How to Install a Screen Door

A screen door can give you all of the benefits of the outdoors without all of the unwanted visitors. Learn how to install a screen door in this HGTV video:

You will need the following tools and materials: goggles, drill, shims, circular saw, pencil or marker.

Screen doors come in both wood and vinyl. Wooden doors are more traditional but will require regular painting or staining for ongoing care. Vinyl doors require less maintenance over time and are very durable. Most store-bought vinyl screen doors come with hardware that allows the door to be reversible. You screen door should be installed on the same side as your exterior door’s hinges.

To find the correct size door, you will need to make six measurement. measure the door jamb on the top, middle and bottom, on the left, middle and right. You want to make sure that you have 3/16 of an inch between your screen door and the door jamb on each side.

Use shims to hold your door in place and make sure that it fits. If for some reason your door is too big, mark the overlapped area that needs to be removed. Use a straight edge and circular saw to mark and remove the overlapped door material.

Locate the placement of your door hinges and mark the location of the screws. Using a drill bit that is smaller than your screws, drill a pilot hole in each spot you marked. Attach your hinges using the exterior screws provided.

Some screen doors come with handles already installed, and some allow you to choose where to put your handle. Make sure that your new handle will not interfere with your existing exterior door handle. Mark and drill the holes for your new screen door handle and install the hardware following the instructions.

Mark the location for attaching the latch and use a small drill bit to drill pilot holes. Insert the latch mechanism and tighten by hand.

Now that your screen door is properly installed, you’re ready to say “bye” to the bugs and “hello” to the breeze!