What Freud Can Teach Us About Boarding Up A Door

How to Go About Boarding Up a Door The act of boarding up a door is one way to protect vacant investment properties from the elements. It's not a guarantee against all damage however it can help to prevent some of the issues that are associated with severe storms. Boarding up windows and doors can deter trespassers, vandals, and squatters. However it can be costly and time-consuming to put plywood boards over the openings of a property. Take a measurement of the door First, you'll require a tape measurement. It is a good idea to keep a chair or ladder close by in case you require an improved view of the top of the frame. Wear gloves and safety glasses in the event that you need to make use of these tools. Once you have the measuring instrument, start by taking the door width measurement. This can be done by running the tape measure horizontally across the door. Be sure to take out all additional parts of the door, like a sweep, before measuring. Then, measure the height by measuring from the floor to the existing sill or the lintel. It is crucial to take measurements in several locations, especially when measuring older doors as they may not be a perfect rectangular shape. If boarding up door Repair My Windows And Doors differ, use the largest number. After you've recorded the measurements of height and width then you'll have to determine the size of boarding you need for the frame. Ideally, it should be 2'' larger than the door and 1 inch thicker than the door. 2'' higher. This will allow you enough space to shim both the door and frame to fit. It's a great idea remove the trim or casing around the jambs of the door in order to see the studs. This will help you to determine the exact dimensions of the gap between studs and the edge of the frame. Once you've removed the trim, you can then measure the width of the door frame by running the tape over the entire frame in three locations and using the smallest measurement as the width of your door. You should also take measurements of the frame's height from top to bottom, on both sides. Use the shortest measurement for the width of your door. If you are having trouble with the measurements, you should get a professional to your home and do the measurement. They'll be able tell you exactly what kind of door and size you need and the best way to prepare the frame to accommodate a new door. Cut the Plywood A door frame is usually made of a series of thin boards or studs that create an open space around the door. The typical door is held in place by two hinges connected to the studs. This means that if you want to restore the door, it is essential to take the hinges off the door for a night. Placing plywood into the door's opening is an easy method to board doors and stop insects from entering the home. It is simple to do without the need to screw or nail the plywood to the frame of the door. Plywood is cheap, easy to work with and looks fantastic when completed. It is the perfect material to use as a temporary fix to a problem in which you have to take down an existing door to refinish or install an entirely new one. It can be used to secure the opening of a room being renovated, such as an excavation site or basement. For a wall constructed of plywood begin by taking measurements of the width and height of the door opening. Make notes using an utility blade and a straight edge made of metal, such as a drywall or a square. Next, snap the chalk lines across the lines you have marked to indicate where you'll need to cut. Finally you can use a circular saw to cut the plywood to the desired size. When cutting the plywood it is essential to protect your ears and eyes. If possible, wear a pair of safety goggles and earplugs when working. Additionally, it is crucial to use a knife that has a wide range of teeth that will cut quickly and with minimal tear-out. Use a small piece of wood to guide the blade. Hold it about a hair's distance from the mark when cutting. An effective way to hold the plywood in place without gluing it to the studs is to fasten a pair of short braces at each end. Place one brace inside and the other on the outside of the door. Then, insert the deck screws in each of the holes and tighten them using an open-end wrench. Secure the Plywood It's time to attach the frame to the panel after you have the plywood sheet cut to the right size and the holes to attach rails and stiles of the door frame have been predrilled. It is a fairly easy project that doesn't require any extensive carpentry skills as long as you follow the right 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 full sheet of plywood flat on top the sawhorses and use the marks made during the measurement process to guide you for cutting. Utilize a utility blade and a straight edge of metal to cut the lines. This will create a guide for the saw blade and help to prevent splintering during cutting the plywood. Wear eye protection and use a circular or table saw equipped with a fine-toothed blade cut along the scored line. 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 wood sealer and let it dry according to the manufacturer's instructions. Install the hinges on the frame of the door. If you're using T hinges, make holes through the exterior of the door for the strap parts of the hinges. Then, place the hinge's outside on its spot and attach it to the frame with the help of a screw gun. Repeat the procedure on the inside of the door for the hinges remaining, but be careful not to overtighten any of them, or the panel may shift. If you are using an outside hinged door with only one T, you can make it easier to lock and close with a chain lock by fishing a piece of wire through the loops on the hinges on the outside. Bend a piece of tie wire in half, and put it through the two holes on the exterior of the door. Then twist the wires together to tighten them and lock the door. Install the Plywood Place the plywood in the opening of the door according to the measurements you took. Move the header (top) of the frame and the sill (bottom). Use a level to be sure there's no slop in either the header or sill. If the level isn't quite right you can place a second shim wherever necessary and continue the process until the sill and header are even. Once the plywood is inside the frame, secure it using stainless steel hinge bolts and wing nuts. It's a good idea utilize a screw gun that has an attachment for a hex-head to prevent stripping the head of the screws. If you live in a house with studs running the length of your doorway, you could drill hanger bolts into each framing member. This is a simpler job than making the hole using a drill or drywall saw. After you have installed the plywood, take measurements of the width and height of the door opening. If necessary, trim the bottom of the plywood to fit the height of your door frame. Cut two pieces of framing lumber for braces to are positioned across the upper and lower sides of your door. Wear eye protection and cut along the lines that are marked on the plywood using circular saws fitted with a fine-toothed knife. Get rid of any splinters that may have formed in the cuts by using a Sanding block. Once you have the braces set, nail each one to the plywood with a pair of finishing nails that measure 2 inches. Counter sink all nail heads when you're done. Cover the braces with a good wood sealing product, like the wipe-on polyurethane from Minwax. If the door is too big for the doorway, you can put in a piece of decorative molding to fill in the space between the door and jamb or you can reduce the size of the opening. In most instances, however it is less expensive and easier to simply buy an entirely new door. It also eliminates any issues that you might have experienced with your door's original model even if it was damaged or no longer fitted the opening.