3 Reasons You're Boarding Up A Door Is Broken (And How To Fix It)

How to Go About Boarding Up a Door

The act of boarding up a door is one method to shield vacant investment properties from the elements. It's not guaranteed to stop all damage but it can assist to prevent certain problems that come with severe storms.

The boarding up of windows and doors will also discourage trespassers and vandals. Installing plywood panels over openings can be costly and time-consuming.

Take a measurement of the door

First, you'll require a tape measure. You might want to keep a ladder or chair close to hand in case you need to see more clearly the top of the frame. Wear gloves and goggles if you have to make use of these tools.

Once you have the measuring tool, start by taking the door width measurement. You can do this by running an x-ray measure horizontally across the door. Be sure to remove all other parts of the door, such as a sweep, when measuring. Next, determine the height measurement by measuring from the floor to the sill plate or lintel. It is important to measure in multiple places, especially with older doors, because they may not be an exact rectangle. If the measurements are different then use the largest figure.

You'll need to determine the size of the frame once you've taken measurements of the height and width. It should be at minimum 2'' wider and 1'' taller than the door. 2'' higher. This will give you plenty of room to put the door and frame to fit.

It's a great idea take off the trim or casing around the jambs of the door to see the studs. This will allow you to determine the exact size of the gap between studs and the frame.

After taking off the trim, take a measurement of the width of the door frame using the tape measure. The frame should be measured at three different locations and use the smallest measurement. You should also take a measurement of the height of the frame from the top to bottom on both sides and use the most compact measurement to determine the height of your door.

If you're having difficulty with these measurements, it's a good idea to consult an expert and have them come to your home to do the measuring for you. They will be able to determine the exact kind of door and size you need and the best way to prepare the frame to accommodate the new door.

Cut the Plywood

A door frame is typically composed of studs or boards that create an open space around the door. Two hinges are connected to the studs and keep the door in its place. If you are looking to refinish doors, you'll have to take it off its hinges and then leave it for a night. To keep insects out of your home and to secure the door opening, a simple method to board the door is to put plywood in the opening. It's easy to do this without the need to nail or screw the plywood to the door's frame.

Plywood is cheap, easy to work with and looks fantastic when completed. This makes it the perfect material to provide temporary solutions to a problem that requires removing an existing door while finishing or installing a new one. It can also be useful for securing the opening in the room being renovated, such as an unfinished basement, or a construction site.

To install a plywood wall begin by measuring the width and height of the door opening. Mark the measurements with an utility blade and a metal straight edge, such as the drywall or metal square. Then, draw an outline of chalk across each line to indicate where you want to cut. Utilize a circular blade to cut the plywood to size.

When cutting the plywood it is crucial to shield your ears and eyes. If possible wear safety goggles and earplugs when working. It is also essential to use a blade with many teeth, which will permit you to cut quickly and with little tear-out. To minimize the chance of tearing out pieces of wood from the edges of your cut blade, use a small piece of wood as an example to guide the blade and keep it just a hair's width away from the marked line when cutting.

A great way to hold the plywood in place without fixing it to the studs is by fixing a pair of short braces at each end. Place one brace on the inside and the other on the outside of the door. Place a 1-1/2-inch deck screws in each hole and then tighten with an open-end ratchet.

Secure the Plywood

It's time to attach the panel to the frame after you have the wood sheet cut to the right size and the holes to attach the stiles and rails of the door frame have been predrilled. It is a fairly simple project that does not require any extensive carpentry skills provided you follow the correct procedures and use the right tools.

Begin by setting up a worktable near the doorway with two sawhorses and a 2-by-4 frame lumber at each end of the table. Utilize the marks you made during the measurement procedure to guide you in cutting the plywood. Cut the lines using the help of a utility knife, a drywall square or another metal straight edge.  repairmywindowsanddoors.co.uk  will create an outline for the saw blade and help to prevent splintering during cutting the plywood.

Wear eye protection and cut along the scored lines using a circular saw or table saw equipped with a fine-tooth blade. Then, sand the edges of the plywood panel using 120-grit sandpaper. This will smooth the panels and remove any burrs from the saw cuts. After the sanding, apply a layer of wood sealer on the plywood panels, and let dry as directed by the manufacturer.

Install the hinges on the frame of the door. If you're using a T-hinge, drill holes in the outer face of your door for the straps portion of the hinges. Then, screw the hinge on the outside to the frame with the screwdriver. Repeat the process on the inside of the door for each of the hinges remaining, but be cautious not to tighten too much on one of them or the door will shift.

If you have only a single hinged outside door, you can make the latch easier to close by fishing an electrical wire through the loops on the outside hinges. Bend a piece of tie wire in half and fish it through each of the two holes on the exterior of the door. You can then connect the wires to pull them tightly and secure the door.

Install the Plywood

With the measurements you made using the measurements you took, put the plywood in the door opening. Adjust the header (top) of the frame and the sill (bottom). Utilize a level to make sure there's no slop in the header or sill. If the level isn't perfect then put a second shim where needed and continue this process until you have the sill and header to be level.

Once the plywood is inside the frame, fasten it with stainless steel hinge bolts and wing nuts. It is a good idea to use a screw gun with a hex-head attachment to keep the head from being stripped of the screws.

While you're there, If your home was constructed with studs running through the doorway's height you can drill hanger bolts into the plywood and into each framing stud. This is a simpler task than drilling the hole with the saw for drywall.

After installing the plywood take measurements of the width and height of your door opening. If necessary, cut the bottom of the plywood to match the size of the door frame and cut two pieces of framing lumber to form braces that attach across the upper and lower ends of your door. Wear eye protection and cut along the lines drawn on the plywood with a circular saw equipped with a fine-toothed knife. Take any splinters out of the cuts with a the sanding block.

After you've placed the braces, use two pairs of 2-inch finishing nail to attach each brace to the plywood. When you're finished counter-sink the heads of all nails. The braces should be sealed with a good wood sealing product, such as the wipe-on polyurethane from Minwax.

If your door is too big, you can either add decorative molding to fill the gap between your jamb and door, or you can reduce the size of your opening. However, in most instances, it's cheaper and easier to simply choose the right door. It also solves any issues you may have had with your original door even if it was damaged or not suitable for the opening.