How to Go About Boarding Up a Door
boarding up windows near me commercial boarding up service a door (one-time offer) is one way to protect vacant investment properties from the elements. It may not prevent all damages, but it can help to avoid some of the problems associated with severe storms.
The idea of emergency boarding up near me up doors and windows can also deter trespassers or vandals from entering your property. Placing plywood boards over doors and windows could be time-consuming and costly.
Measure the Door
The first thing you'll need is a tape measure. You may also want to keep an extra chair or ladder in case you have to see more clearly at the top of the frame. If you need to make use of these tools, be sure to wear gloves and goggles.
Once you have the measuring tool, start by taking the door width measurement. This can be done by running the tape horizontally across the door. Make sure to remove any other door components, such as a door sweep, from this measurement. Then, measure the height by measuring commercial boarding up service from the floor to the existing sill plate or lintel. It is important to measure more than one location particularly with older doors, since they are not always an exact rectangle. If the measurements vary take the largest number.
You'll need to determine the size of the frame once you've taken measurements of the width and height. It should be at least 2 inches wider and 1 inch taller than the door. 2 higher. This will allow you enough room to shim the door and frame into place.
It's a great idea to take off the trim or casing around the jambs of your door to see the studs. This will help you determine the exact size of the space between the studs and the frame.
After you've removed the trim, you can then measure the width of the frame of your door by running the tape measure across the entire frame in three locations and using the smallest measurement as the width of your door. It is also important to measure the frame's height from top to bottom, on both sides. Make use of the shortest measurement for the width of your door.
If you are having trouble with the measurements, get a professional to your home and do the measurement. They'll be able to give you the exact type and size of door you require and how to prepare the frame to accommodate the door you want to buy.
Plywood can be cut into pieces
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 attached to the studs and hold the door in position. If you are looking to restore doors, you'll have to remove it from its hinges overnight. Placing plywood in the door opening is a great method to enclose the door and keep insects from entering the home. It is simple to do without the need to screw or nail the plywood to the door frame.
Plywood is simple to work with, cheap and looks stunning when finished. This makes it the perfect material for an interim solution to problems that require the removal of an existing door and refinishing or installing a new one. It can be used to secure the opening of a space being transformed, such as a basement or construction site.
Start by measuring the width of your door opening and its height. Mark the measurements with a utility blade and a straight edge made of metal like a drywall or a metal square. Next, snap an outline of chalk across all the marked lines to indicate where you'll need to cut. Utilize a circular saw to cut the plywood to the desired size.
It is crucial to shield your eyes and ears when cutting plywood. If possible wear protective goggles and earplugs while working. It is also important to use a blade with a lot of teeth, which will allow you to cut quickly and with little tear-out. To minimize the chance of cutting pieces of wood from the edges of your cut, use a small block of wood as an example to guide the blade, and hold it just a hair's width away from the marked line when cutting.
An effective way to hold the plywood in place without fixing it to the studs is by fixing two braces at each end. Put one brace on the inside and the other outside of the door. Position a pair 1-1/2-inch deck screws in each hole, and then tighten with an open-end ratchet.
Fasten the Plywood
It's time to join the panel to the frame once you have the plywood sheet cut to the proper size and the holes for the stiles and rails of the door frame have been predrilled. This is a relatively simple project that does not require a lot of carpentry expertise, as long as you follow the correct procedure and use the appropriate tools.
Begin by setting up a worktable near the doorway with two sawhorses and a 2-by-4 frame lumber at each end of the table. Lay the entire sheet of plywood flat on top of the sawhorses using the marks left by the measurement process as a reference to cut. Mark the lines using an utility knife and a drywall square or another metal straight edge. This will create a guideline for the saw blade, and will help to prevent splintering during cutting the plywood.
Wear eye protection and cut along the lines of scoring with a circular saw or table saw with a fine-tooth blade. Then sand the edges of the plywood panel with 120-grit sandpaper. This will smooth out the panels and remove any burrs from the saw cuts. After sanding the plywood panels then apply a wood sealer and allow it to dry according to the manufacturer's instructions.
Install the hinges onto the door frame. If you're using a T-hinge, drill holes on the outside face of your door for the strap portion of the hinges. Next, position the hinge's outside on its mark and screw it into the frame using the help of a screw gun. Repeat the procedure for each hinge on the interior of your door. Be cautious not to overtighten them, or the panel could shift.
If you have only a single hinged outside door, you can make it easier for the latch to close by putting a wire through the loops of the exterior 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 pull them tightly and fix the door.
Install the Plywood
Using the measurements you took, place the plywood in the door opening. Change the frame's header (top) and the sill. Use a level and make sure that there is no slop between the sill and the header. If the level isn't quite right then place another shim if necessary and continue the process until the sill and header are level.
When the plywood is in the frame, secure it with the stainless steel hinge bolts and wings nuts. Use a screwgun with a hex head attachment to avoid removing the heads of the screws.
While you're at it, should your home be constructed with studs running through the doorway's height you can drill hanger bolts into the plywood and into each framing stud. This is a much easier job than making the hole with the aid of a drill or drywall saw.
After putting the plywood in place, determine the width and height of the door opening. If necessary, trim the bottom of the plywood to fit the size of the door frame. Cut two pieces of framing lumber to form braces that are positioned across the upper and lower ends of your door. Put on eye protection and cut along the lines drawn on the plywood with a circular saw fitted with a fine-tooth blade. Remove any splinters from the cuts by using the help of a Sanding block.
After you've placed the braces after you have positioned them, use two pairs of finishing nails that measure 2 inches to join each brace to the plywood. Counter-sink all nail heads after you've finished. The braces should be sealed using a high-quality wood sealing product, such as the wipe-on polyurethane from Minwax.
If the door is still too large for your doorway, you could add a piece of decorative molding to fill in the space between the door and jamb or you can alter the size of the opening. In many cases, however, it is cheaper and simpler to purchase an entirely new door. It also solves any issues you may have had with the door you originally purchased, if it was damaged or no longer fitted the opening.