How to Go About Boarding Up a Door
A door can be boarded up as one way to protect vacant investment properties from the elements. It's not a guarantee against all damages, but it can help to prevent some of the issues that are associated with severe storms.
The boarding of doors and windows will also discourage trespassers and vandals. However it can be costly and time-consuming to set up plywood boards over the openings of a property.
Take a measurement of the door
The first thing you'll require is tape measure. You may also want to have a chair or ladder on hand for when you need to gain a better view at the top of the frame. If you have to make use of these tools, be sure to wear gloves and safety glasses.
Once you have the measuring instrument, start by taking the door's width measurement. You can do this by running an x-ray measure horizontally across the door. Be sure to take out all extra parts of the door, for instance a sweep, before measuring. Then, you can take the height measurement by measuring up from the floor to the sill plate or the lintel. It is important to measure in multiple places especially for older doors, as they are not always a perfect rectangle. If the measurements differ take the largest number.
You'll need to determine the size of the frame after you've determined the length and width. Ideally it should be 2'' larger than the door and 1 inch thicker than the door. 2'' higher. This will give you enough room to shim the door and frame to fit.
It's a great idea remove the trim or casing around the jambs of your door to observe the studs. This will help you to determine the exact measurement of the gap between studs and the edge of the frame.
After taking off the trim, take a measurement of the width of the door frame using a tape measure. Measure the frame at three different points and then use the smallest measurement. You should also determine the height of the frame from the top to bottom on both sides and use the most compact measurement as the height of your door.
If you are having trouble with the measurements, seek out a professional who will come to your home and do the measuring. They'll be able to give you the exact kind of door and size you need and how to prepare the frame for a new door.
Cut the Plywood
A door frame is usually composed of a series of thin boards or studs that create a hollow space around the door. Two hinges are connected to the studs and hold the door in its place. If you wish to restore a door, you will need to remove it from its hinges and then leave it for a night. To keep insects out of your home and to secure the door's opening, a straightforward method of boarding a door involves placing plywood into the opening. It's easy to do this without having to nail or screw the plywood onto the door's frame.
Plywood is easy to work with, inexpensive and looks beautiful once completed. This makes it the ideal material for temporary solutions to problems that require the removal of an existing door and renovating or installing a brand new one. It can also be useful for securing the opening in the room being renovated, like an unfinished basement, or a construction site.
Start by measuring the width of the door opening and its height. Draw the measurements on the plywood using the help of a utility knife, a drywall square or other metal straight edge. Then, draw the chalkline along each line to indicate where to cut. Finally you can use a circular saw to cut out the plywood into a size.
It is important to protect both your eyes and ears when cutting plywood. If you can wear safety goggles and earplugs when working. Additionally, it is important to use a blade with a large number of teeth that cut quickly and with minimal tear-out. To minimize the chance of tearing out pieces of wood from the edges of your cut using a small piece of wood as an example to guide the blade, and hold it at a distance of just a hair's width away from the line while cutting.
Attaching a pair of shorter braces to each end is a great method to secure the plywood in place, without screwing it into the studs. Place one brace inside and the other on the outside of the door. Then, insert two 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 appropriate size and with holes for rails and stiles predrilled and ready to secure the panel to the frame. This is a relatively easy project that doesn't require a lot of carpentry expertise, as long as you follow the right procedures and use the right tools.
Set up a table near the entrance with two sawhorses at each end and framing lumber 2x4s. Make marks during the measurement process to guide you while cutting the plywood. Utilize a utility knife and a straight edge made of metal to score the lines. This will serve as a guide for the saw blade and prevent splintering of the plywood when cutting it.
Put on boarding up doorway and cut along the lines of scoring with a circular saw or table saw fitted with a fine-tooth blade. Then sand the edges the plywood panel using 120-grit sandpaper. This will smooth out the panels and remove any burrs that may have formed from the saw cuts. After sanding the plywood, apply a wood sealer and let it dry according to the instructions of the manufacturer.
Install the hinges on the door frame. If you're using a T hinge, drill holes through the exterior of the door for the straps of the hinges. Then, screw the hinge on the outside to the frame using a screwdriver. Repeat the procedure for each hinge on the interior of your door. Be cautious not to tighten them too much, or the door could move.
If you have a single hinged T on your outside door it is possible to make the latch easier to close by fishing an electrical wire through the loops of the outside hinges. Bend a small piece of tie wire in half, and fish it through each of the two holes on the outside of the door. Then twist the wires together to tighten them and secure the door.
Install the Plywood
With the measurements you made using the measurements you took, put the plywood in the door opening. Adjust the header (top) of the frame and the sill (bottom). Use a level and ensure that there's no slop between the header and sill. If it's not quite right you can put another shim where you need it and repeat the procedure until you've got the header and sill to be level.
Once the plywood is inside the frame, fasten it with the stainless steel hinge bolts and wings nuts. It's a good idea utilize a screw gun that has a hex-head attachment 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 lot easier than using a drywall cutting tool to make the hole.
After putting the plywood in place, measure the width and the height of the door opening. If necessary, cut the bottom of the plywood to fit the height of your door frame. Cut two pieces of 1-by-6 framing lumber as braces that attach across the upper and lower sides of your door. Cut along the lines marked on the plywood with a circular blade fitted with fine-toothed teeth. Wear eye protection. Splinters can be removed from cuts using a sanding tool.
After you've placed the braces, use two pairs of finishing nails of 2 inches to secure each brace to the plywood. Counter sink all the nail heads after you've finished. Make sure to seal the braces and the plywood with a good wood sealer, such as this wipe-on polyurethane by Minwax.
If the door is too large You can either put in decorative molding to fill in the space between your jamb and door, or you can reduce the size of your opening. In many cases, it's cheaper and easier to simply find the right door. It also eliminates any issues that you might have experienced with the door you originally purchased, if it was damaged or not suitable for the opening.