Customer Reviews

Installing Doors & Windows

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I bought this video for our interns to help them with what can be a very difficult task of fitting new doors in old openings. The material on doors is good, especially if you're interested in creating your own jambs. However, I must say the the information on windows was short and very dated. I don't believe any mention was made of proper flashing techniques, or really any information with how to detail the exterior opening. This is a major omission considering improper flashing techniques can cause very expensive and obtrusive damage in a home quite easily. Therefore, I cannot recommend this video to anyone looking for in-depth knowledge of window installation.

Informative and well produced, a great tutorial video on how to install doors and windows in a traditional old-school manner. No storebought templates or Home Depot pre-hung doors here, folks. And Tom Law uses some great old-world tools, - a Yankee? It's almost like my grandfather has come back to life. Gramps probably would have loved it; he always said hanging doors properly is the true test of a good carpenter. Or that he hated doing it; I forget.

Tom takes the high road and puts forward the correct procedures for installing doors and windows on a purpose-built set. At first I was put off by the scholastic approach, I was looking for immediate answers to a problem I was facing, not a lengthy classroom session. However, if you take the time to learn how to hang doors and install windows in the ideal setting, that knowledge can then be adapted to reality, and this video is a great way to get back to the fundamentals of these challenging tasks. Even though the bad-on-purpose "disaster door" is a bit contrived, it offers a good way to learn how to solve common problems without resorting to Bob Villa-esqe chicanery. . There are a great many tips and tricks that may be new to you, I have learned that with any new source of learning, if I pick up even just a few new ideas, it is time well spent.

The video is well made and easy to follow for even a complete novice, like me. We have recently decided to tackle some "Do It Yourself" (DIY) projects in a large, open building we bought for my wife's business, specifically adding interior walls with new doors. For the wall section section, we got Framing Walls (Fine Homebuilding DVD Workshop) (which was very helpful) and Drywall: Hanging and Taping (Fine Homebuilding DVD Workshop), and then this video to show us how to do the doors.

The video definitely feels somewhat dated, but the information was still useful for my needs.

Recommended!

CFH

This is very helpfull and informative video. Some of the techniques are a bit on the "Old tyme'" side, which makes me like it even more. Great refresher coarse for those out there that need a little reminder or a great starting point for the very beginner. thanks

DVD has a lot of helpful tips on hanging doors and windows. If you need to know the basics then this video is for you.

I was very disappointed in this DVD. It is only 60 minutes long with half the time about doors and the other half about windows. I was interested in learning how to install doors. There is just not enough time being devoted to either subject. The publisher for some reason is afraid to go beyond this 30 minute mark. The instructions given are very brief and incomplete. God forbid you spend an extra minute or two on something. Watching this DVD you would think that a door could be installed in 3 minutes!
Mr Law might be a good carpenter but unfortunately you would not know that by watching this DVD. This is
my first and last time that I purchase a DVD from this
publisher.

I like all this DIY stuff. The world needs more of it. This was a good video, easy to follow.