Replacing a Screen Door in Asheville

Spring has come to Asheville, and so have the bugs! It's the time of year when I start installing a lot of screen doors.

This is a great time to talk about how to choose the right screen door: should you go for the cheapest option, or shell out a little more money for an upgrade?

A client of mine recently picked out this nice screen door from Home Depot. At around $30, it's hard to argue with the price.

The drawback is that it was made from unfinished pine. It needed protection from the elements.

Since my client bought the door more for its looks than its low price, she didn't mind paying me to finish it... but if saving money was her object, a pre-finished or cedar door might have cost about the same.

If she had decided to finish it herself, she could have also run into another problem: the screen is secured by a gasket, instead of being framed separately and attached to the door with clips.

So if you're planning to refinish a screen door like this by yourself, be sure to get the tools needed to replace the gasket, or else pay a bit more for one that uses clips.

Fortunately I've worked with screens before, so I had the right tools in my van.

I also had to trim the frame down to fit it to the opening. (Replacing a door is trickier than it looks.) It turned out well in the end, and it looks much better than the sagging and weathered door that was there before.

Before:

After:

You can make inexpensive materials look good... it just takes a little more work.

If you need someone with the know-how to finish and hang a screen door correctly, why not call your trusty Asheville handyman? I'll be glad to help.

Get Your Door Installed