5 Tools Everyone Involved In Boarding Up A Door Industry Should Be Using
How to Go About Boarding Up a Door The act of boarding up a door is one method of protecting vacant investment properties from the elements. Although it isn't able to stop all destruction, it can help avoid some of the issues that can arise from severe storms. The boarding of doors and windows will also discourage trespassers and vandals. Placing plywood boards over doors and windows can be time-consuming and expensive. Measure the Door First, you'll require a tape measure. boarding up services may want to keep a ladder or a chair close by in case you require an improved view of the top of the frame. Wear gloves and goggles when you make use of these tools. Once you have the measuring instrument, start by taking the door width measurement. This can be accomplished by running the tape measure horizontally across the door. Be sure to eliminate any additional door parts such as a door sweep to get this measurement. Next, measure the height by measuring from the floor to the sill plate or lintel. It is important to take measurements in multiple locations, particularly when measuring older doors as they may not have an exact rectangular shape. If the measurements differ then use the largest number. You'll need to determine the size of the frame after having determined the width and height. Ideally, it should be 2'' larger than the door and 1 2'' higher. This will give you plenty of space to shim the frame and door into place. It's a great idea remove the trim or casing around the jambs of the door in order to observe the studs. This will allow you to determine the exact measurement of the gap between the studs and the edges of the frame. After taking off the trim, take a measurement of the width of your door frame using the tape measure. Measure the frame at three different locations and then use the most compact measurement. Also, you should measure the height of the frame from top to bottom on both sides and use the most compact measurement as your door's height. If you're having issues with the measurements, get a professional to your home and do the measuring. They'll be able to give you the exact kind of door and size you need and the best way to prepare the frame for the new door. Cut the Plywood A door frame is typically comprised of thin boards or studs that create an open space around the door. A typical door is held in place by two hinges connected to the studs. If you are looking to finish the door, you'll have to remove it from its hinges overnight. Placing plywood in the door opening is a simple method to enclose the door and keep insects from getting into your home. It is simple to do without having to nail or screw the plywood to the frame of the door. Plywood is a breeze to work with, cheap and looks great once it's finished. It is the ideal material to make a temporary solution for a problem where you have to take down an existing door to refinish it or put in the new one. It can be used to secure the opening of a room being renovated, like the construction site or basement. To build a wall made of plywood begin by taking measurements of the width and height of the door opening. Mark the dimensions on the plywood with the help of a utility knife, an drywall square or any other straight edge of metal. Then, you can snap the chalkline along each line to indicate where you want to cut. Finally you can use circular saws to cut the plywood to the desired size. When cutting the plywood, it is important to protect your eyes and ears. If you can wear safety goggles and earplugs when working. It is also important to use a blade with lots of teeth that will allow you to cut quickly and without any tear-out. To reduce the chances of cutting pieces of wood from the edges of the cut, use a small block of wood as a template to guide the blade and hold it at a distance of just a hair's width away from the line while cutting. A good way to keep the plywood in place without gluing it to the studs is to fasten a pair of short braces at each end. Put one of the braces on the side of the door, and the other on the outside. Then, place two 1-½-inch deck screws in each of the holes, and tighten them using an open-end wrench. Fix the Plywood It's now time to connect the frame to the panel after you have the plywood sheet cut to the correct size and the holes for the stiles and rails of the door frame predrilled. This is a straightforward project that does not require a lot of carpentry expertise, provided you follow the correct procedures and use the appropriate tools. Start by setting up a workstation near the doorway with two sawhorses as well as 2-by-4 framing lumber at each end of the table. Utilize the marks you made during the measurement process to guide you while cutting the plywood. Utilize a utility knife and a straight edge made of metal to cut the lines. This will create an outline 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 line of scoring. Then sand the edges the plywood panel using 120-grit sandpaper. This will smooth the panels and remove any burrs that may have formed from the saw cuts. After sanding, apply a wood sealer and allow it to dry in accordance with the manufacturer's guidelines. Install the hinges onto the door frame. If you're using a hinge with a T-hinge drill holes on the outside face of your door for the strap portion of the hinges. Then, place the hinge's outside on its mark and screw it to the frame with an screw gun. Repeat the procedure on the inside of the door for the remaining hinges, being careful not to overtighten one of them or the hinge could shift. If you are using one outside hinged door you can make it easier to close and lock using a chain latch by putting a piece wire through the loops of the hinges on the outside. Bend a small piece of tie wire in half and put it through the two holes on the outside of the door, then twist the wires to tighten them and fix the door. Install the Plywood Place the plywood into the opening of the door according to the measurements you took. Shim the header of the frame (top) and the sill. Use a level to make sure that there is no slop between the sill and header. If it isn't perfect you can place a second shim wherever it is needed and continue the process until the sill and header are level. Once the plywood is in place, fix it using the stainless-steel hinge bolts and wingscrews. Make use of a screwgun that has an attachment for a hex head to avoid removing the heads of the screws. While you're at it should your home be constructed with studs that run across the width of your doorway you can drill hanger bolts into the plywood and into each framing stud. This is a lot easier than using a drywall saw to make the hole. After you have installed the plywood after installation, take measurements of the width and the height of the door opening. If necessary, cut your bottom of the plywood to be a little higher than the height of the door frame. Cut two pieces of framing lumber 1 by 6 to serve as braces for the upper and lower ends. Wear eye protection and cut along the lines marked on the plywood using a circular saw equipped with a fine-toothed blade. Splinters can be removed from the cuts using a sanding tool. After you have the two braces in place attach each one to the plywood with pairs of 2-inch finishing nails. Counter sink all the nail heads when you're done. Cover the braces and plywood with a quality wood sealer, such as this wipe on polyurethane from Minwax. If your door is too big You can either put in decorative molding to fill the space between your jamb and door, or you can resize your opening. In many instances, however it is less expensive and more convenient to buy an entirely new door. This also eliminates any headaches you may have experienced with the original door, if it was damaged and didn't suitable for the opening.