What should I do about a 72 inch door?

Question

I've got a door on a shed outback that pretty much just fell apart this summer and I need to replace it before I get a drift of snow. The old door was a regular wooden door, but I was thinking of just replacing it with a screen door (lined with plastic in the winter to avoid snow blowing into it).

I bought a 80' screen door from Home Depot which said it 'could be trimmed' but I'm assuming that means gussied up, not resized because I have no idea how I could cut 8 inches off the door.

I searched Google for screen door kits but didn't really see anything. Is my best bet a custom jobber?

Answer 1

Depending on the door construction and your own comfort level, you might be able to modify the door you have by cutting an 8" section out of each vertical stile in the top or bottom of the door, somehow attaching them back together, and then reinstalling the screen in the smaller opening.

Given how simple a screen door is though, and especially on an outdoor shed where things don't need to be perfect or ornate, I'd recommend returning the door you bought and just building your own. You can make the frame out of a double thickness of standard 1x4s or 1x6s, laminated with glue and brads. If you lap each corner you'll end up with a frame that's quite strong.

For the screen, I'd use a mounting system like Screen Tight; I believe it's sold at both Lowe's and Home Depot. It works great and isn't too expensive.