How to Replace Basement Bulkhead Doors | Ask This Old House

This Old House general contractor Tom Silva helps a homeowner install a new pair of basement bulkhead doors. (See below for a shopping list and tools.)
SUBSCRIBE to This Old House: bit.ly/SubscribeThisOldHouse
Shopping List for How to Replace Basement Bulkhead Doors:
Steel bulkhead door [amzn.to/2mS7uu5]
Fast-setting grout [amzn.to/2nti8aR], for filling voids in foundation walls
Pressure-treated lumber [amzn.to/2m38rj3], to make new sills
3 inch decking screws [amzn.to/2n1oga1], for attaching sills to house framing
3 inch masonry screws [amzn.to/2mZxNOS], for attaching sills to foundation
Self-stick membrane [amzn.to/2nzEMyz], applied to pressure-treated lumber
Metal spray primer [amzn.to/2lrNT3E], for protecting fresh cut ends of metal parts
Silicone sealant [amzn.to/2m0Dkog], to seal flashing
Exterior-grade oil-based paint [amzn.to/2lniuPP], to serve as a topcoat finish
Tools List for How to Replace Basement Bulkhead Doors:
Right-angle grinder [amzn.to/2mV18Ku] with a cutoff wheel [amzn.to/2m0ZsyZ], to cut through old door hinges
Flat bar [amzn.to/2nr23m2], for prying
1/2-inch drill [amzn.to/2mSflaY] with mixing paddle [amzn.to/2nxNTzM], to mix grout
Two 5 gallon buckets [amzn.to/2lRrXiI], one for mixing grout, one to hold water
3 inch paintbrush [amzn.to/2m4MKzh], used to wet concrete prior to grouting
Pointed brick trowel [amzn.to/2m1rYR2], for smoothing grout
Circular saw [amzn.to/2mVSZWe], to cut lumber
Layout square [amzn.to/2lnevCK], for making square crosscuts in lumber
Cordless drill [amzn.to/2mSflaY
Hammer drill [amzn.to/2m0OI3u], to drive in masonry screws
Utility knife [amzn.to/2mWQ0gc], for cutting self-stick membrane
Caulk gun [amzn.to/2lm6C0j], to dispense silicone sealant
Follow This Old House and Ask This Old House:
Facebook: bit.ly/ThisOldHouseFB
Twitter: bit.ly/ThisOldHouseTwitter
bit.ly/AskTOHTwitter
Pinterest: bit.ly/ThisOldHousePinterest
Instagram: bit.ly/ThisOldHouseIG
bit.ly/AskTOHIG
Tumblr: bit.ly/ThisOldHouseTumblr
How to Replace Basement Bulkhead Doors | Ask This Old House
/ thisoldhouse

[@tbrokamp1988]

I just redid my cellar doors, without this video I would have never had the confidence to do it myself!

[@armyvet8279]

Tom is a knowledgeable man. I wish I knew half of what he does!

[@Sacapuntas69]

I want to buy a house just so Tom can come over and fix something!

[@silverwindspirit]

If I ever needed repairs to my house and, if possible, I definitely would hire Tom to do it. He's a guy you can trust

[@RadDadBMX]

Boy only KZbin turds would question Tom Silva. This guy blindfolded could build an entire house.

[@noeraldinkabam]

Turds are the majority here….

[@jagtan13]

That little flick of the speed square @ 2:05 just enlightened me. 🙂

[@Cool-Lake]

I’ve got nearly the same job to do this spring. Thanks for the video!

[@rochadson]

everything i ever need, this old house channel always got my back. Thank you so much for these videos!

[@ashfordservice1717]

Ive made a couple of these I love adding a little all insulation when I can. This guy reminds me of some of my mentors growing up can always learn something new from them.

[@jakewhoskate]

His lessons are so good because he loves what he does. Teaches us even when he isn't trying lol

[@williamsulewski4240]

Tom is good to go

[@R6SpeedRacer05]

This dude is a stud! Ive learned so much from him over the years.

