I’ve always loved how screen doors bring the outdoors in. Whether it be the cool air on a hot day, the smell of rain, or a warm summer breeze. I knew when we finally got rid of our old metal screen door I needed to replace it. The problem we encountered with our old screen door was that the screen was on the bottom and we often had our dogs’ paws or toddlers fingers pushing on it. I had a vision in mind for our screen door that would not only be beautiful but functional, so we decided to custom build it and bring it to life! Today I’ll be sharing how we did it.
Before we started making the door, we had a little work to do first. We needed to use brick mould to create a frame/trim around where the door would go. This would then tell us what size of a door we needed to make (this size may vary in your home). After confirming those brick mould dimensions we took a quarter inch off of the opening (the top, bottom and sides) to allow room for the door to swing.
Now the fun part of how to make this screen door. We picked up all of our materials for this project at our local Home Hardware store!
Materials List
- 1- 2″ x 8″ x 8′ Spruce (we cut this to 2” x 8” x 6”)
- 3 – 2″ x 4″ x 8′ Spruce
- 2- Shiplap 1” x 6” x 8’
- 4- Screen Moulding 1/4″ x 3/4″ x 8′
- Screws 3″
- Wood Glue
- 3 – Black Hinges
- Black Door Handle
- Hydraulic Door Closer
- Biscuits for joiner #20
- Beauti-Tone Block iT Primer
- Beauti-Tone Exterior Designer Series Suede in the shade Powdered Donuts
- Screen
Equipment:
- Saw (Radial, Circular, or Miter etc)
- Drill
- Hand Saw
- Tape Measure
- Framing Square
- Clamps
- Router
- Palm Sander
- Chisel
- Hammer
- Stapler
- Nail Gun
- Pencil
- Wood Planer
Instructions
Step 1:
We started off with 2 – 2″ x 4″ x 8’ long pieces of spruce to make the outer edges of the door.
Tip: When buying wood, try to find the straightest boards you can.
Step 2:
Using a miter saw, we cut the boards to the size we needed which was 2 – 80” pieces.
Step 3:
Next we cut the top, middle and bottom portion of the door.
We used a 2” x 4” x 8’ for the top.
And a 2″ x 8″ x 8’ for the middle and bottom.
We cut all 3 parts to be a width of 24 1/2”.
Step 4:
Once everything was cut, we laid them on the table and made sure the pieces were squared up. To do this we used a framing square, and also measured from corner to corner diagonally both ways with a measuring tape to ensure we got the same measurement.
Step 5:
We had our dimensions cut, but our pieces were all still 1 1/2″ thick from factory. To give us clearance in the frame, we used a wood planer to cut them down to 1 3/8” thickness. This also helped speed up the sanding process because it got rid of any extra factory roughness or imperfections.
Step 6:
We marked down where we would like our door handle to be.
Step 7:
Next we laid out where to drill our biscuit holes (grooves in the wood) to join the pieces together.
We created approx. 20 holes.
Top piece had 4 (2 on either side).
Middle and bottom had 8 each (4 on either side).
Step 8:
We dry fit the entire door together to confirm it fit nice and snug and flush.
Step 9:
Time to glue the door! We applied generous amounts of weatherproof glue to all of the biscuits and the seams budding into one another.
Step 10:
We clamped the entire door together, then double checked everything was still square and adjusted until perfect. It stayed clamped like this to dry for several hours.
Step 11:
Once dry, we gave it a light sand to smooth out any joints.
Step 12:
We created a notch for the shiplap to sit into. Using a router, we made a 3/8” x 5/8” groove around the bottom square for the shiplap design feature.
Step 13:
We found the center mark of our door by measuring the bottom board we assembled earlier and laid out our shiplap vertically. We used the center for a starting point and worked our way out to allow for even filler pieces of shiplap on both sides. Then we measured and cut our pieces.
Our shiplap used was 1″ x 6″ x 12′ long. The shiplap square ended up being 5 pieces that were cut 26” tall. The overall width of the square ended up being 24 1/2”.
Step 14:
Once the shiplap was cut and dry fitted, we glued it all together and pin nailed it into the groove (just pin nailing the outer edges). Then let it dry for a couple of hours.
Step 15:
Once dry we gave everything a good sanding.
Step 16:
We added screen door trim around the shiplap to cover the grooves and nails. Then filled all of the visible nail holes and any big knot holes. Once dry, we sanded smooth.
Step 17:
We used two coats of Beauti-Tone Exterior Designer Series paint in one of our favourite paint colours from Home Hardware called ‘Powdered Donuts’.
Step 18:
Next, we created the X design on the bottom half of the door. We used a 1″ x 4″ x 6′ long piece and cut it to make a 3′ x 3’ “X” shape. Again, pre-fitting everything dry first.
Step 19:
We added one layer of paint to the newly cut pieces before gluing and nailing in place. This helps to seal the back of the piece of wood from water damage.
Step 20:
Finally, we glued and pin nailed into place. Filled nail holes. Sanded. Painted.
Step 21:
Next were the hinges. We laid them out on our door edge maintaining square cuts and used a router to cut the hinge pockets. We pre-drilled all of the holes to minimize splitting, then added the hinges.
Step 22:
After installing the hinges on the door we used cedar shims to raise it up off the threshold a little bit and wedged the door in place, maintaining an even gap between the door and the frame. Next we used a pencil to mark out the hinge locations on the frame. Using a hinge as a guide, we placed it on the frame and pre-drill the holes. Then we hung the door and made sure it was level.
Step 23:
Next was stapling on the screen and adding trim to the back of the door to cover the staples. Again, we spackled the nail holes, sanded and painted.
Tip: For stapling, apply a small amount of tension to pull out any wrinkles but not so much to rip the screen.
Step 24:
Lastly, we added this beautiful door handle and doorbell. I love our door handle not only because of its elegant design but also because it still latches on the inside for security.
And that is how we created our custom screen door!
We were able to select the majority of our products we used through the Home Hardware website, then we arranged for a curb side pickup. As always, their team members went above and beyond when it came to any of our questions or needs! If you have an upcoming project in mind be sure to reach out to your local Home Hardware store for all of the tips, tricks and products you need! And of course, feel free to reach out to myself if you have any questions about this project.
(This post was sponsored by Home Hardware).
