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How to Go About Boarding Up a Door Protecting investment properties that are vacant from the elements is feasible by board up a door. It's not guaranteed to stop all damage, but it can help to prevent some of the problems associated with severe storms. The idea of boarding up doors and windows can also deter trespassers or vandals from entering your property. Placing plywood boards over doors and windows can be time-consuming and expensive. Measure the Door The first thing you'll require is an accurate tape measure. You may want to keep a ladder or chair close to hand in case you need to see more clearly the top of the frame. Wear gloves and goggles when you use these tools. Start by taking measurements of the length of the door. This can be done by running the tape measure horizontally across the door. Be sure to eliminate any other door components, such as a door sweep to get the measurement. Then, you can measure the height by measuring from the floor to the existing sill plate or lintel. It is important to measure in multiple locations, particularly when measuring older doors as they might not be a perfect rectangular shape. If the measurements differ take the largest number. You'll need to determine the size of the frame after having taken measurements of the width and height. Ideally it should be 2'' greater than the door's width and 1 inch thicker than the door. 2'' higher. This will allow plenty of space to shim the frame and door into place. When you're ready to take the door frame's width and height measurements, it's best to take out any trim or casing from around the door jambs so you can see the studs that are behind them. This will enable you to measure the exact gap between the frame's studs and the edge. After you've removed your trim, you'll be able to determine the size of the frame of your door by running the tape across the entire frame in three locations and using the smallest measurement to determine your door's width. Also, you should take a measurement of the height of the frame from top to the bottom on both sides, and use the shortest measurement as the height of your door. If you are having trouble with the measurements, seek out a professional who will come to your home and do the measurements. They'll tell you the dimensions and what kind of door you need and how to prepare your frame for a new door. Plywood can be cut into pieces A door frame is typically made of a series of thin boards or studs that create a hollow space around the door. Two hinges are connected to the studs and hold a typical door in its place. If you wish to refinish the door, you'll have to remove it from its hinges overnight. To stop insects from entering your home and to secure the door's opening, a straightforward method of boarding the door is to put plywood into the opening. It is simple to do this without the need to nail or screw the plywood to the door's frame. Plywood is easy to work with, affordable and looks great once it's finished. It is the ideal material to use as a temporary fix to a problem in which you're required to remove the door you have in place to refinish it or put in a new one. It can also be used to secure the opening of a room being renovated, such as an excavation site or basement. To install a plywood wall begin by taking measurements of the width and height of the door opening. Make notes using an utility knife and a metal straight edge, such as a drywall or a square. Then, you can snap an outline of chalk across each line to indicate where you want to cut. Finally utilize a circular saw to cut the plywood into a size. It is essential to protect both your eyes and ears when cutting plywood. If you can wear eye protection and earplugs as you are working. Additionally, it is important to use a blade with a lot of teeth that cut quickly and with less tear-out. To minimize the chance of breaking pieces of wood from the edges of your cut using a small piece of wood as an example to guide the blade and keep it only a hair's length away from the mark while cutting. A good way to keep the plywood in place without fixing it to the studs is to attach braces that are short at each end. Put one brace on the side that is inside and the other one on the outside of the door. Install a deck screw in each hole and then tighten using an open-end ratchet. Fasten the Plywood It's time to attach the panel to the frame after you have the plywood sheet cut to the right size and the holes for rails and stiles of the door frame are predrilled. This is a straightforward project that does not require any extensive carpentry skills as long as you follow the correct procedure and use the right tools. Begin by setting up a table near the doorway, with two sawhorses and a 2-by-4 frame lumber at each end of the table. Lay the entire sheet of plywood flat on top the sawhorses using the marks left by the measurement process as a reference to cut. Score the lines with a utility knife and a drywall square or another metal straight edge. This will serve as a guideline for the saw blade and help prevent splintering when you cut the plywood. Wear eye protection and use a circular or table saw equipped with a fine-toothed blade cut along the scored line. Sand the edges of the panel using 120-grit paper to smooth it out and eliminate any burrs. After sanding, apply a coat of wood sealer on the plywood panels and let dry as directed by the manufacturer. Install the hinges on the frame of the door. If you are using a T hinge, you need to drill holes through the outer face of the door to accommodate the strap parts of the hinges. Then, screw the hinge's outside edge to the frame using a screwdriver. Repeat the procedure on the inside of the door for all of the hinges remaining, but be cautious not to tighten too much on one of them or the hinge could shift. If you have only a single hinged outside door it is possible to make it easier for the latch to close by fishing an electrical wire through the loops on the outside hinges. Fold a piece of connect wires in half and then put it through the two holes on the outside of the door. Then, twist emergency boarding up services to secure the door. Install the Plywood Using the measurements you took, place the plywood in the door opening. Move the frame's header (top) and the sill. Utilize a level and ensure that there's no slop between the sill and header. If it isn't perfect you can place a second shim wherever required and repeat the process until the header and sill are level. After the plywood is in place, secure it with the stainless-steel hinge bolts and wingscrews. It is a good idea to use a screw gun with 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 each framing member. This is a lot easier than using a drywall cutting tool to create the hole. After you have installed the plywood, take measurements of the width and height of the door opening. If necessary, trim the bottom of the plywood to fit the dimensions of your door frame. Cut two pieces of 1-by-6 framing lumber as braces that are positioned across the upper and lower ends of your door. Put on eye protection and cut along the lines marked on the plywood using a circular saw equipped with a fine-toothed blade. Splinters can be removed from the cuts by using a sanding device. After you've placed the braces After you have placed the braces, use two pairs finishing nails that measure 2 inches to join each brace to the plywood. Counter sink all nail heads once you're done. Cover the braces and plywood with a high-quality wood sealer, such as this wipe-on polyurethane from Minwax. If the door is still too big for your doorway, you can put in an ornamental molding to fill in the space between the jamb and the door or resize the opening. In many cases it is less expensive and more convenient to buy the door. It also removes any problems you might have encountered with your original door, if it was damaged or was not fit for the opening.