How to Complete Storm Door Closer Installation in 6 Steps

Many types of storm doors come with a closer, but if yours doesn’t and you want to install one, you’ll have to choose where to put it. Some closers sit at the top of a storm door, while others are at the bottom. 

When deciding, consider what’s most convenient for you. If you’re tall, it might make more sense to put it near the top of the door so it’s easy to put it in the “open” position without crouching down. Also, installing it at the top makes it less likely to get damaged, especially if you have kids or pets.

No matter which spot you choose, the closer should be on the interior-facing side of your door near the hinges.

Find the jamb bracket in your storm door closer kit (hint: it’s triangular-shaped) and hold it against the door jamb near where you want to install the closer. Many jamb brackets have an arrow that shows you which way to place them, but if yours doesn’t, make sure that the straight side of the bracket faces away from the door.

Adjust the positioning of the jamb bracket until it’s in the middle of the door stop. Then, use your measuring tape to set the bracket at least 2 and 1/8 inches below the top door jamb or above the bottom door jamb (depending on where you’re installing the closer). Finally, set the bracket back from the front edge of the jamb (in other words, the door side) by 1/4 inch.

Once the jamb bracket is in place, mark the locations of the screw holes with a pen or pencil. Set the bracket down, then create pilot holes to mark the spaces where the screws will go. Make sure to use a drill bit that’s smaller than the jamb bracket screws (the four longer screws in your storm door closer kit). Otherwise, the holes may be too large for the screws to fit.

Next, line up the jamb bracket with the pilot holes and screw it into place with your drill.

Go inside your house and shut the storm door, keeping your front door open. If you have a closer with a hold-open washer, pull out the adjustable rod slightly (about 1/4 inch) and insert the washer over it. Slide the washer all the way toward the cylinder so it locks in place. (Push-button closers don’t have a hold-open washer.)

Fit the rod side of the closer into the mounted jamb bracket, making sure to align the holes in the closer and bracket. Then, connect the closer and bracket by slipping the shorter pin from your closer kit through all of the holes (the pin should face downward). When you’re done, take your hands off the closer. It should stay in place.

Using the longer pin in your kit, attach the free end of the closer to the door bracket. The flat side of the bracket should face toward the door. Then, move the closer until the bracket touches your door, adjusting it until it’s parallel to the jamb bracket.

Make pen or pencil marks through the door bracket screw holes and move the closer away from the door so you can drill pilot holes into the storm door. Put the closer and bracket back in position and mount the bracket to the door with the two shorter screws provided in your kit.

With the closer and brackets in place, you can now adjust the tension to make your door close slower or faster. First, test the current closing speed by opening your door all the way and letting it close on its own. It should shut gradually without slamming.

Need to adjust the speed? Unpin the closer from the door bracket and find the small screw on the end of the cylinder. If you want your door to close slower, use a screwdriver to tighten the screw clockwise and increase the tension. To have it closer faster, turn the screw counterclockwise.

Repeat these steps until you’re happy with the closing speed.