#KEEP SCREEN ON SCREEN DOOR HOW TO#
#KEEP SCREEN ON SCREEN DOOR INSTALL#

It's so much easier to paint the door frame before the screen is installed. You can see that the hole on the left has a little space towards the back, but the right one is almost perfect! Prime and Paint the Frame Any remaining gaps can be hidden with wood filler. Once the wood glue is dry (I left them overnight, but you don't have to wait that long), sand the plugs flush with the surface. Slide the pocket hole plug into the hole with the flat side facing up. I love these squeeze bottles for getting the glue exactly where you want it! I decided to try pocket hole plugs this time, and they worked better than I expected!įirst, squirt some wood glue into the pocket hole. I've used wood filler in the past, but it tends to shrink a bit and create an obvious oval shape in the painted finish. Since you can see both sides of the screen door clearly, you definitely want to cover them up! Typically, I don't fill pocket holes unless they're really visible and detract from the aesthetic of the finished piece. I ended up using a roller stand and lots of clamps to keep the whole thing from tipping off the edge! Fill the Pocket Holes My door is wider than my workbench, so I had to do a little creative problem solving to attach the second vertical piece. Make sure everything is perfectly square as you assemble the screen door. Use wood glue and pocket hole screws to attach each of the horizontal boards to the vertical ones.

In my case, the horizontal boards are 27' and the vertical ones are 80 ¾'.ĭrill pocket holes in both ends of all the horizontal pieces.

Then cut the horizontal boards to the width of the opening, minus the width of the two vertical boards and ¼'. It's slightly more expensive, but it saves me a ton of prep work! I bought 1x5 poplar boards from my local lumber yard, but you could use 1圆 boards instead (just adjust your dimensions accordingly!)Ĭut the two vertical boards to the exact measurement of your door opening (minus ¼'). I prefer to use poplar over pine for my painted projects, because the tight, smooth grain allows for a smoother finish. Your measurements will probably be different, but you can use mine as a starting point. I wanted three panes to match our front window, so I played around in SketchUp until I found the perfect dimensions for the opening. Sketch out a few designs before you start cutting. Choose the smallest of the three measurements from each direction, then subtract ¼' to allow for a little bit of space all the way around for the wood to expand and contract with the seasons.

Measure across the top, middle and bottom of the opening horizontally, then vertically on the left, middle and right side. Determine where the screen door will be installed (usually on the front edge of the door frame, NOT right next to the main door) and start your tape from that point. It's super important to take accurate measurements of the door opening before you start building.

#KEEP SCREEN ON SCREEN DOOR HOW TO#

How to Make a Screen Door Measure The Door Opening Otherwise, you'll also need a brad nail gun and ¾' brad nails.

A staple gun that also shoots brad nails would be best.

Learn how to use a Kreg Jig in this tutorial!.

Here's how to make a wooden screen door for your own home! Materials Needed for DIY Screen Door I could have bought one of those cheap metal screen doors, but instead I'm building my own wooden screen door! The design I created matches the large picture window on the front of our house, and gives it a more modern look. But there's no sign of it stored anywhere on the property, so it must be long gone. There must have been a screen door here once upon a time, because there's still a cutout for the hinges in the door frame. Please visit my disclosures page for more information. Purchases made through these links may earn me a small commission at no additional cost to you. This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.

#KEEP SCREEN ON SCREEN DOOR INSTALL#

Install Slow-close mechanism (optional).Cut and assemble the screen door boards.

Keep screen on screen door