The Dude Shack doors, both the big main ones and the non-existent side door, needed work. This is not surprising as the building was built back in 1925 and since we have owned it the past sixteen plus years, no repairs and little upkeep have been done. Now since I still think that we will be knocking down the building in the next few years, any and all repairs have to be cost effective, or in Cinna’s words; cheap.
The main doors needed work, especially on the right side which was sagging and the wood was in bad shape. Also it should be noted that neither of the doors is a true square due to years of people “working” on them. So I had Tony Armor of the kitchen remodel fame out to see what could be done. Basically he replaced the bottom hinge which was in real bad shape and skinned the back of the garage door with plywood which gave the door additional strength. Then he rehung the door so it can shut easily. While the gaps are not equal, the doors now open and shut easily. Total cost was $200. After Tony’s work, I painted both of them. The outside is the traditional white, but inside the doors are Cottage Red; the same red we used on our windows. Total cost of paint was $0!
Dude Shack Main Doors - August 2010
Now the side door is a completely different story. When we orginally bought the house, the side door was on the side. Except it started to fall apart after a few years and was completely removed around 1999. Since then, no door.
Ever since I “reopened” the Dude Shack back in 2003, I have been thinking about getting a door but just had not gotten around to doing it for various reasons. Finally last year, after sitting through a few cold windy NFL Sundays inside the Shack, I vowed that I would install a door.
Dude Shack Side Door - August 2010
I found an old door which was in bad shape. I cleaned it. I sanded it. I painted it. And now it has been installed and actually closes nicely and can be locked. 
Total cost including paint (free), hinges and locks was $22.
So the Dude Shack doors are now in the best shape they have ever been and the total cost was only $222.
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