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How to Go About Boarding Up a Door

Protecting vacant investment properties against the elements is feasible by boarding up a door. Although it isn't able to be able to prevent all destruction, it can help avoid certain problems that come with severe storms.

Boarding up windows and doors can deter trespassers and vandals as well as squatters. Placing plywood boards over doors and windows can be time-consuming and expensive.

Take a measurement of the door

First, you'll require a tape measure. You might want to keep a ladder or chair nearby in case you need a better view of the top of the frame. If you have to use these tools, make sure to wear gloves and goggles.

Once you have the measuring tool, begin by taking the door's width measurement. This can be accomplished by running the tape horizontally across the door. Make sure to remove any extra parts of the door, such as a sweep, when measuring. Then, take the height measurement by measuring up from the floor to the sill plate or lintel. It is important to measure multiple locations especially for older doors, as they are not always an exact rectangle. If the measurements are different, use the largest figure.

After you've recorded the width and height measurements then you'll have to figure out what size board you'll need for the frame. It should be at minimum 2'' wider and 1'' higher than the door. 2'' higher. This will give enough space to shim both the frame and frame in place.

boarding up windows near me 's a good idea to remove the casing or trim around the jambs of the door to see the studs. This will help you to determine the exact measurement of the gap between studs and the edge of the frame.

Once you've removed the trim, you'll be able to measure the width of the frame of your door by running the tape measure across the entire frame in three locations and using the smallest measurement as your door's width. Also, you should measure the frame's height from top to bottom on both sides. Use the shortest measurement to determine the width of your door.

If you're having issues with these measurements It's a good idea at this point to consult an expert and ask them to come out to your house to do the measuring for you. They'll inform you of the size and style of door you require and how to prepare your frame to accommodate a replacement door.

Plywood can be cut into pieces

A door frame is typically comprised of studs or boards that create an open space around the door. The typical door is held in place by two hinges that are attached to these studs. This means that, if you wish to refinish the door, it's essential to take the hinges off the door for a night. To stop insects from entering your home and to secure the door opening, a straightforward method to board doors is to place plywood in the opening. This is easy to do without having to screw or nail the plywood to the frame of the door.

Plywood is cheap, easy to work with, and looks stunning when completed. This makes it the ideal material for a temporary solution to problems that require the removal of an existing door while 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 a construction site.

For a wall constructed of plywood begin by measuring the width and height of the door opening. Make notes using an utility knife and a straight edge of metal, such as a drywall or a metal square. Then, you should snap a chalk line across the lines marked to mark the areas you want to cut. Then, use a circular saw to cut the plywood to size.

It is important to protect your eyes and ears when cutting plywood. Wear protective goggles or earplugs if possible. It is also essential to use a blade with a lot of teeth, which will allow you to cut quickly and with little tear-out. To reduce the chances of breaking pieces of wood from the edges of your cut blade, use a small piece of wood as an example to guide the blade and hold it only a hair's length away from the line when cutting.

Attaching a pair of shorter braces at each end is a great method to hold the plywood in place, without screwing it into studs. Place one of the braces on the inside of the door and the one on the outside. Then, place a pair of 1-1/2-inch deck screws in each of the holes and tighten them using an open-end wrench.

Fasten the Plywood

It's time to attach the panel to the frame once you have the plywood sheet cut to the proper size and the holes for rails and stiles of the door frame have been predrilled. This is a straightforward project that doesn't require any advanced carpentry skills, as long as you use the correct tools and follow the proper steps.

Set up a table in the entrance with two sawhorses at each end, and framing lumber 2x4s. Lay the full sheet of plywood flat on top the sawhorses using the marks left by the measurement process as a reference for cutting. Use a utility blade and a straight edge of metal to cut the lines. This will serve as a guide for the saw blade, and prevent splintering of the plywood when cutting it.

Put on eye protection and cut along the scored lines with a circular saw or table saw equipped with a fine-tooth blade. Sand the edges of the panels with 120-grit paper to smooth it out and eliminate any burrs. After sanding the plywood panels then apply a wood sealer and let it dry according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Install the hinges onto the door frame. If you're using T hinges, make holes through the exterior of the door to accommodate the strap portions of the hinges. Then, put the hinge's outside on its spot and attach it to the frame with a screw gun. Repeat the process on the inside of the door for each of the hinges remaining, being cautious not to tighten too much on any of them, or the door will shift.

If you have a single hinged T on your outside door you can make it easier for the latch to close by fishing an electrical wire through the loops of the outside hinges. Bend a small piece of tie wire in half, and fish it through each of the two holes on the exterior of the door. Then twist the wires to pull them tight and fix the door.

Install the Plywood

Place the plywood into the door's opening according to the measurements you took. Shim the frame's header (top) and the sill. 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 necessary and continue the process until the header and sill are plumb.

Once the plywood is in place, fix it with the stainless-steel hinge bolts and wingnuts. It's a good idea make use of a screw gun with an hex-head attachment so that you keep the head from being stripped of the screws.

While you're at it if your house was built with studs that run through the doorway's height you can drill hanger bolts into the plywood and into each framing stud. This is a much easier task than drilling the hole with the drill or drywall saw.

After you have installed the plywood, measure the width and height of the door opening. If needed, trim the bottom of the plywood to fit the height of your door frame. Cut two pieces of 1-by-6 framing lumber as braces that attach across the upper and lower edges of your door. Cut along the lines drawn on your plywood with a circular blade with teeth that are finely tipped. Wear eye protection. Get rid of any splinters that may have formed in the cuts using an Sanding block.


After you've placed the braces, use two pairs of 2-inch finishing nail to attach each brace to the plywood. When you're finished counter-sink the heads of all nails. Seal the braces with a quality wood sealing product, like the wipe-on polyurethane made by Minwax.

If the door is too big for the doorway, you can add some decorative molding to fill in the gap between the door and jamb or alter the size of the opening. In most instances, however, it is cheaper and simpler to purchase an entirely new door. It also eliminates any issues you might have encountered with your door's original model in the event that it was damaged or was not fit for the opening.

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