How to Go About Boarding Up a Door
The protection of vacant investment properties from the elements is attainable by board up a door. It's not guaranteed to stop all damages, but it can help to avoid some of the problems associated with severe storms.
Boarding up windows and doors can deter trespassers, vandals, and squatters. Placing plywood boards over doors and windows could be time-consuming and costly.
Take a measurement of the door
You'll first require a tape measure. You may want to keep a chair or ladder close to hand in case you need to see more clearly the top of the frame. If you need to use these tools, be sure to wear gloves and goggles.
Once you have the measuring tool, begin by taking the door's width measurement. This can be done by running a tape measure horizontally along the door. Be sure to remove any other door components, such as the door sweep, from the measurement. Then, measure the height by measuring from the floor to the sill plate or the lintel. It is essential to measure multiple locations especially for older doors, because they are not always an exact rectangle. If the measurements are different then use the largest number.
You'll need to determine the size of the frame after having determined the height and width. Ideally, it should be 2'' wider than the door and 1 inch thicker than the door. 2'' higher. This will allow enough space to shim the door and frame to fit.
When you're ready to measure the door frame's width and height measurements, it's best to take out any trim or casing the door jambs, so you can see the studs behind them. This will allow you to determine the exact dimensions of the gap between the studs and the edge of the frame.
After you've removed the trim, you'll be able to measure the width of the frame of your door by running the tape over the entire frame in three places and using the smallest measurement as the width of your door. You should also determine the height of the frame from top to bottom on both sides. Choose the shortest measurement to determine your door's width.
If you're having difficulty with these measurements, it's a good idea at this point to consult an expert and have them come out to your house to do the measuring for you. They will tell you what dimensions and what kind of door you require and how to prepare your frame for a new door.
Plywood can be cut into pieces
A door frame is typically made up of a series thin boards or studs that create a hollow space surrounding the door. The typical door is held in place by two hinges that are connected to the studs. This means that if you want to restore the door, it's important to remove the hinges from the door over the course of a few days. To prevent insects from entering your home and to secure the door opening, a quick and easy method to board the door is to put plywood in the opening. It's easy to do this without the need to nail or screw the plywood onto the door's frame.
Plywood is inexpensive, easy to work with and looks great when it is finished. This makes it the ideal material to provide a temporary solution to problems that require the removal of an existing door and refinishing or installing a new one. It is also a great option to secure the opening in a room that is being renovated, like an unfinished basement or construction site.
To install a plywood wall begin by taking measurements of the width and height of the door opening. Note the measurements using an utility blade and a metal straight edge like a drywall or a metal square. Next, snap a chalk line across the marked lines to mark the areas you want to cut. Utilize a circular blade to cut the plywood to the desired size.
It is crucial to shield your ears and eyes when cutting plywood. Wear protective goggles or earplugs if possible. It is also important to use a sharp blade with lots of teeth which will allow you to cut quickly and without any tear-out. To minimize the chance of tearing out pieces of wood from the edges of the cut using a small piece of wood as a template to guide the blade, and hold it at a distance of just a hair's width away from the mark while cutting.
Attaching a pair of shorter braces to each end is a great method to secure the plywood in place without putting screws into the studs. Set one brace inside and the other outside of the door. Install a deck screw in each hole, and then tighten with an open-end ratchet.
Fasten the Plywood
It's time to join the the frame after you have the plywood sheet cut to the right dimensions and the holes for the stiles and rails of the door frame are predrilled. This is a relatively straightforward project that does not require extensive carpentry skills, so long as you follow the correct procedure and use the appropriate tools.
Begin by setting up a workstation near the doorway. There are two sawhorses and 2-by-4 framing lumber at each end of the table. Use the marks made during the measurement procedure to guide you in cutting the plywood. Cut the lines using the help of a utility knife, a drywall square or other metal straight edge. This will serve as a guide for the saw blade and will prevent splintering of the plywood when cutting it.
Put on eye protection and cut along the lines of scoring using a circular or table saw with a fine-tooth blade. Then sand the edges of the plywood panel using 120-grit sandpaper. This will smooth the panels and remove any burrs from the saw cuts. After the sanding, apply a coat of wood sealer on the plywood panels and let dry according to the instructions of the manufacturer.
Install the hinges onto the frame of your door. If you're using a T-hinge drill holes in the outer face of your door for the straps portion of the hinges. Then, put the hinge's outside on its mark and screw it into the frame using the help of a screw gun. Repeat the same procedure on the inside of the door for all of the remaining hinges, being cautious not to tighten too much on any of them, or the door will shift.
If you are using one outside hinged door, you can make it easier to lock and close using a chain latch by putting a piece of wire through the loops of the outside hinges. Fold a small piece of tie wire in half, and then fish it through the two holes on the exterior of the door. Then, you can twist the wires and fix the door.
Install the Plywood
Install the plywood in the door's opening according to the measurements you took. Shim the header (top) of the frame and the sill (bottom). Use a level and ensure that there is no slop between the sill and header. If it isn't perfect you can place a second shim wherever required and repeat the process until the header and sill are plumb.
When the plywood is in the frame, fix it using stainless steel hinge bolts and wing nuts. It's a good idea to use a screw gun with an attachment for a hex-head to avoid stripping the head of the screws.
While you're there, If your home was constructed with studs running through the doorway's height make holes for hanger bolts in the plywood and into the framing studs. This is a lot easier than using a drywall cutting tool to create the hole.
After you have installed the plywood, measure the width and height of the door opening. If needed, trim the plywood bottom to match the height your door frame. Cut two pieces of framing wood 1-by-6 to form braces for the upper and lower edges. Cut along emergency boarding up service marked on the plywood with a circular blade fitted with fine-toothed teeth. Wear eye protection. Splinters can be removed from cuts by using a sanding device.
Once you have the braces in place, nail each one to the plywood with pairs of 2-inch finishing nails. Counter-sink all nail heads when you're done. The braces should be sealed using a high-quality wood sealing product, like the wipe-on polyurethane from Minwax.
If your door is too large, you can either add 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 is less expensive and simpler to purchase an entirely new door. This also eliminates any headaches that you might have faced with the original door, if it was damaged and could no suitable for the opening.