wood screen door

[Cooler]

I started to make a wood screen door.  The pieces are all cut and the motises too.  

I happened into Lowes and they have a wood screen door (assembled, but not painted) for $34.00.  That is less than the lumber cost me.

What to do?

Finish making the wood screen door or go buy the ready made one?

[K. L. McReynolds]

Finish making the door and sell it for $65. Buy the Lowe's door.

[sniper]

Depends on what you're making yours out of. The doors at the Borg are usually not very high quality and will warp and deteriorate rather quickly.

The couple I made out of 8/4 cypress have held up very well and still look great after ~10 years.

[oakey]

the reason i build stuff is not to save money
Finnish the door and remind yourself every time you use it that I BUILT THAT

[brianwelch]

the reason i build stuff is not to save money
Finnish the door and remind yourself every time you use it that I BUILT THAT

What Oakey said...

[Bob Vaughan]

If the ready made one from Lowe's is the same quality as the door you're building, then of course stop and buy the cheapie.

I think its highly unlikely than anyone will make a screen door as badly as the ones found at Lowe's.  

A while back I needed a screen door and went to Lowe's to see what they had.  I made one.  I did use the aluminum screen frames from Lowe's and made my own replaceable screens that were the same size top and bottom.  Not good esthetic form, I know, but I didn't care.  Screens get damaged and I don't like replacing them.

Maybe if the door were on a seldom used garden shed, it might be OK as long as it got several coats of paint before hung.

   

   

   

   

[TDKPE]

The wooden screen door on my parents’ screened porch has been there since the house was built in the 1930’s.  Simple extension spring with no damper or closer, with the familiar wooden screen door SLAM-[bounce]-slam sound.  Painted, and still hanging in there after all these years.  No idea what it’s made of, though.

If yours can survive like that, while the store-bought can’t, then there’s every reason to finish it and put it to work and no reason to buy a new one.  

And besides - you’ve already spent the money on materials.  Might as well finish it.  

[Admiral]

I started to make a wood screen door.  The pieces are all cut and the motises too.  

I happened into Lowes and they have a wood screen door (assembled, but not painted) for $34.00.  That is less than the lumber cost me.

What to do?

Finish making the wood screen door or go buy the ready made one?

Cheap is cheap.  No doubt yours is made to a higher quality standard than that one.  Both in materials and craftsmanship.  Finish it, and celebrate your skill.

[Cooler]

Thanks for the replies.

I have decided to buy the Lowes door and use it on the garage, which is attached to the house.  I use a whole house attic fan and leaving the door open allows for more air circulation.  The problem is that raccoons get in the attic and that is a huge headache.  So the cheap door goes on the garage and the one I'm building goes on the door to the back porch.

I'm going wild and am going to paint it some sea-shore blue color.  (Haven't decided on the exact shade yet though.)


Cooler

[Stwood_]

Yes, as above, I would finish the door