How to Install a Retractable Screen in 7 Easy Steps

If you love the idea of fresh air coming in through your front door or patio doors, but you don't love the idea of a wide-open door and all the bugs that come along with, you may want to think about a retractable screen. They're simple to install, and made to be long-lasting and durable. A Brisa Single Door retractable screen instantly transforms your room by letting in fresh air and sunshine. The best part? It's an easy, fun DIY project that will probably take you 30 minutes or less. Here's how to get started. What you'll need:

30 minutes or less
Power drill

Before you get started in earnest, take stock of your door type and see if you have to make any modifications. And don't stress: any modifications to your door are simple and easy:

Sill Types

Short Sill. If your sill stops short of the exterior rim, that's a short sill. If there's ground directly underneath it, continue as usual. If it's sitting on a step, cut a filler board and put it under the trim. If you've done it right, the top of the board should be even with the sill.

Door Types

Inswing door. No modifications necessary. Just mount the screen on the outside of the home.
Outswing door. You'll mount the screen on the inside of your home. That means you'll have to move the Retractable Screen locking mechanism to the inside of your home before you've installed the retractable screen.

Door Trim Openings:

If your door trim measures between 32 and 36 inches, no modifications are necessary.
If your door trim is less than 32 inches wide, cut top and bottom tracks to fit
- You will need to use the standard door width of 32 inches and subtract by your existing door's width to find how much needs to be cut from the ends.

Modifications complete? Great. Now, you can start assembling your screens. We recommend laying them all out flat on the ground or the deck. First, orient them so that the screen housing is at the hinge-side of your door. Your top tracks go on top and the bottom tracks go on the bottom, so that you'll be looking at a door-shaped approximation of your screen.Once all of your pieces are oriented correctly, you can start assembling:

Take the notched end of the track, and insert it into the screen housing. Be careful to maintain the orientation of the pieces as you go.
Before you move on to the next step, check that the screen threads smoothly into the tracks.
Next, slide the sill plate into the bottom track.
Then, insert the flat ends of the top and bottom track into the other side of the housing assembly (by this point, you'll be able to tell, for sure, that your initial orientation was correct!)

You're almost there. You should now be looking at a complete housing where all the elements fit together snugly. Bring your screen assembly over to your door sill and slide it into place. Adjust the left and right sides so that structure fits along the outside of the door's side trim. The whole thing should fit together perfectly.Using one of the housing screws that was provided with your retractable door, screw into one of the pre-drilled screw holes at the top. Tip: This is just a placeholder, so don't screw it in all the way Now that your screen is in place and held still by the screw up top, you're going to center your sill plate assembly on the door sill. Slide extenders to each side to fill in gaps. Drive the self-tapping screws into the sill using the pre-drilled holes. Tip: If there are no pre-drilled holes, just space the screws evenly along the sill.Insert and fully tighten the remaining screws. And for finishing touches:

Pull the slider door closed to make sure the latch on the screen aligns properly with the latch hook. If it doesn't, you can easily adjust it with a Philips screwdriver.
For neat edges, use a utility knife to notch each plastic sill plate extender.

Sit back, take stock of your work, and start enjoying your new screen! In less than 30 minutes, you'll have a perfectly installed retractable screen in place so you can enjoy a cool breeze. If this sounds like something that would fit perfectly in your home, check out our collection of retractable screens. Contact us at Zabitat to get in touch and start transforming your space.