storm door
#1
10-16-07, 07:46 AM
storm door
I saw one that was 36" x 80" which is like my doorway except my width is can't quite get a yard stick to go horizontal - the wood frame is too narrow by about 1/8"- maybe 1/4 ".
I don't want to remove that much wood up + down the side so I wondered if the adjusters on the sides come in for narrow wood frames besides going out for bigger frames?
Steps sound right ?;
1-set up a trial fit + adjust the adjusters as necessary sides and top/bottom with out the heavy stuff like glass etc. Hope there is a way to remove the whole door so I am left with a light frame to work with.
2- when ok = draw beads of caulk behind the door frame and screw it in.
3-attach the door or glass whatever I could have removed. Prime + paint to HOA code.
Thank you for your taking the time to help.
I don't want to remove that much wood up + down the side so I wondered if the adjusters on the sides come in for narrow wood frames besides going out for bigger frames?
Steps sound right ?;
1-set up a trial fit + adjust the adjusters as necessary sides and top/bottom with out the heavy stuff like glass etc. Hope there is a way to remove the whole door so I am left with a light frame to work with.
2- when ok = draw beads of caulk behind the door frame and screw it in.
3-attach the door or glass whatever I could have removed. Prime + paint to HOA code.
Thank you for your taking the time to help.
#2
10-16-07, 10:01 AM
Member
For a 36" X 80" opening, the doors are actually 35 3/8" - 35 1/2" x 79" (the bottom has an expander). The packaging will tell you what size opening the door will fit. Yes, remove the glass and screen and install the door & hardware and then insert the glass panel. The door will also come with detailed installation instructions.
#3
10-16-07, 10:26 AM
Group Moderator
36" storm doors will usually fit openings that are as small as 35 3/4". You need to be exact in your measurements, so find your tape measure. If the door will not fit, but it's close, all you need to do is run a skilsaw up and down each side, cutting about 1" deep. Use a chisel to remove any wood that the skilsaw can't reach at the top and bottom of the door. It's important that the opening be the same width on the top, middle and bottom, and it's always nice if the hinge side is perfectly straight and is plumb.
There's no adjusters to adjust... storm doors simply have a Z-shaped bar / frame that fits loosely onto the rough opening, with a little room to move it from side to side as needed.
You don't usually caulk storm doors on, but if you want to, it's your house. It's not usually recommended in the installation instructions that come with the door. I've found it's unnecessary and usually just makes a mess. Storm doors are not meant to be 100% air tight, they simply provide a buffer for your door. Sometimes when you caulk doors on, you destroy them if you ever have to take them off again. The only time I ever caulk a storm door is if there is a problem with water running down the face of the door, and even then I only caulk the top z-bar.
Removing the glass from the door is a good idea if you need to make it lighter, but I don't usually do that. You set the whole door into the opening (you've installed the hinge side z-bar onto the door and have cut it to the correct length), then you push the door all the way toward the hinge side (a shim that is the right size inserted between the door and the latch side frame can help hold the door in place), and put in one screw near the top of the face frame. That'll hold the door while you reach for the other screws. Some guys will use a sharp scratch awl, and push that into the top screw hole like a nail to hold it in place.
There's no adjusters to adjust... storm doors simply have a Z-shaped bar / frame that fits loosely onto the rough opening, with a little room to move it from side to side as needed.
You don't usually caulk storm doors on, but if you want to, it's your house. It's not usually recommended in the installation instructions that come with the door. I've found it's unnecessary and usually just makes a mess. Storm doors are not meant to be 100% air tight, they simply provide a buffer for your door. Sometimes when you caulk doors on, you destroy them if you ever have to take them off again. The only time I ever caulk a storm door is if there is a problem with water running down the face of the door, and even then I only caulk the top z-bar.
Removing the glass from the door is a good idea if you need to make it lighter, but I don't usually do that. You set the whole door into the opening (you've installed the hinge side z-bar onto the door and have cut it to the correct length), then you push the door all the way toward the hinge side (a shim that is the right size inserted between the door and the latch side frame can help hold the door in place), and put in one screw near the top of the face frame. That'll hold the door while you reach for the other screws. Some guys will use a sharp scratch awl, and push that into the top screw hole like a nail to hold it in place.
#4
10-16-07, 11:56 AM
storm door
The opening is 35 7/8". So if doors come in the widths you state the opening may be too small. I will then get a 3 " x 1/4" x 80" filler and attach it to the latch side. That will give me enough room to attach the door and use the 'as is' edge for the hinge side so when I screw into wood there will be no seam where the wood joined.
If the door is too big, I would snap a line as required by measuring, and set the saw to cut the required depth. I would chisel out the parts the saw could not reach. Thanx for the tip about the evenness of the hinge side I cut. Wish I had a guide but they are too much$.
When I'm at the store I'll read the directions to take it step by step.
Sounds like you buy the door that comes closest to your doorway, then carpenter the rest as necessary.
S.S. pensions lead us down many paths.
If the door is too big, I would snap a line as required by measuring, and set the saw to cut the required depth. I would chisel out the parts the saw could not reach. Thanx for the tip about the evenness of the hinge side I cut. Wish I had a guide but they are too much$.
When I'm at the store I'll read the directions to take it step by step.
Sounds like you buy the door that comes closest to your doorway, then carpenter the rest as necessary.
S.S. pensions lead us down many paths.
#7
10-16-07, 02:42 PM
Group Moderator
If the opening is 35 7/8, it is the perfect size for a storm door and you should not have to cut anything.
Storm doors are made to work on openings that are as small as 35 3/4. But if the opening is much less than 35 3/4, you need to trim the sides. It doesn't sound like you have anything to worry about.
Have you checked the height of the opening? Storm doors usually work best on doorways that are 80-82" tall. (as measured where the storm door will sit)
Storm doors are made to work on openings that are as small as 35 3/4. But if the opening is much less than 35 3/4, you need to trim the sides. It doesn't sound like you have anything to worry about.
Have you checked the height of the opening? Storm doors usually work best on doorways that are 80-82" tall. (as measured where the storm door will sit)
