Sealing a Doorway for Dummies - The Freelance Files MMCLIX

The business model of the former eHow.com was simple: pay people to answer questions scraped from search engines. The plan was intriguing, but the execution was horrendous: far too many of the so-called "answers" were nothing more than bald-faced attempts to reword something the eHow contributor didn't understand. It's often pretty easy to identify the work of the guilty parties if you have even an inkling of that the answer should be. One of our staffers caught eHowian Carson Barrett early on in his attempt to explain, "How to Fill in a Doorway With Drywall" for SFGate.com.

The answer's actually pretty straightforward:

• Remove the door.
• Strip off the casing molding and door jamb.
• Add a sill plate, top plate, and studs on the sides.
• Add a stud or studs in the opening as needed (depends on the width and spacing of studs).
• Add drywall, tape, and joint compound (to both sides).

As for Mr. Barrett? well, Carson kinda got it right except that he didn't know enough about his topic to know when he was full of crap. Once such place is his step 1, where he forgets to remove the door and then says to remove the jamb and molding (wrong order, Carse). But that's pretty minor compared to what follows:

"Cut a sill plate to fit along the floor in the doorway using a handheld cutting tool fitted with a multipurpose carbide wheel accessory. This is a pressure-treated 2 by 4 board that connects the frame to the floor."

It's a friggin 2-by-4, Carson; you don't need to get all crazy – and you definitely don't need a "multipurpose carbide wheel accessory" to cut it! That's the problem with getting your information from a guide to framing a new wall. We will allow that, if the building is on a slab, you might need to,

"Screw the sill plate to the floor in the doorway every 6 inches with 3 inch galvanized screws..."

...but you might just be able to use heavy-duty construction glue and, if the floor is on joists, you just nail it in place. As for the rest of the framing? Carson seems to think you need a top plate and a second sill plate; plus a bunch of studs. Yes to the top plate, which you nail to the header. Yes to studs on the side, which are nailed to the jack studs. No to a second sill, especially using Carson's doofus instructions:

"Nail a stud into each end of the bottom plate to form a "U." Use 3 inch galvanized nails... Nail studs into the bottom plate between the end studs with 3 inch galvanized nails, following local building codes regarding spacing."

Our boy apparently thought he needed to assemble a wall-sized frame and then nail it in place. Idjit: the door frame is already structurally sound, all you need do is add studs to the inside of the opening and an extra stud in the opening at the same spacing as the cripple stud on top or in the middle.

When it comes to taping the joints, here's what Carson said to do:

"Apply joint compound to the joints between the different drywall sheets with a 6 inch putty knife. Place drywall tape over the joints and press it into the joint compound with the putty knife. Allow it to dry overnight... Apply more joint compound to the joints with a 12 inch putty knife, then place drywall tape over the joints, pressing it into the joint compound with the 12-inch putty knife. Allow it to dry overnight and add a third layer the next day. Allow the third layer to dry overnight as well."

Far be it from us to argue with a wannabe "professional sports management" guy, but aren't you supposed to sand between coats? Sure you are! It's ignorance like this that earned young Barrett the Dumbass of the Day award from our staffers... for the sixth time. Oh, and Carson? You forgot the baseboard

DDIY - DRYWALL