How to Fix a Chain for a Storm Door

Storm doors are installed in front of exterior doors to protect those doors from weather elements. Storm doors are often made from aluminum, plastic or wood. One important aspect of installing or maintaining a storm door is its safety chain. These chains prevent strong winds from throwing your storm door open and potentially damaging your house. When this safety chain breaks, you should promptly repair it.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Storm door chain kit
• Screwdriver
• Pencil
• Level
• Measuring tape

1. Measure your chain to ensure that it is the right length for the door you are installing it on. If the chain is too long, you can remove a few of the links. However, if the chain is too short, you will likely have to return to the hardware store and exchange it for a longer chain.

2. Mark, with your pencil, the area on the upper door jam where one of the chain's ends will connect. Mark the area on the hinge jam where the chain will eventually connect to from the door jam. Again, measure the distance between the two jams and compare to the distance of the chain to ensure you have the right length.

3. Screw the chain into the marked area on the upper door jam and the marked area on the hinge jam. Do not tighten the screws entirely yet.

4. Check, using your level, to make sure your storm door chain is installed at a 90-degree angle. Once you confirm this with the level, you can now completely tighten the screws to finish installing the chain on your storm door.

5. Walk through your storm door to test the new safety chain. When the door opens, the chain should be relaxed and allow the door to open completely so that you can walk through. On the other hand, when the door is secured, the chain will be tight and prevent your storm door from opening due to weather or unwanted guests.

Resources

• Aubuchon Hardware: Storm door chain kit