[@savitrisingh736]

God bless this professional carpenter.. He is very skillful and clean no mess...🙏

[@johnroberts9560]

Hi TOH , that's a lot of work taking out the old & installing the new bulkhead doors , nice job Tommy !!! 👍😃🛠

[@samuelspade2202]

Tommy may not be perfect but hes 99 .99 percent there I love the watching work

[@lenn55]

I love reading the comments from guys that aren't in the profession saying Tommy should have done this or that. He knows what he's doing. Get over it!

[@ssl3546]

He should have painted the metal before assembling it. Telling the homeowner to do it later wasn't because "he knows what he's doing" it's because it makes it easier to shoot the TV show if they don't have to wait overnight for the paint to cure.

[@richardfreitag2962]

The wealth of knowledge that that guy has. Is Unreal

[@mikeFPS1980]

Been watching This Old House since i was an eleven year old kid on PBS, along with Home Again with Bob Vila and The New Yankee Work Shop, i was a weird kid 😂

[@IppiopaidFEEDBACK]

It’s good to see him using Robberson screws. Tommy knows what he’s doing!

[@aaronbryant8315]

Can’t say it enough face shields are so important when using grinder cutoff blades I know from experience spent 8 hours in the ER getting pieces of the blade taken out of my lip

[@probegt75]

Some people shouldn't be around power tools and that's ok

[@Dogbutt47]

that was your fault

[@chrisreynolds2410]

Did your boyfriend come visit you at the emergency room?

[@JimDean002]

The ones that are arguing with you have obviously never seen what happens when a grinder wheel catches and goes flinging up to your face. It happened to a family member of mine who is very familiar with power tools and usually very cautious. He was just grinding off one small area when it caught and flung it into his face. It literally cut a furrow across his chin bone. After that you'll never catch me using a grinder with a large wheel and not using a face shield

[@lennyadamowicz7642]

The Best! A Legend In My Books! Well done! 👌👍🏻

[@adavazquez3378]

I love the the original guy's from this old house, my dream is that if ever want a house these guy's will be the only ones i can trust to BUILD it, all of the the especially Abrams.

[@uptalk144]

Can't get enough of these videos!!

[@iancrossley6637]

Had to do the same with mine after hurricane Sandy destroyed mine. Took me a lot longer than 11 min though. I painted the inside white so it's not so dark on the basement side.

[@TurkeyDart]

Tommy silva! Awesome too watch

[@cifcig]

I have learned something from here. Of course there are things that can be improved or done better to anyone's flavor.

[@denisetabacchi3667]

He is a very gifted carpenter.

[@michaelmcneffii1912]

Denise Tabacchi indeed

[@nagesh007]

Awesome work

[@thehemiolds455]

The homeowner looks like “Adam Sandler “😂

[@dansaver8247]

Terrific!

[@tgguadarrama]

great job!!!

[@IppiopaidFEEDBACK]

You have to love the grinder safety, it’s just amazing! I love his Invisible face mask and shield, plus the invisible guard for his grinder! You don’t really need safety with a grinder, they’re not dangerous at all. And the way he just let the grinder blade hit the ground like that, has safety written all over this video. I just noticed he use a cut off wheel to grind off screws.

[@Pyth110]

You sound miserable.

[@JimDean002]

I've seen what happens when a grinder wheel catches and it gets thrown upward. I've got a family member who has a scar across his chin where it went deep enough that it cut a Furrow in his chin bone. I'm in agreement with wearing a face shield when you're using a grinder like that.

[@turbocobra]

I am always screwing stuff up in the videos I make on my channel, I could sure use Tom's help!

[@D_SQ]

CLEAN!

[@sharavv676]

Perfection ❤️

[@guzman9011]

9:52 go get the door sucka 😂

[@BestAccessDoors]

Great job Old House! Will you be doing another video like this soon?

[@hmax1591]

You see how everything lines up even at the bottom, that means is square...and it also means Tom Silva did it.

[@EdyZae]

Hello guys it's so amazing seeing people help eachother but i wonder does it cost to do these thing like do the people who need help do they pay money or not???

