20 Tips To Help You Be More Efficient At Boarding Up A Door

How to Go About boarding up a doorway Up a Door

The act of boarding up a door is one way to protect vacant investment properties from the elements. While it may not be able to prevent all damage, it can reduce some of the issues that come with severe storms.

The idea of boarding up houses up doors and windows can deter trespassers or vandals from entering your property boarding up. However, it can be expensive and time-consuming to install plywood boards over the openings in a home.

Take a measurement of the door

The first thing you'll need is tape measure. You may want to keep a chair or ladder nearby in case you need a better view of the top of the frame. Wear gloves and safety glasses when you make use of these tools.

Once you have the measuring instrument, start by taking the door width measurement. This can be accomplished by running the tape horizontally across the door. Be sure to take out all other parts of the door, like a sweep, before measuring. Then, determine the height measurement by measuring from the floor to the existing sill plate or lintel. It is important to measure more than one location especially for older doors, since they are not always a perfect rectangle. If the measurements are different, use the largest figure.

You'll have to determine the size of the frame once you've measured the height and width. It should be at minimum 2'' wider and 1'' higher than the door. 2'' higher. This will give you enough space to shim the door and frame into place.

It's a great idea remove the casing or trim around the jambs of the door in order to see the studs. This will enable you to take measurements of the exact gap between the studs of the frame and boarding Up Door the edge.

After you have removed the trim, measure the width of the door frame using the tape measure. Measure the frame at three different points and then use the smallest measurement. Also, you should measure the height of the frame from top to bottom on both sides and then use the shortest measurement to determine the height of your door.

If you are having trouble with the measurements, get a professional to your house and conduct the measurements. They'll be able to tell you exactly what kind of door and size you need and how to prepare the frame to accommodate a new door.

Cut the Plywood

A door frame is typically made of a series of studs or thin boards that create an open space around the door. A typical door is secured by two hinges attached to these studs. If you are looking to restore the door, you'll have to remove it from its hinges and then leave it for a night. To prevent insects from entering your home and to secure the door's opening, a straightforward method for Boarding up Door the door is to put plywood inside the opening. This is easy to do without the need to screw or nail the plywood to the frame of the door.

Plywood is a breeze to work with, cheap and looks beautiful once completed. This makes it the ideal material to provide an interim solution to problems that require the removal of the door that is in use and refinishing or installing a new one. It can also be used to protect the opening of a space being transformed, such as a basement or construction site.

Start by measuring the width of your door opening and its height. Note the measurements on the plywood using the help of a utility knife, an drywall square or any other metal straight edge. Then, draw a chalkline across each line to indicate where you want to cut. Finally you can use circular saws to cut the plywood into a size.

It is important to shield your ears and eyes when cutting plywood. Wear earplugs or goggles that are protective if possible. It is also important to use a blade with lots of teeth that will allow you to cut quickly and without any tear-out. Make use of a small piece wood to guide the blade. Keep it a hair's distance from the marked line when cutting.

Attaching a pair or short braces on each side is a good way to secure the plywood in place without putting screws into the studs. Set one brace on the inside and the other on the outside of the door. Then, place a pair of 1-1/2-inch deck screws into each of the holes and tighten them with an open-end wrench.

Secure the Plywood

When you have a piece of plywood cut to the proper size and with the holes for rails and stiles predrilled, it is time to fasten the panel to the frame. This is a relatively simple project that does not require any extensive carpentry skills as long as you follow the correct procedures and use the proper tools.

Set up a table in the doorway with two sawhorses on each end and framing lumber 2x4s. Lay the entire sheet of plywood flat on top the sawhorses and use the marks made during the measurement process as a reference to cut. Mark the lines using an utility knife and a drywall square or other metal straight edge. This will serve as an outline for the saw blade, and will help prevent splintering when you cut the plywood.

Put on eye protection and cut along the lines of scoring using a circular saw or table saw with a fine-tooth blade. Then sand the edges the plywood panel with 120-grit sandpaper. This will smooth out the panels and remove any burrs that may have formed from the saw cuts. After sanding, apply a coat of wood sealer to the plywood panels and let dry according to the instructions of the manufacturer.

Install the hinges onto the door frame. If you are using T hinges, make holes through the outer face of the door to accommodate the straps of the hinges. Then, place the outside hinge on its mark and screw it into the frame using an screw gun. Repeat the process for each hinge on the interior of your door. Be cautious not to overtighten them, or the door may shift.

If you're using a single outside T-hinged door, you can make it easier to close and lock with a chain lock by putting a piece of wire through the loops of the hinges outside. Bend a piece of tie wire in half and fish it through each of the two holes on the exterior of the door, then twist the wires to pull them tightly and fix the door.

Install the Plywood

Based on the measurements you have taken, place the plywood in the door opening. Move the header (top) of the frame and the sill (bottom). Utilize a level and ensure that there is no slop between the sill and header. If it's not quite right you can put another shim in the area you need it and repeat the process until you have the header and sill to be plumb.

Once the plywood is in place, secure it with the stainless-steel hinge bolts and wingnuts. It is a good idea to use a screw gun with an hex-head attachment so that you avoid stripping the head of the screws.

While you're there, if your house was built with studs that extend across the width of your doorway you can drill hanger bolts into the plywood and into the framing studs. This is a simpler task than drilling the hole using a saw for drywall.

After installing the plywood measure the width and the height of the door opening. If necessary, cut the bottom of the plywood to match the dimensions of your door frame and cut two pieces of framing lumber as braces that connect to the upper and lower edges of your door. Cut along the lines drawn on your plywood using a circular blade with fine-toothed teeth. Wear eye protection. Get rid of any splinters that may have formed in the cuts with the help of a Sanding block.

Once you've got the braces set Attach each brace to the plywood with a pair of finishing nails 2 inches long. Counter-sink all nail heads after you've finished. Cover the braces with a quality wood sealing product, such as the wipe-on polyurethane from Minwax.

If the door is too large for your doorway, you could add a piece of decorative molding to fill in the gap between the jamb and the door or reduce the size of the opening. However, in most instances, it's cheaper and more convenient to choose an alternative door. It also removes any problems that you might have experienced with the door you originally purchased, if it was damaged or not suitable for the opening.