boards does not work out exactly, one of the boards will need to be marked and ripped (cut) down. When one section is finished, tie a rope around each end so the boards will not fall out while that section is being installed. Nail each section in, and fix the rails to the posts with 4" galvanized nails. Do this to all 3 sections.

All Done. Eazy with a z. Have fun!

Materials List
1 1/2"x 5 1/2" stock for floor joists. 60ft of
3/4"x 3 1/2" stock for decking. 165ft of
1 1/2"x 2 1/2" stock for framing. 365ft of
1 1/2"x 2 1/2" treated stock for posts. 14ft of
1 1/2"x 3 1/2" stock for ridge beam. 8ft of
1 1/2"x 3 1/2" treated stock for handrail. 20ft of
1x6 treated stock for handrail vertical boards. 65ft of
1x4 stock for fascia, barge board, ridge capping and door backing. 60ft of
Galvanized horizontal weather strip flashing. 8ft of
1/8" thick perspex or similar plastic for windows. 16 sq ft of
Assorted nails, mastic sealant, hinges, door handle, misc