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| Do you have an old, unattractived screen door that hides too much of your view ot the yard? A new, full-view door can open you home to the outside world and provide a greater sense of space in the room it leads to. And new storm doors allow you to switch between screen or glass, depending on the season. |
Unscrew and remove the existing door. Then measure the height and width of the opening. If the width measurement is 30, 32, 34, or 36 inches and if the height is 80 to 81 inches, then you have standard measurements, which means you can purchase a standard door at your local home improvement center. |
Place towels over two sawhorses to protect the new door from scratches and lay it across the sawhorses to prepare it for installation. Remove the shipping tabs by breaking them off. Also, remove the screen and glass. This will make the door lighter and easier to work with. |
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| Lay a couple of 2 x 4s across the sawhorses in the center of the door and then set a muffin tin across the boards. Take all of the screws and small parts and place them in a muffin tin so that they are separated and within reach. |
Now mount the hinge frame to the side of the door using sheet metal screws. The hinge piece is longer than the door and will need to be trimmed back. |
Measure the height of the door opening and then transfer that measurement to the hinge and cut it to length with a hacksaw. |
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| Next, slip the door bottom into place. You will make the final adjustment later. |
Position the new door in the opening and then secure the hinge temporarily by driving in a screw at the top. Then slip the top-mounting frame, which is the top piece of three frame sections, into position and then attach it with screws. |
Then position the side frame and secure it in the same way. After all the frame pieces are in position, do a "test open" to make sure everything is properly aligned. |
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Next, turn your attention back to the bottom of the door. Push the bottom piece down so that it is in contact with the threshold. Then drive in a screw from the inside to lock the bottom into place.
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Attach the door-closer to the door and to the inside of the door frame. |
Pack plumber's putty to into the existing holes for the old latch and then close the door. Turn the door handle and close the dead bolt so that it presses into the putty. When you open the door again, you should see an impression in the putty where the deadbolt and edge of the latch pressed into the putty. Place the strike plate directly over the impressions so that it is centered in exactly the right spot and then attach it with screws. |
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The final step is to add either the glass panel or screen panel to the door. The panels are held in place with what is called a keeper strip, which snaps into place, securing the panel in position.
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Now, whenever the weather changes, simply replace the screen with glass, or visa versa. |
Either way, you can now enjoy a full view of the outdoors through the new door. |
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