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Hi All - I'm a newbie to this site and found it googling. Wow-I had no idea what all I've been reading. I spent several hours on here when I should have been doing other things. I just bought this used place in November and have never 'owned' a mobile home before and boy is there work to be done! I am a retired female who is pretty much mechanically-inclined and can fix a lot of stuff by myself. Sorry to be so long-winded here, but I'm too excited about this website and have quite a few questions to post for help.
With some nice weather on the way in Ohio, I am in desperate need of some type of screen door on my back entry. The door swings outward and the inside frame is 33 1/4 x 74 1/2. I have been researching retractable screen doors at Home Depot, but cannot figure out if the short version is able to be trimmed down from 78" or not. I have considered building my own that will open inward. I would make a frame out of 1/4" thick x 2"wide strip boards that I found at Grossman's Bargain Outlet, rolling out screen and nailing it altogether and putting a cross bar or two across the inside. Has anyone else ever done this? Does anyone know anything about the retractable screens? Sorry if I posted in the wrong forum, but can't seem to figure out where else to go. Thanks for anyone's help and advice!
Hi & welcome, Glad you found us.
As I am sure you have figured out by now the swing out doors can be a major pain if for no other reason, a screen door! I guess you could put the screen door on the inside, or many here have changed to a stick built type enterance door and solved the problem that way. It's not that hard to do but does take a little time.
Perhaps others will have more ideas for you. Greg
"If I can't fix it, I can screw it up so bad no one else can either."
Hammerzone has a very detailed installation report with a lot of pictures. He shows several problems he encountered and at the end of the article it mentions outswing doors. From the looks of it, you can cut the screen cartridge to any size you need. Here's the article.
All information and advice given is for entertainment and informational purposes only. The person doing the work is solely responsible to insure that their work complies with their local building code and OSHA safety regulations.
Greg & JD - Thanks for the input. That retractrable screen would be nice (I knew it had to go on the inside), but the bottom track has me concerned and the details are a little more involved than I want to be involved, besides I don't have all those fancy tools. I have a lot of tools, but not those! Think I'll go buy the furring strips I was looking at and build my own! I KNOW I can accomplish that. Will just have to mount it inside and make sure I get the right kind of hinges and some sort of "hold open" device for when it's not in use. May even consider cutting down a $20 wooden screen door from Home Depot as someone else described in a posting. At least I would not have blown $140 let alone lose my cool and let go of quite a few choice words. New neighbors might not understand Thanks again for responding-if you think of anything else to add, I'll still be checking back. Dianne, the do-it-herself'er!
Have you thought about doing it like they do on RV's?
Make a storm door but make it outswing with magnets that also swing with entry door, You would have to cut a hole for the knob but a slide filler would fix that
Steve, I don't know how an RV screen door looks/is. So I have a question. If it swings out also, what do you do with the exterior door when you want air in from screen door??
At present, I just tie open my exterior door, in summer and welcome all the lil pesty bugs in would love to have screen door but
looking at replacing this door with in swing just so I can have a
bug free summer.
Yanita, went to site and well this dumb bunny still don't understand how this is a swing out door and screen door? if its on the outside wouldn't the door be also closed??
The screen door is hinged same side as steel door on the door jamb, just inside main door.
The magnet allows the door to swing and move with the steel door but can also be seperated or pulled loose when you want to open steel door only...leaving the screen door.
You have to have a sliding panel on the screen door to allow the main door , door knob, to stick thru and be used.
If you still are not understanding try doing a google on RV doors, or if you happen to have a RV dealer around you could stop and look at the way the 2 doors work with one another.
Yainta
The difference between success and failure is who gives up first!
Thank you all for info. But, called up a handyman and he gave me quote for new door and screen which i can afford and so I will go this way
Once again thanks all.
Wow - thanks everybody for your input. The websites really helped, but the one about the retractable screen is too involved for me to tackle. I don't want to mess with taking out the current outswing so think I'll try what one person posted - buying one of those $20 screen doors, dismantling and cutting it down to size. I won't mind if I have to open it inward. If I'm not happy this year, I may try another method next year. But thanks to all who replied to my screen door dilemma. Mee Mee
When you are done if you are able post a pic in your photo album. I have seen many homes where they have left the original mh out swing door and simply cut down a screen door and mounted on the inside.
I consider this post answered and will now lock it.
Have a great day!
Yanita
The difference between success and failure is who gives up first!
Thanks again for responding-if you think of anything else to add, I'll still be checking back. Dianne, the do-it-herself'er!