Wooden screen door situation

[Roy G]

I recently got a screen door at Home Depot. It was wood and made by Screen Tight. I measured and did my trimming and fitted the hinges and had to add an inch at the bottom because of the door sill design. Okay, I was going to paint it and notice some little dots on the horizontal divider. Closer inspection showed the little dots were actually little holes. Powder post beetles had once lived in this section of wood. Argh. I took it back and they refunded my money. So my advice is to inspect any wooden screen doors with a magnifying glass so you don't run into the same problem. I still need to get a screen door. Maybe I'll look at the vinyl ones.

Roy G

 

[Mike Davis]

I bought my shop screen door at the other big box.
After 5 years it is sagging almost 2 inches, it drags on the floor and won't close.
I think I need to make my next one instead of trying to buy something.

 

[bob vaughan]

I think I need to make my next one instead of trying to buy something.

That's what I did after looking at the flimsy junk that was commercially available. I got screen making stuff from the big box stores and made my own screen inserts. Both panels are the same size. Makes for easy repairs. Be sure to paint and seal the bottom well before final installation.

 

[Dee2]

That's what I did after looking at the flimsy junk that was commercially available. I got screen making stuff from the big box stores and made my own screen inserts. Both panels are the same size. Makes for easy repairs. Be sure to paint and seal the bottom well before final installation.

This might make a great How-to article for the Resource forum. Please consider.

 

[Graywolf]

I agree with Gene on the article

 

[RobS.]

Years ago I bought 2 wooden screen doors from "the other big box". In about 6 months one of them began to sag and fall apart. It got very little use. The second one did the same thing but it sagged for a longer period of time before it fell apart. They both appeared to have been unable to support their own weight. I put some braces on them but they fell apart anyway. I should have taken them back but instead I took them to the dump and bought aluminium storm doors.

 

[Mike Davis]

Years ago I bought 2 wooden screen doors from "the other big box". In about 6 months one of them began to sag and fall apart. It got very little use. The second one did the same thing but it sagged for a longer period of time before it fell apart. They both appeared to have been unable to support their own weight. I put some braces on them but they fell apart anyway. I should have taken them back but instead I took them to the dump and bought aluminium storm doors.

I looked at aluminum storm doors but the ones they had were MDF in the center with only a very thin aluminum clad.

 

[Rwe2156]

Wow that's surprising.

I replaced 3 wood screen doors with aluminum a long time ago.....

 

[Wilsoncb]

My son bought one of those wood frame screen doors a couple years ago. We added a turnbuckle cross brace before installing it. So far it’s been fine.

 

[bob vaughan]

My house has aluminum but for the shop I wanted something that I could repair easily when a kickback blows out the bottom screen on to the driveway (did that once). Also two full panels of screen allow good air flow when I turn on the window exhaust fan for cleanup or spraying finish. The upper floor of the shop has double doors so I had to make something that fit that five foot opening. It also helps for summer time ventilation.

 

[junquecol]

In 1996, I installed a wooden screen door for client, which was purchased at Lowes. Manufacturer had recently moved operations to Mexico. Along comes hurricane Fran, and door falls to pieces due to the use of INTERIOR glue in it's construction. Door was finger joint construction. She takes door back to Lowes in a cardboard box. Lowes refunded not only purchase price, but install and removal labor also. Since then, when customer wants a screen door, I build them one using 5/4 SYP stock, with loose tennon joinery. All have a diagonal adjustable brace installed to prevent sagging. You can buy aluminum stock to make screens, which can be removable.

 

[Rwe2156]

In 1996, I installed a wooden screen door for client, which was purchased at Lowes. Manufacturer had recently moved operations to Mexico. Along comes hurricane Fran, and door falls to pieces due to the use of INTERIOR glue in it's construction. Door was finger joint construction. She takes door back to Lowes in a cardboard box. Lowes refunded not only purchase price, but install and removal labor also. Since then, when customer wants a screen door, I build them one using 5/4 SYP stock, with loose tennon joinery. All have a diagonal adjustable brace installed to prevent sagging. You can buy aluminum stock to make screens, which can be removable.

YES. Same thing happened to me. I couldn't believe it. Came apart like a cheap suit. Wood was perfectly fine. I used TB3 and also ran screws in from the edge and caulked over them.

Really well made screen doors are super expensive or made by a woodworker with the right kind of wood.

 

[Mike Davis]

Really well made screen doors are super expensive or made by a woodworker with the right kind of wood.

I may have enough sapele...

 

[Wiley's Woodworks]

I may have enough sapele...

What is the world coming to? An ordinary screen door made from sapele and painted over. Starting to seem like excessive cost and work. If you do make your own door, what kind of joint would you use? I'm thinking a bridle joint with 2 pegs, TB3 glue.

 

[bob vaughan]

The screen door I use the most often is made from clear all heart redwood. Its light enough to not bang the building when it shuts or put unnecessary strain on the trim the hinges are mounted to. My double doors were made from clear white pine. I bit heavier, but not used as often.

My frame shown is made with 2-1/2" x 1/2" by 3" high tenons. Nothing special. The trick is after hanging, take it down and paint with several coats of good exterior paint. The frame with routed after assembly with a 1/2" X 1/2" dado for the screen. Once the dados were cut, then I made the screens.

 

[bob vaughan]

After the frame glue-up was done, I did drill and install a couple of dowels in each joint just to be sure. Moving the press head down and the table up to bench height made for convenient handling of the large and awkward frame.

The top rail was white pine because I'd run out of redwood.

 

[RobS.]

I looked at aluminum storm doors but the ones they had were MDF in the center with only a very thin aluminum clad.

I've dealt with that too but they lasted years instead of months before they began to fall apart. Been in this house for 23 years and I'm on my 4th storm door. I like the old school solid aluminum doors with no core but they are hard to find.

 

[PhilErup]

Good call on getting a refund. Maybe check out vinyl doors next time.