How to Go About Boarding Up a Door Protecting vacant investment properties against the elements is feasible by putting up a door with a board. It's not guaranteed to stop all damage, but it can help to avoid certain problems that come with severe storms. The boarding up of windows and doors will also discourage trespassers and vandals. However, it can be expensive and time-consuming to put plywood boards over the openings on a house. Take a measurement of the door You'll first need a tape measure. It is also advisable to have a ladder or chair handy in case you have to get a better look 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. This can be done by running the tape measure horizontally across the door. Be sure to eliminate any extra door parts such as the door sweep, from this measurement. Then, measure the height by measuring from the floor up to the sill or lintel. It is crucial to take measurements in several places, particularly when measuring doors that are older as they may not have an exact rectangular shape. If the measurements differ then use the largest number. After you've logged the measurements of height and width, you'll need to determine what size board you'll need for the frame. Ideally, it should be 2 inches larger than the door and 1 2'' higher. This will allow you enough room to shim both the door and frame into place. It's a great idea remove the casing or trim around the jambs of your door to see the studs. This will enable you to determine the exact distance between the frame's studs and the edge. After you've removed your trim, you can then measure the dimensions 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 the top to bottom on both sides and then use the shortest measurement as your door's height. If you're having difficulty with these measurements It's a good idea to speak with a professional and have them come out to your house to do the measuring for you. They'll inform you of the dimensions and what kind of door you'll need and how to prepare your frame for a replacement door. Plywood can be cut into pieces A door frame is generally composed of a series of thin boards or studs which create a hollow space around the door. The typical door is held in place by two hinges that are attached to these studs. If you are looking to restore a door, you will have to take it off its hinges overnight. To prevent insects from entering your home and to secure the door's opening, a straightforward method of boarding doors is to place plywood into the opening. This is a simple process without the need to screw or nail the plywood to the frame of the door. Plywood is inexpensive, easy to work with, and looks great when it is completed. This makes it the ideal material to provide temporary solutions to problems that require the removal of an existing door while renovating or installing a brand new one. https://www.repairmywindowsanddoors.co.uk/emergency-boarding-up/ can also be useful to secure the opening of an area that is being renovated, like an unfinished basement or construction site. Begin by measuring the width of your door opening as well as its height. Make notes using an utility knife and a straight edge of metal like a drywall or a square. Then, you can snap the chalkline along each line to indicate where you want to cut. Utilize a circular saw to cut the plywood to size. When cutting the plywood, it is essential to protect your ears and eyes. If possible, wear a pair of safety goggles and earplugs when working. Additionally, it is crucial to use a knife that has a wide range of teeth that cut quickly and with less tear-out. To avoid breaking 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 only a hair's length away from the mark when cutting. An effective way to hold the plywood in place without screwing it to the studs is by fixing a pair of short braces at each end. Place one of the braces on the inside of the door and the other on the outside. Install a deck screw in each hole and tighten using an open-end ratchet. Fix the Plywood When you have a piece of plywood cut to the right dimensions and with the holes for stiles and rails predrilled, it is time to attach the panel to the door frame. This is a straightforward project that doesn't require a lot of advanced carpentry skills as long as you have the right tools and follow the proper procedure. Begin by setting up a workstation near the doorway, with two sawhorses and a 2-by-4 frame lumber at each end of the table. Use the marks made during the measurement process to guide you while cutting the plywood. Utilize a utility knife and a straight edge of metal to score the lines. This will act as a guide to the saw blade and will prevent splintering of the plywood when you cut it. Wear eye protection and use a circular or table saw with a blade that has a fine-toothed edge to cut along the line of scoring. Then, sand the edges of 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 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 hinge with a T-hinge drill holes in the outer side of your door to accommodate the straps portion of the hinges. Then, put the hinge's outside face on its mark and screw it onto the frame using an screw gun. Repeat the procedure on the inside of the door for all of the hinges remaining, but be cautious not to tighten too much on any of them or the door will shift. If you have only a single hinged outside door it is possible to make it easier for the latch to close by placing an electrical wire through the loops of the exterior hinges. Bend a short piece of tie wire in half, and fish it through each of the two holes on the exterior of the door. Then connect the wires to pull them tight and fix the door. Install the Plywood Using the measurements you took and place the plywood into the door opening. Move the header (top) of the frame and the sill (bottom). Use a level and ensure that there's no slop between the sill and header. If it's not quite right you can put another shim in the place where needed and continue this procedure until you've got the sill and header to be plumb. Once the plywood is in the frame, secure it with the stainless steel hinge bolts and wing nuts. It is a good idea to utilize a screw gun that has an hex-head attachment so that you prevent stripping the head of the screws. If your house has studs running the length of your doorway, you can drill hanger bolts into every framing piece. This is much simpler than using a drywall cutting tool to make the hole. After you have installed the plywood, take measurements of the width and height of the door opening. If needed, trim the bottom of the plywood to fit the size of the door frame. Cut two pieces of 1-by-6 framing lumber as braces that connect to the upper and lower ends of your door. Wear eye protection and cut along the lines that are marked on the plywood with a circular saw fitted with a fine-toothed blade. Splinters can be removed from cuts by using a sanding tool. Once you've got the braces in place, nail each one to the plywood with a pair of 2-inch finishing nails. When you're finished, counter sink the heads of all the nails. The braces should be sealed using a high-quality wood sealing product, such as the wipe-on polyurethane by Minwax. If the door is too big, you can either add decorative molding to fill in the gap between your door and jamb or you can reduce the size of your opening. However, in many situations, it's more affordable and simpler to just choose an alternative door. It also solves any issues you may have had with your door's original model in the event that it was damaged or no longer fitted the opening.