Storm & Screen Doors
storm and screen doors are hung out-side your home’s exterior doors. Storm doors have an upper panel of glass and a lower metal or glass panel; a crossbar divides the panels. The frame is usually made from aluminum or steel. Screen doors may have an aluminum or wood frame with metal or fiberglass screens. Popular now are combination doors screens are fitted into the door for summer use and are replaced with
glass panels in winter.
All storm and screen doors should have a door closereither a simple chain-linked snubber or a pneumatic or hydraulic type (see at right). The closer ensures that the door closes smoothly and protects the door from being opened too wide or with too much force.
Like storm and screen windows, doors are subject to problems with their frames, glass, and screens. Door
closers may also require adjustment, as described below.
Maintenance and repair. Maintain and repair your screen doors in the same way as window screens. Keep the hinges of both screen and storm doors oiled and tight, and lubricate the door closers once a year.
Check that the latches work well.Replace hardware, glass, and screens as necessary In addition, replace the clips holding the screens and glass in place if they become bent, broken, or lost.
Replacement parts are usually available at building supply centers and hardware stores. Because each
manufacturer’s hardware may be slightly different, be sure the replace-ment part will fit your particular door.
Adjusting door closers. The simplest type of closer is a snubber; it attaches to the head jamb and the top rail of the door. You can adjust the length of the chain if the door opens too wide or not wide enough.
A pneumatic closer attaches to the door and the hinge jamb. The closing speed of this type can be adjusted by turning the adjustment screw in the end cap. A hold-open washer can be posi-tioned on the rod to prop the door open.
A less common type of door closer is the hydraulic closer. Some types fit only a right-handed or a left-handed door; others can be adjusted for either type of door by inserting a screwdriver in the adjustment screw, pushing in, and turning the screw 180?. A slight ad-justment to the same screw changes the door’s closing speed.
Installing a door closer. Installing a closer is fairly simple. Before you begin, check that the door operation is smooth and that the door hardware is in good working order.
If you’re installing a snubber, fas-ten the door mounting bracket to the door’s top rail and the jamb mounting bracket to the head jamb. Adjust the length of the chain as necessary For a pneumatic closer, install the door mounting bracket on the door’s top rail, mount the closer in the bracket, and fasten the jamb mounting bracket to the hinge jamb; adjust the closing speed.
To install a hydraulic closer, attach the door mounting bracket and the cylinder to the top rail. Then fasten the jamb mounting bracket to the head or side jamb and adjust the closing speed.
Three Common Door Closers
