Replacing The Storm Door

A screen door can add a pleasant breeze throughout your home during the warm weather months, but the breezes can get chilly during the fall.

This week, our Rent-a-Husband Kaile Warren headed to Windham, Maine, to replace a resident's ailing storm door.

Maria Alofs says her door is over seven years old and needs to be changed. Storm doors should have a life of about seven years. Anything older than that should be replaced.

Before purchasing a new door, Warren suggests removing the old one and take a few measurements. The width should be measured from the top, middle and bottom of the threshold and the height from both sides.

Warren says a new door should be purchased for safety and versatility.

Once a door is chosen, there are three basic pieces of frame that need to be install to hang the door. First, the header piece is installed. Before installing the doorframe, make sure a wooden threshold is free of rot. The header piece is then attached after pre-drilling for a screw in the center hole.

Next, the hinge piece has to be cut, but before doing that, remove the glass from the door to make the door lighter and easier to work with.

Cut the frame for making a perfect fit. Once the top cut is made, measure from the bottom of the door sill to the header. That will determine the length of the hinge piece.

After the bottom cut on the hinge piece is made, check the threshold for the level, which should be for proper door operation. Once the pieces are lined up, drill pilot holes into pre-determined screw locations, The frame should easily fasten to the threshold's perimeter.

Slide the door handle through the side and line it up. Once the door is tightened, install the door closer and the bottom skirting and the bottom skirting.

Warren notes a direct correlation between cost and quality in the storm door industry. With the typical price range of $100 to $300, he suggests spending more will get a better door and the savings will come from self-installation.