Bing, bang, boom, we’ve got a door in our bedroom.  Wow, that sounds very Dr. Seuss.  I guess that’s bound to happen when I’m around little people all day.

As long as we’ve got half-finished projects, I’m going to refer to it as ‘construction chic.’  As in, “Oooh la la, look at those fancy exposed shims!  It’s tres construction chic.”  Anyway, I’m almost certain I’ve mentioned our plan to replace the old window with a sliding door.

These old windows were on their last leg.  Barely able to open, fogged up, and peeling.

Wanting to take full advantage of the best views in the house, we settled on a sliding patio door and narrow balcony combo.  In my dream world, French doors, but the space doesn’t allow for a door swing.  From hole in the wall:

Onto a framed in hole in the wall:

Finally to a full door.

Adding 4 inches of insulation to the exterior bumps out every window and door.  Windows get deeper sills, and doors, well, they get transition strips.  Filling the gap isn’t difficult.  I’ll have to stain and seal a strip of oak that we can nail in place.

Totally worth it to be able to see mountains while still laying in bed.  Even if it has been a sort of hazy.

As a trade-off, we obviously have less privacy.  In terms of window coverings, I think I’ll treat the door just as I would a window.  Functional floor length curtains are my favorite.  Blinds are annoying to me; can’t stand the cords.

Outside, things are looking equally ‘construction chic’ despite the sun making the painted gray look primer beige.

The ladder scaffolding standing in for the balcony is stunning.  You know what else looks hot?  Four different materials in this section of the front.  Keepin’ it classy, Montana.

Along the bottom, Ben hung a rim joist, which the rest of the 3 foot deep balcony will extend from.  Above that, a gap for the decking boards and a small space before the siding starts.  Next step, caulking seams and then paint.  Replacing the bathroom window (the one between the two doors) and hanging steel must happen before we can build the balcony.  Until then, we’ve got the door locked and a tension rod up top so little humans can’t fall out.

With the front sections so broken up, it’s easier to focus on and get one chunk done at a time.  Compared to the back and garage sides, this feels quick.  At least to me.  I’m only responsible for fetching tools and holding pieces when necessary.