Gap at top of shed doors due to shrinking wood. What to do?


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Old 11-06-19, 08:05 PM
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Gap at top of shed doors due to shrinking wood. What to do?

I replaced the doors on my 8x8 shed about a year ago and the wood seems to have shrink since then. As a result, there is now a gap on the top of both doors and rain is able to get in behind. Besides adjusting the doors, is there a good temporary workaround I can use? A pic is attached. There is a small piece that comes down about an inch in behind the tops of the doors, but the gap is still enough for rain to get in there.
 
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Last edited by larwilliams; 11-06-19 at 08:16 PM. Reason: added pic

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11-28-19, 07:12 AM
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Just to add to Joe's comment about hinges, I use half strap hinges and attach them on the upper, middle, and low framing of the doors. Makes for a sturdy and easy swinging door.
 
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Old 11-06-19, 08:11 PM
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Putting pictures in your post.

You also might want to resize them. Your quota is 10 Megs, and you are already over halfway there. Your photos should be several K... not several megs each. Use an app to resize them and reduce the resolution.

As for the gap over your doors, a wide drip cap flashing over the top of the door trim will prevent water from dripping in.
 
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Old 11-06-19, 08:19 PM
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Thanks for the heads up! So basically it would go on the wood above the doors and divert any rain (we also get snow) away from the gap? Sorry. Still learning here.
 
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Old 11-06-19, 08:32 PM
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Yes. From the looks of it you would have to run a bead of caulk on the trim above the door and then embed the z-flashing into the caulk... and nail or screw it on.

it looks to me like that triangle of vinyl siding could be catching and holding water too. That bottom j channel needs a way to drain the water out that gets into it. The best fix would be to remove that siding and do something different there that wouldn't catch water.
 
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Old 11-27-19, 03:18 PM
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Do you happen to have a link for the product I'd need to buy? I'm not sure what to look for and it would be much appreciated. Also any info on what the finished result should look like.
Thanks!
 
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Old 11-28-19, 07:01 AM
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#1, The doors where installed wrong, there not even at the top and there sitting at an angle, likely because the framing was not plumb on the right hand side.
#2, Missing Z molding under the J molding where the siding meets trim board which is causing the board to rot on the ends.
#3, Also looks like there's 0 gap between the doors, which can make them stick when opening and scrape off the paint.
You did install 3 hinges on each side right, not just 2, I hope?
If this was my shed I'd be using my 6' level to mark a straight line across the top of the doors and cutting it just enough to make all even, then removing that trim board over the top of the doors, installing Z molding, then replace the trim board with PVC lumber.
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Amerimax-Z-...shing/50019740
 
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Old 11-28-19, 07:12 AM
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Just to add to Joe's comment about hinges, I use half strap hinges and attach them on the upper, middle, and low framing of the doors. Makes for a sturdy and easy swinging door.
 
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Old 11-28-19, 07:21 AM
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You could put a vinyl drip cap over the trim too.

https://images.app.goo.gl/Z9x8UzqGUZK74tcS9

or a z flashing.

https://images.app.goo.gl/c6adfzM9ToDrVD1bA

or both.

Hinges look fine... no gap between the door and jamb. For all we know the doors could have been built out of square.

The gap above the doors should be easy to cover by just diverting the water with a ledge. But that vinyl siding above is just a bad idea. The bottom j catches and holds water. I'd rip all that off, put on the drip cap flashing then cut just one 2x4 sheet of 1/2" pvc to put in there.

A 2" drip cap would get the water to drip right past those gaps.
 
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Old 11-29-19, 01:37 PM
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Thanks for all the ideas and info. The door jamb is slightly off and the doors were my first DIY project, and I didn't anticipate that the wood was wet on the left and would shrink as much as it did.

Looks like my best option is to get rid of the j channel on the bottom just above the doors, flash, even out the tops of the doors, seal off the gap and call it a day for now until the spring when it's not 0c out.
 
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Old 11-29-19, 01:39 PM
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Look at it this way... In another month, 0C will be what we call a nice day. Do whatever you need to.
 
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Old 12-04-19, 10:13 AM
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haha that's true Up here in Newfoundland, we get the cold and the wind chill factors.
 
 

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