To put hinges on a screen door, you need to properly position the door in the frame, align the hinges with those of the main entry door, and then mark, prepare, and attach the hinges to both the door and the frame.
Attaching Hinges to Your Screen Door Frame
Putting hinges on a screen door involves careful measurement, alignment, and secure fastening to ensure smooth operation and proper closure. A key step is aligning the screen door hinges with the existing hinges of your main entryway door.
Here’s a breakdown of the process:
- Determine Hinge Side: As recommended, make sure the hinges are located on the same side of the main entryway door hinges. This ensures consistency and proper swing direction.
- Position the Door: Place the new door in position using shims on the bottom of the door. Shims help elevate the door slightly off the sill, providing necessary clearance for movement and allowing you to achieve the correct gap around the door. Adjust shims until the door is plumb and fits correctly within the frame opening with even gaps on the sides and top.
- Mark Hinge Locations: With the door correctly positioned using shims, mark where the hinges will sit on both the door edge and the door frame. Standard practice is typically three hinges for a screen door, spaced evenly. The top and bottom hinges are usually placed about 7-10 inches from the top and bottom of the door, respectively, with the middle hinge centered between them.
- Prepare for Hinges: Remove the door from the frame. If your hinges require mortising (cutting a recess so the hinge sits flush), carefully trace the hinge outline and use a chisel or router to create the mortise on both the door edge and the frame where marked. Many screen door hinges, especially lightweight ones, are surface-mounted and do not require mortising.
- Drill Pilot Holes: To prevent wood splitting, always drill pilot holes for the screws before attaching the hinges. Use a drill bit slightly smaller than the screw threads.
- Attach Hinges to Door: Screw the hinge leaves onto the edge of the screen door at the marked and prepared locations.
- Install Door: With the hinges attached to the door, reposition the door in the frame using the shims again to hold it in place.
- Attach Hinges to Frame: Screw the other hinge leaves into the prepared locations on the door frame. Start with a single screw in each hinge on the frame side to allow for minor adjustments before inserting all screws.
- Check Operation: Once all screws are in place, remove the shims and test the door swing. Ensure it opens and closes smoothly without rubbing and that it latches correctly. Make any necessary adjustments to the hinges.
Essential Tools & Materials:
- Screen door and hinges
- Screws matching the hinges
- Measuring tape and pencil
- Wood shims
- Drill and drill bits
- Screwdriver or driver bits
- Chisel and hammer (if mortising)
By following these steps and ensuring the hinges are properly aligned with your main door and the screen door is correctly positioned with shims, you can successfully hang your screen door.