[@dianarestifo8624]

Just once, I wish one of these guys would show how correct it if it isn't square!

[@Engineer9736]

Back in the day when TOH still had real DIY videos around old houses.

[@matthewcanning8559]

kids should try this at home

[@mattd5719]

(Misses center of X by 1/4") "perfect"

[@wilsondaniels1368]

3:37 hahahah

[@Killmode29]

🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂

[@M4st3r0fN0n3]

theres something unsettling about using an angle grinder without the guard, something something ripped knuckles, idk

[@olegsilyuk4593]

Yea im confused as to why he's showing everyone the wro g way to use angle grinder. He even wielded it with two hands!

[@AlMai222]

Oleg Silyuk everyone does it like that

[@drphil7024]

Oleg Silyuk and ducked it on the ground when it was still spinning and they go on about safety

[@samsngdevice5103]

always wear leather work gloves with angle grinders. I almost lost 2 fingers going bare handed.

[@M4st3r0fN0n3]

@@samsngdevice5103 I'd rather not wear anything that can catch in the blade

[@mike1968442]

Tom if you ever want a "working vacation" I live in Tucson, Az with a long to do list!

[@dandavid513]

Ayyyyy, where. I’m in Catalina foothills

[@243wayne1]

@Joe Kinchicken -Yep. Arizona sucks.

[@RobertMCotter]

@Joe Kinchicken Not too bad in the wintertime. That's when I go.

[@danyala.1659]

Nice

[@ethan-L]

Please, show us how to repair the wooden bulkhead doors and the frames with water-proofing.

[@TheRealFOSFOR]

Does it have to be regular old water? I only have irregular new water and I have no time to wait for it to get old... and I really don't know what to do to the irregularities!!

[@MattAlexanderMe]

He Ka I thought it was a good question. It looked like milk.

[@bhamsoxfan72]

Fiber is supposed to help with irregularities. And with certain faux finishes, your water can have an aged appearance.

[@Luckingsworth]

I used old well water. I figured even if it wasnt regular, it would be well enough. Didnt work. The regular seems to be key here.

[@oliviagreen8853]

Im just here to see how things work in a home, its so fascinating learning how things get done. No way in hell im DIYing this tho lmao

[@samsngdevice5103]

Confessions of the keyboard carpenters.

[@2403me]

this dude a real life flanders

[@jawa5669]

There is always room for improcement on every one of the building projects id keep trim and siding above and have membrane going up for snow damns on bulkhead maybe pt trim not it all sandwiched

[@joedirt3720]

I hoe one day, I can have as much knowledge about fixing my own house as Tom does.

[@chrisreynolds2410]

Probably not gonna happen this is decades of experience

[@efrainpadilla4795]

Que bonito es saber asr esos trabajos

[@redeyerobotrobot3976]

ive always wanted a house with a bulkhead access to the basement

[@afshinmoshrefi]

Great video. I learned a lot from it. The link to fast-setting grout is wrong.

[@trustone8540]

Cool

[@approvinc7178]

SAFETY FIRST GUYS😎🧤

[@loganverdery2167]

I think this next step is so it should be all about decks This old house

[@djnevous3us]

Can u still use plumbers putty under the sink or is silicone recommend ?

[@greatestever6372]

Grout because it’s softer than cement we want that bond and once it gets hard it won’t crack it will hold moisture better than cement does it’s Type s HLM 3.5 correct?

[@antoniojay4161]

Good demo. Would have been perfect if the assistant was given the opportunity to do some of the real work... with the tools.

[@mrSaviorself]

That's the home owner who is helping him.

[@chrisreynolds2410]

That’s the homeowner slowing him down

[@captainquint25]

Procuring the correct Bilco brand unit for the application would have prevented the custom cutting of the metal and a good amount of time.

[@philipcooper8297]

Why don't they use washers under the nuts? No grease on the hinges? That's just ridiculous.

[@johnonorgan]

could I just attach the frame to the pressure treated wood using screws and epoxy?

