First, never assume that what you think will be a quick home repair that will only take a minute in pajamas and bare feet will be easy. It won't be. Take the time to get dressed, fill your coffee cup and make sure you approach the job with a set jaw.
I didn't.
Also, make sure that you know how to put something back together if you are taking it apart. That means having the proper tools at hand, instructions or diagrams if you think you might need them.
I didn't.
I thought I could just 'pop the screen door' back on it's tracks this morning before work. HA!
This involved removing two of the heavy glass doors first, and much wrestling with a flimsy screen door, as well as much muttering, cursing and swearing at the door, and it's creator, and it's installer, and the apartment superintendents for not teaching tenants how to install the cursed doors, and... you get the idea.
Instead of fighting with it, I decided to take it out completely and replace the screen and spline. That job was done in under 20 minutes and we only got a little damp in the rain. By then I had figured out what I had been doing wrong with the door. First the top goes in, THEN the bottom. Then I had to fiddle with the springs that control the tension of the wheels. This all keeps the door on track, so it's kinda important. Seems simple enough until one corner fits snug, and one doesn't even meet the door frame. Fiddle, twist, fiddle, shut door, make a face, twist, fiddle, shut door, and so on. Finally we got it! Then came time to wash both sides of the heavy glass doors and set them back in.
At least with them, I knew what I was doing. They were a breeze.
With an hour to go before work, almost two hours after I started, I finally got the job done.
Note to self: next time, take your coffee outside with you and wear your shoes!
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