# Front storm door, sticking on sinking roof line



## HandyOne (Oct 11, 2016)

I have a question.

I had a porch built right next to, but not connected to my mobile home.  About 4 or 5 years ago.  It's on those concrete blocks you put the 4 x 4's in for the upright framing.  It is 12 x 8 ft.   

My current problem this year is the porch must be sinking about 1/2 inch and that is causing the top of my aluminum storm door to open very hard as it is sticking on the lowering wood roof framing.

I have done a bit of planeing with an old plane, but wonder if a good rough sand paper would be easier to do and get rid of about 1/2 to 1/4 inch where the storm door frame is trying to stick.   

The black area is where it hangs.    It gets worse if damp in the air, not as bad if less humid.

Got any ideas that do not include two jacks and someone to put wedges under the framing uprights on the concrete pier blocks.   

Would coarse sandpaper do it?   Do I need a modern sharper plane?  
I have to stand on a two step, ladder thing to work on it.


----------



## nealtw (Oct 11, 2016)

Jacking it up would be the better fix and you will get there one day.
A belt sander would be much easier and a plane, 24" belt sander with 36 griy paper will do it. If you are buying one , a 21" is smaller and slightly lighter but absolutely useless for sanding anything you want a nice finish on.


----------



## bud16415 (Oct 11, 2016)

It could be sinking but it sounds to me to be more of a humidity issue. The wood framing shown looks to be (maybe) rough cut lumber. Was it kiln dried do you know? 

I built my deck unattached and floating like that but when you build that way you need to build a very ridged structure if you are prone to frost heaving. It looks like the top of your door is way too close to the ceiling joists and I don&#8217;t think sanding or shaving the wood down will give you the clearance you will need long term. The door maybe should have been an outswing. Any way to turn it around? 

If not go at the joists with a belt sander or even a disk sander but the problem might come back.


----------



## oldognewtrick (Oct 11, 2016)

Angie, can you post a side pic of the roof edge from out in the yard and maybe one from the front?


----------



## nealtw (Oct 11, 2016)

If it helps, these things bend, one jack would do it.


----------



## slownsteady (Oct 11, 2016)

Chances are that the deck will continue to settle and the problem will return. I can see a continuous cycle of sinking and sanding. You need a wider base to support the deck.


----------



## HandyOne (Oct 12, 2016)

bud16415 said:


> It could be sinking but it sounds to me to be more of a humidity issue. The wood framing shown looks to be (maybe) rough cut lumber. Was it kiln dried do you know?
> 
> I built my deck unattached and floating like that but when you build that way you need to build a very ridged structure if you are prone to frost heaving. It looks like the top of your door is way too close to the ceiling joists and I dont think sanding or shaving the wood down will give you the clearance you will need long term. The door maybe should have been an outswing. Any way to turn it around?
> 
> If not go at the joists with a belt sander or even a disk sander but the problem might come back.



Outswing?    I open from house out to porch.  So front door opens into home, storm door out.   The roof line is in line with the mobile home, so the wood takes up a lot of the clearance.   I've since been told that the wood for the roofing is heavier than it needed to be.   But, I got a porch.


----------



## HandyOne (Oct 12, 2016)

Here is a side view of the porch.







This was taken one or two summers ago.  The porch is about 5 or 6 years old.


----------



## nealtw (Oct 12, 2016)

If you can find a helper, a 2x4 about 10ft long and a block about 18" long and 2   1/2 something for spacers and 10 minutes.


----------



## bud16415 (Oct 12, 2016)

That photo makes it a lot clearer. 
I would do just more of what you have been doing and sand or shave about 1/8&#8221; off the bottoms of the joists. 

In a couple more years your tree will lift the corner up enough.


----------



## oldognewtrick (Oct 12, 2016)

Has the level of the deck floor changed at all?


----------



## HandyOne (Oct 12, 2016)

I have not noticed floor sloping.


----------



## HandyOne (Oct 12, 2016)

nealtw said:


> If you can find a helper, a 2x4 about 10ft long and a block about 18" long and 2   1/2 something for spacers and 10 minutes.



If I had all that, what would I do with it?


----------



## nealtw (Oct 12, 2016)

Angie said:


> If I had all that, what would I do with it?



Stand the block close the corner of the deck by the trailer, set the 2x4 on edge on the block and under the edge of the deck and push down , have helper put spacer under post. Go to other end and repeat.


----------



## bud16415 (Oct 12, 2016)

nealtw said:


> Stand the block close the corner of the deck by the trailer, set the 2x4 on edge on the block and under the edge of the deck and push down , have helper put spacer under post. Go to other end and repeat.



I think we need to credit Archimedes with that one.


----------



## nealtw (Oct 12, 2016)

bud16415 said:


> I think we need to credit Archimedes with that one.



[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1r1dj19tfjI[/ame]


----------



## nealtw (Oct 12, 2016)

I see they put a center post beside the door, there should have been a support below that, it is likely sagging in the middle.


----------



## slownsteady (Oct 12, 2016)

The weight of the pussy cat is making all the difference. the roof should spring back up at dinner time :banana:


----------



## HandyOne (Oct 12, 2016)

Yay!   Slow for seeing the kitty kat.   I called him Max.  For 3 years he would spend summers here, but decided not to this year.

And there is a center back that will need a spacer if I can get someone to help me.   The helper is the issue.  I'm the family helper.   But I may be able to get some cousins that have older teen aged boys.  Just need the fulcrum  (I should have thought of that in addition to the jack thinking). 

I'm really appreciating your help in giving me ways to get this done.


----------



## nealtw (Oct 12, 2016)

Angie said:


> Yay!   Slow for seeing the kitty kat.   I called him Max.  For 3 years he would spend summers here, but decided not to this year.
> 
> And there is a center back that will need a spacer if I can get someone to help me.   The helper is the issue.  I'm the family helper.   But I may be able to get some cousins that have older teen aged boys.  Just need the fulcrum  (I should have thought of that in addition to the jack thinking).
> 
> I'm really appreciating your help in giving me ways to get this done.



A 4x4 works better if you have one as the 2x4 will have a tendency to roll over while someone has their fingers in the wrong place at the wrong time and the block can just be a piece of 2x4 or?
Do one side first and when doing the other side , should be able to do the center one at the same time as the second


----------