[@ionlyplayps5530]

9:53 go get the door sucka’!!!! Love how tommy makes the home owner his handy man, and still gets payed! 💀💀

[@mikehikes710]

Hey if the home owner wants to be in your business while working you put em to work. No free shows

[@shopart1488]

Put a guard on the most dangerous tool in you truck.

[@mattieevans6062]

This is what I need done. I am having a hard time finding someone to do the work here in Baltimore. Would you all know of any companies? I would appreciate it.

[@patrickm.parisou8328]

If the doors meet up evenly at the bottom, it by no means makes the doors square. Another gaffe by badhack Tommy!

[@dbbd9890]

Great use of a masonry screw (which is by definition is a bolt because it has a shank) only 10mm of purchase into your non structural grout to hold up a door which I expect to be over 30kg.

[@mattmotta859]

Definitely longer tapcons where needed

[@Grahame1975]

You don’t very often see Robertson head screws being used on an American show. I find them superior to Phillips head.

[@cantcomeupwithausern]

*Closes the doors and the gap is clearly not even* - "so if you look at the bottom, its straight, so the doors are perfectly square"

[@timhanby5662]

cantcomeupwithausern This is what I say to everyone I show it to when I do a project and it’s not perfect bahahaha

[@TylerNieves-ty7ns]

You can tapcon sill plates all you want but if your foundation/stem wall isnt re floated true everything will be off lol

[@cantcomeupwithausern]

I love that the tapcons only go about 1/4" into the grout too.. lol. "That'll keep the burglars out" - I wish that was a quote from this vid.. haha

[@timhanby5662]

cantcomeupwithausern lol, it’s fine, just rig a trap up, so if anyone’s cunning enough to break in, they leave crying.

[@Blobjonblob]

Tom should have used a longer concrete screw judging by the video it looks like the screw only penetrated about 20-30mm of structure maybe less.

[@coollasice4175]

+iShootBandits I thought the same thing.

[@robanderson84]

about an inch longer at least! and he touched lead all with no gloves, but he had a good life i bet =)

[@StMoritzGuitars]

OSHA Reg.1910 for Lead states : exposure to lead at concentrations greater than fifty micrograms per cubic meter of air (50 ug/m3) averaged over an 8-hour period. I highly doubt Tom has anything to worry about.

[@riyadaltallaa2934]

Have u ever tried to pull one out of the concrete

[@johnathanbahna7495]

Rob Anderson there’s nothing wrong with touching lead lol are you alright? It’s consuming lead you should be worried

[@gerryroberts662]

i see they drilled some holes, my old man would drill the holes and blow on them to clean them, and remove the metal residue. Good instulation. nice well kept house.

[@243wayne1]

Yep.

[@AlphaYTang]

Can someone explain why Tommy used grout instead of concrete?

[@ramdodgetruck]

Sets up faster and very hard.

[@marshallpagel7998]

KLBBAM.COM

[@pollardsells]

TIME was limited..

[@GH-qi1wv]

I need to repair so many stuff in my 110 year old house . I wish I can get someone that is not expensive to do it .lol

[@steveoo410]

Don't you learn anything from watching this channel? You should be able to do it all yourself now.

[@3L5Ancho]

Stop being lazy and do it yourself

[@tailg8r377]

years from now, this guy will be like 80 replacing the same guys bulkhead door

[@craig4549]

Why must he repeatedly depress the trigger on the impact to drive a screw? One 2 inch screw and 7 pulls on the trigger haha drive ot home Tom!

[@bushmaster2936]

Pet peeve of mine as well....spin,spin,spin,spin,spin !!!!!

[@bg147]

Awesome work by the Tommy gun. I would have used longer masonry screws, though.

[@geoos]

So if a thief wanted to break into the basement all they would need is phillips screwdriver?

[@chrisE815]

The home owner should install a weather-tight, lockable door at the bottom of the stairs.

[@MrWisdom79]

Two L brackets and a two by four on the back side of the cellar door will stop em. You're not getting through that without waking the neighbors

[@jonkloppel3820]

@@MrWisdom79 Cm on in with your Philips head and see how it matches up with my pump action 12 gauge.

