Before choosing door style, sort out the four things that decide cost and difficulty:
1. Header. The new opening is taller and usually wider than the window, so the header and the framing below the sill both change. Find out what that wall carries (roof, ceiling joists, a second floor). That sets header size and whether new jack studs need a proper bearing point below. This is a permit job almost everywhere.
2. Water at the threshold. Cutting down to the floor exposes the rim and sill plate and puts the threshold close to grade or deck level. A sloped sill pan and flashing tied into the existing weather barrier matter more than which door you buy. This is where these conversions leak.
3. Glass. All glass in a door, and glass beside it that sits low and close to the door, must be safety glazing. New units ship that way; salvaged or custom units may not.
4. Lead. A 1948 house should be assumed to have lead paint on that trim. The contractor should be EPA RRP-certified.
Also check the wall below the window for plumbing, ductwork or wiring before you commit to a width.
Before choosing door style, sort out the four things that decide cost and difficulty:
1. Header. The new opening is taller and usually wider than the window, so the header and the framing below the sill both change. Find out what that wall carries (roof, ceiling joists, a second floor). That sets header size and whether new jack studs need a proper bearing point below. This is a permit job almost everywhere.
2. Water at the threshold. Cutting down to the floor exposes the rim and sill plate and puts the threshold close to grade or deck level. A sloped sill pan and flashing tied into the existing weather barrier matter more than which door you buy. This is where these conversions leak.
3. Glass. All glass in a door, and glass beside it that sits low and close to the door, must be safety glazing. New units ship that way; salvaged or custom units may not.
4. Lead. A 1948 house should be assumed to have lead paint on that trim. The contractor should be EPA RRP-certified.
Also check the wall below the window for plumbing, ductwork or wiring before you commit to a width.