Screen Door

[Louie Ballis]

I am going to try and build a screen door this weekend, and was going to use pocket holes as the main jointery. Staple the screen material to the back and then cover the staples with some shop made trim, rounded over. But the pocket holes would still be visable (I know that their are plugs avaliable but the pocket holes dont really bother me).

I am starting to think that this might not be strong enough. Which would be best, I could use biscuts, or a rail and stile set on my router table,

I know that mortise and tenon would probably be best but I am not very good at that particular skill (yet).

The material I plan to use is 3/4" alder.

thanks for any help

Louie

[Paul Atkins]

Screed doors get a lot of abuse because they usually have springs or spring hinges that close them hard. Another thing is they are thinner and don't have panels to hold them square as a passage door. This is to say that the joints should be as strong as you can muster. You said your joinery skills are minimal, so here is another project to practice on. You could use shallow mortise and tenons with dowels which would work too with less problems cutting deep mortises. Doweling would be my second choice after mortise and tenon. Use 1/2" dowels. Good luck.

[Brian D Anderson]

I'm going to go ahead and say pocket screws should be fine.

I actually made a screen door just like that in one day using them. Keep in mind though, I made this for an inside door (I made a screen for our nursery, keeps the air flowing, but the animals out)

Mine is made of BORG poplar, which was then painted and I too left the pocket holes visible.

There is no spring on the door, just hinges and a cheap kitchen cabinet latch. The door has been opened and closed twice a day, every day for the past 2+ years. It looks just the same as it did when I put it in.

That's my experience at least.

-Brian

[Randal Stevenson]

Rail and stile and dowels were both used on the old wood (now all gone) doors around here. I would think pocket screws would actually be strong enough (especially with glue) and the doors would break on either side of the pocket screws first.

[Lex Boegen]

Why not belt and suspenders? You could glue in bisuits and secure them with pocket screws. Not only will the pocket screws add strength, but they'll serve as clamps while the glue dries.

[Louie Ballis]

Great advice. Thanks all. Brian if my door looks that good after 2 years then I ll be happy.

I do like the added insurance of biscuts with pocket screws.

I will learn to cut proper mortises soon (just not this weekend). I can cut a reasonable tenon with my Tablesaw jig. The mortising attachment for my drill press is really disappointing. I wondeer if the HF version of a dedicated mortiser is any better???? (149 at last glance).

Thanks again

Louie

[Lee Schierer]

I made a screen door for our door onto our deck about 10 years ago. I used lap joints at the corners. The frame pieces are all pine and about 2" wide. I routed a groove on one side and used the push in spline material to hold in the screen. It has worked fine except for our dog going through the screen before I put in a dog door. It closes with a spring and so far there have been no joint failures.

[Lee Bidwell]

I'm going to go ahead and say pocket screws should be fine.

I actually made a screen door just like that in one day using them. Keep in mind though, I made this for an inside door (I made a screen for our nursery, keeps the air flowing, but the animals out)

Mine is made of BORG poplar, which was then painted and I too left the pocket holes visible.

There is no spring on the door, just hinges and a cheap kitchen cabinet latch. The door has been opened and closed twice a day, every day for the past 2+ years. It looks just the same as it did when I put it in.

That's my experience at least.

-Brian

Brain, I love it. My wife and I did the exact same thing 2 years ago when we brought our son home from the hospital, and we still get a laugh at the impression it left on visitors. People must have been thinking "look at these rednecks with a screen door INSIDE their house."

[Henry Ambrose]

I'd use biscuits, butt joints and marine epoxy. The joinery is completely straightforward, self aligning and it will be durable. If you have a jointer and planer, consider laminating your lumber to make a door about 1 1/4" or so. It'll be lots stiffer and won't tend to warp.

Here is a set I made.
They're 1 3/8" thick to take standard door hardware.

[Peter Quinn]

\I am starting to think that this might not be strong enough. Which would be best, I could use biscuts, or a rail and stile set on my router tablle, Louie

Louie, I'm thinking the answer to the question "will pocket hole screws be strong enough" really depends on your situation. A screen on a little used interior door that will never hold glass and gets used a few times a day? Sure, maybe it will have some legs. I have a three year old boy that likes to swing on anything that is swingable, a jumpy 40# terrier that will charge a door if a squirrel gets on the deck, and a wife that likes to come in from the car holding two shopping bags in one hand and the baby girl in the other. Guess how she treats the door? Imagine Bruce Lee in a dress!

I can tell you that biscuits add considerable strength for little investment in time, and that doors made with long dowels and a simple dowel jig don't give up easy either. Nearly as good as tenons for door frames.

I'd like to see an exterior screen or storm on a primary entrance a bit thicker (1", 1 1/8") and reinforced with a glue joint like biscuits or dowels. Rather than use pocket screws you could use a fasten master lag all the way through the stile into the rails, and if you add a cross grain plug this has considerable strength too. A little less going into end grain only but still not bad. You really should build to your situation, an if the situation is rough, build it tough, or make two at once so you have the replacement ready to go.

[fRED mCnEILL]

Instead of just stapling the screen to the door and covering it with trim you might consider getting a window screen kit from the borg(aluminum frame with the screen held in a trough with rubber cord). Route a recess in the door and mount the screen portion. Makes repair a lot easier after your dog/kid runs through it and it looks cool.

Fred.

[Matt Ocel]

M and T, Glue, a couple of trim head screws and clamp.
Pocket screws are an option but I don't think the door will stand the test of time. imho.

This door is 36" wide and I would trust no other method than M/T.

[Henry Ambrose]

My doors use an aluminum framed screen set in a rabbet with a matching wooden stop screwed through to hold them in place.

[Paul Cahill]

2x6 pine (painted), 1/2 lap joints, nothing fancy. Done in 2006. Would probably use M & T if I ever need to redo, just for the practice.