[@walterbrunswick]

make sure you have a Philips #3 ... theives should use the proper tools

[@sleddy01]

4:20 would like to see the details of that flat surface. Seems like a tricky bit. You show just about every screw being drilled in.

[@kraven4444]

looks like a trip hazard. A bit more work, but I would have tried to lower the front end as much as possible. You have to step over that every time onto a narrow step.

[@chrisreynolds2410]

All that is dictated by the existing concrete.

[@1goblingreen404]

Why grout and not concrete? Also, is there something that you can paint on the existing concrete to make the new grout hold better besides water?

[@steventhury8366]

Use grout because concrete will break up due to the thin application.

[@zeero62]

I didn't understand the last thing with his New England Accent: What is the last thing that he says? " one more thing, in the next couple of weeks I want you to get a good coat of XXXXXXXX paint on here". What kind of paint is he saying? Sounded like "Elk-ette" to me, whatever that is. Anyone? Its a beautiful job by the way. Thank you.

[@robbanta2979]

Alkyd Paint

[@SaltySparrow]

Oh my god those old doors.

[@mirza6399]

7:45 close your eyes and listen.

[@quintdewit4870]

🤣🤣Only the best

[@josecanisales3491]

What kind of grout was used for that?

[@jamesgilligan3596]

What kind of grout is used?

[@Tik075]

If this was to be paid for, estimated how much would it cost?

[@villijs33321]

Hello! You as a PRO can u answer a simple question: Why Americans remove guard from angle grinder, and don't use hearing protections, see that almost i all videos? Question about this video - see that you don't use waterproof membrane between concrete and wood, also screws was too short - 1/2 inch in grout?

[@bushmaster2936]

@@vids595 Also wondering if those screws are coated to prevent the newer PT chemicals from eating away at them.

[@tedrichardson3779]

Tommy sez Safety shields on grinders are for Sissys! 😂

[@geronsingh2720]

No caulking behind those screw heads? Why water based and not polyurethane caulking?

[@jpatrick1967]

It’s pretty bad when the bulkhead to your basement is the nicest part of your house.

[@meesau2112]

In the words of the great Phil Collins and Genesis "somewhere there"s a hole in a windowpane"

[@Mr.Schitzengigglez]

I'd have removed 18" of siding, installed bituthene, and, then, reinstalled the flashing, instead of just sticking my caulk into it, and hoping for the best. But, that's just me.

[@toddkratzer7953]

10:04 door gap isn't equal.

[@chrisE815]

Still better than a Tesla!

[@WApnj]

No blade guard on that grinder... Setting a dangerous example out there in videoland. Bang! Zoom! To the emergency room!

[@balalaika7088]

the only time i put a guard on my grinder is when i use those death wheels iv seen to many injury's in the weld shop due to them

[@nezbyodella6591]

Tom's not even wearing gloves, decades of working with his hands

[@Jozavenue]

or safety glasses

[@kenc2257]

Even though I'm an old guy, I've got soft hands. I wear gloves to rake leaves. Tommy's hands are toughened by years and years of working on the job--he doesn't need gloves to do demo.

[@nezbyodella6591]

@@kenc2257 yep!!!

[@parkerk7018]

No hearing protection either

[@sebbykalus4764]

Does anyone know or have a rough estimate for the entire cost?

[@mdniterder]

Ok if you are going to remove the guard on your grinder to use a cutoff wheel, and I understand it allows you a little more agility or a larger wheel with the grinder but please wear gloves and a face shield in case that wheel blows up. Also wait for the grinder to stop spinning before you just drop it on the ground in fact don't drop it on the ground or you'll cause a fracture the disc that can cause it to explode so many safety hazards

[@ben_the_cat_guy]

You should never wear gloves because they could get caught on the disk and pull your hands in to it

[@scotth6814]

I had a cutoff wheel explode on me one time. I was lucky I wasn't hurt, but it taught me a lesson. It was like a grenade going off.

[@kimchee94112]

I would not caulk behind the lead flashing, need water to escape.

[@243wayne1]

No need for water to escape if it doesn't get in behind there in the first place!