Installing an Anderson 2500 Storm Door
While doing maintenance and repairs on my home considered installing an Andersen 2500 storm door. I looked at the storm door that was on my house and it was looking old. That storm door was on the house when we bought it and frankly, it looked like it might be the original. So, I purchased an Andersen 2500 storm door from Home Depot and recently installed it on my house.
The process went like this. First, I measured the inside of the brickmould around my door frame, from side to side and top to bottom. My door frame was 36” x 79” on the inside of the frame, which is shorter than a normal door. My door is on a doublewide mobile home and mobile home storm doors do not always have a door sweep. Andersen 2500 storm door comes in the size I needed.
But Andersen Door considers it a custom door and does not stock them in Home Depot. So, I had to order one, and it took about three weeks for it to arrive. Because this is a mobile home, the dimensions and the build of these homes are a little different than a conventional house. The differences are not something someone cannot work around or bend to their will, just minor differences.
Getting Ready to install my Storm Door
I wanted my storm door to be set completely inside the door frame so it would have a sweep on the bottom. Instead of stopping against the exterior of the house like they do on mobile homes. So, I had to replace the door’s threshold to add an inch to the width of the threshold. I went from 4 ¾ to 5 ¾ so the bottom of the Andersen storm door would have a place for the sweep to set or rest if you will. So, I went to Home Depot and got a new threshold for my front door in preparation for the Andersen storm doors’ arrival.
Installing the new threshold
The new threshold was about a ¼” taller than the old one. I needed to trim the bottom of the door jamb so the new threshold would slide under the jamb. First, I checked the spacing between the door and the floor to see if I had enough room without having to trim the door. I did, thank goodness. So, I took my grinder with a carborundum blade on it and gently cut the old threshold into two pieces. Being careful not to cut into the floor below. Then I pried the two pieces up and out from under the door jamb.
Then I measure the distance between the door jamb and the floor and compared it to the height of the new threshold. The threshold was just under a ¼” taller than the door jamb. So, I set up a spacer a ¼” thick to use as a guide for a pencil mark on the bottom of the door jamb. I then marked and cut the bottom of the door jamb with my grinder and carborundum blade. I measured the length of the new threshold to make sure it was not too long. It was exactly right on the length, so I sled the new threshold under the door jamb and fastened it to the floor. The new threshold is installed and ready for the new storm door.
Researching how to install the Andersen 2500
While waiting for the storm door to arrive, I did some research. I looked at other ideas and comments on how to install this storm door and came across a YouTube video by Bob Kovacs. He was highly informative about this storm door in his how-to-video. He made the installation almost effortless.
My Storm Door has arrived
My door arrived and I went to pick it up, and boy what a day that was, I will have to tell you about it sometime. Anyway, I went and picked the storm door up at Home Depot. And got some other materials I needed for the installation. When I got home, I unpacked the storm door from its box on the back of the truck. I then did inventory, nuts, bolts, and parts, to make sure everything was there for the new storm door.
Andersen 2500 storm door layout
Then, I laid the storm door across my sawhorses on part of the box it came in, so as not to scratch it. I located the hinge (there is only one long hinge) and the screws needed to attach the hinge to the storm door. I decided which side of the storm door I wanted the hinge on. These storm doors can swing right or left depending on which side your doorknob is on. You will need to measure your door, from the bottom up to the center of the doorknob. Then measure the storm door the same way, to see if the handles are going to be far enough apart to work properly. Keep in mind the spacer that will be temporarily placed on the bottom of the storm door. You might want it swinging in the other direction if the two doorknobs conflict with each other.
I placed my hinge on the right side of the storm door making it a left-hand pull. Then I snapped the orange spacing clips on the storm door. One on the bottom handle side at the screw for the sweep and one on the handle side about 6” up from the bottom. I then stuck the 6’ long, gray, ¼” spacer that came with the storm door kit, to the door jamb. My door jamb was 36” wide, so I needed this spacer so the Andersen Storm Door frame would mount correctly.
Ready to install my Andersen 2500 Storm Door
Now I am ready to install my Andersen Storm Door on the door jamb. I set the storm door next to the gray ¼” shim and screwed the lip of the hinge to the door jamb. The storm door is hanging and ready for the strike side of the frame to be installed. There are three black foam tabs, about 3/8” square that came with the Andersen storm door kit. These are spacers for the strike side of the door to help keep the spacing between the door and frame equal. I stuck the three 3/8″ spacers on the handle side of the storm door. Then I slid the strike side of the frame in place against the foam tabs. Raising it about a ¼” above the storm door, then screwed it in place. I can remove all the spacers from the storm door.
I then placed the header piece across the two frame sides and divided any overhang between the two sides. The storm door frame is now complete. Next, I worked on the handle, lock/latch, and strike plate. Andersen Door provides a template to mark where you need to drill, the holes, and the drill bits you will need. I aligned the templet according to the instructions and marked the hole sites with a punch and drilled my holes. Four holes on each side, eight in all. Then I fastened the handle to the square shaft and slid it through the beauty plate, the lock/latch set. I slid the second beauty plate over the handle shaft and fastened the two sides together. Then fastening the handle on the other end of the square shaft. Now the handles and lock/latch set have been installed.
Final adjustments
Next, I worked on the strike plate, attaching it, and adjusting it so the storm door catches snug. All that is left is to fasten the door closer to the bottom of the storm door. And finally, fastening the door sweep, and adjusting it so it barely touches the threshold, and we are done. Now that is an amazing, fresh look on the front of my home.