Sliding door replacement

I am fixing up a home in my community that was given to me in lieu of 3 months back rent. It’s a 2/2 and I think it should retail for around $11K with financing. My single biggest problem is a set of sliding doors and the surrounding floor and walls that are a mess. Everything is rotted and this includes the rim joist, floor extending WAY into the home, both sets of king and jack studs, and the ends of 2 floor joists.

I can fix all of the above but what I am trying to figure out is how to prevent this in the future. My idea is to install French doors in the opening as these don’t have that damned track that just seems to hold water like a bucket plus they both seal and look better. It looks like the real culprits are a couple of U channels about 10" down from the roof that collect runoff and then empty just an inch or two from the sides of the door. The water (lots of it) seems to be running down the siding and getting inside somehow.

Would it make sense to CAREFULLY cut the U channel back a couple of inches? I would cut the bottom of the channel and the little lip that sticks up on the outside. This would move the water back to just running down the siding. Another idea is to buy or have made at a sheet metal shop a flashing to to over the door so that any water is directed out 2-3 inches away from the home. I realize it will splash back against the outside bottom of the French doors but these seem to seal well and should handle it OK. The idea is to get as much water away from running down the sides of the doors and jamb as possible.

Anyone had this problem before and how did you handle it?

Thanks.

Rolf

Since you will be reframing anyways, I would get a steel door from lowe’s or home depot (sometimes they have marked down doors or you can pick up a framed (plain) steel door cheap).

From there I would reframe the wall and just install this door instead of replacing all that flooring and framing only to install what may be another problem door.

This may require you to get creative on the exterior siding depending on what is there but I still suspect that by going this route you will end up with a more secure door and get all this done cheaper and with less likelihood of future repeats of this damage.

Tony

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frame it in, use a complimentary material and color for siding around the new door, and just put in a regular steel entry door. Or a window. Or a nothing.

That’s what I’ve (had) done

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If the water is a huge issue on this home (more than usual), run house gutter down that side of the home tucked up under the OEM mini-gutter.

Happy Trail(er)s,

Steve

Door repair or replacement is also a big investment while doing home remodeling so always contact a professional expert who can provide the best possible service as needed.