These days a garage is more than a bedroom for your car. A garage door screen can turn it into a whole new world. Your garage can be your machine shop, a man cave, a studio apartment or just a place to retreat from the world. If you want to sit in total darkness, or under the flicker of sickly fluorescent tubes illuminating the majestic decor of the interior of your closed San Diego garage doors, that’s your call. But you might want to consider a screen door to flood your haven with natural light.
A screen gives you privacy and keeps the bugs out, without closing you off like some kind of hermit. The best part is that you can do this job yourself, and it’s cheap. In fact, it can cost you just a few dollars. If you want something a little more advanced, then, of course, you can buy ready-made screen doors or even a custom-made special. But you can also keep it simple.
What Are The Benefits Of A Garage Door Screen?
- Increase your living space
Really, with a screen door, you can turn your garage into an outside terrace that is shielded from the street. You can create a party venue to save your carpets from stains; your animals can use it as a refuge, and you can even turn your garage into a livable guest room without going the whole nine yards and remodeling.
- Save money
If you work in your garage, then you know how hot it can get in the summer. A garage door screen means the whole room is thoroughly ventilated and you can turn off the AC and fan, which can make a big difference to your electricity bills.
- Keeps the bugs out
Flying critters season is no joke in some parts of the country, and unless you like mosquitoes, wasps, spiders and bees, then it pays to keep them out. A garage door screen will ensure that the local wildlife can’t get in.
- Keeps your garage clean
Autumn leaves are beautiful on the ground outside; they’re not so much fun when you’re sweeping them out of your garage every day. A screen door will keep the leaves out and go a long way to controlling dust and general debris.
- Security
We all have those moments when we need to pop into the house, and closing the garage door seems excessive. With a screen door in place, you’ll dissuade the opportunistic thief who might succumb to temptation. The time it takes to open the door, and the inevitable noise, will make all but the most determined criminal think twice.
What Type Of Garage Door Screens Are There?
You can make a really cheap DIY garage door screen, and we’ll get to that in a moment. If you’re not a natural when it comes to home improvements, though, you might want to buy a more convincing screen door from a store and trim it to fit.
There are plenty to choose from and you can opt for any one of the following.
- Roll-Up Door Screen
This the cheapest and arguably the simplest DIY garage door screen for sale. It isn’t designed for regular use, but if you want to use your garage as an outside space a few times a year, then it’s perfect.
Roll-Up Screen Doors fit the header and then use magnets, zippers or hooks to secure them at the bottom. A vertical zipper or aperture can also make it easier to get in and out of your garage.
- Retractable Door Screen
This is a more advanced system that is fixed on a header system and often comes with remote control and powered operation. You might want to consider getting a professional to fit this type of screen door, but it is possible to do it yourself.
- Sliding Door Screen
The runners are fixed in place and the screen door can operate off your garage door’s power system or a separate remote.
Fitting these doors is relatively simple. You may have to cut to size, but if you’re reasonably handy with tools, then you just have to follow the instructions.
What About a Real DIY Door Screen?
But what if you want to do your own thing and build a DIY garage door screen from scratch? It’s not as difficult as you might think. You might not get the same professional look, but if you want a functional garage screen door and you don’t care about the aesthetics, then it’s a relatively simple job.
These are the basic rules for building a garage door screen.
- Measure the size of the frame precisely
This one is self-explanatory. You need to know the dimensions of your door-frame first. Measure from the outer edge to the outer edge, then comes the trick. You need slightly more material to fold over and create a hem, so add 2-3 inches on both sides. Keep it consistent on both sides.
- Cut and hem your door screen
Accurately measure your screen and cut it with a sharp blade to prevent snags and rips. A box-cutter is ideal for this job, and if you have a metal ruler, then you’ll get a tidier finish.
Fold the ends over to create the hem. If you want to get professional, you can add weights to the hem, so your screen door hangs better and rods to keep it from billowing in the wind.
Don’t worry, there’s no sewing involved, you can use a stapler or even glue to create your hem, but you can break out an iron to create a sharp edge that will look much better than a loose fold if you’re not fitting rods.
Depending on the material, you might want to put a wet towel over the edge before you iron it to stop it from melting.
- Fix it in place
You really don’t need much more than hooks on the ceiling, even the attachment point on the floor is optional. You can also fit straps to hold it in place on the ceiling when the screen door is rolled up.
Of course, you can keep the garage door screen safely stored and take it out when you need it. For convenience, a lot of people prefer to keep it rolled into the ceiling space.
- That’s it!
You can now unfurl your screen door and enjoy the fruits of your minimal labor. You now have a perfectly functional, if a little basic, garage door screen.
Like any DIY project, you can go much further and create a work of art. But this the simple recipe for making a garage screen door for just a few dollars.
Garage Door Company in San Diego, California
if you have something grander in mind, and you need help, perhaps with garage door repair, garage door replacement, or even garage door opener repair, then get in touch with Coastal Garage Doors today and let our San Diego garage door company fit you a screen door that will give your garage a new lease of life.