What to Do When You Forgot to Read Directions

When we installed our new storm door recently, we threw away a few strips of plastic that were left over after we had everything in place.   It looked like they were meant to go on another door (the instructions were for several different doors), and we pitched them with the packaging.   Bummer.   The door had a solid glass front, with a full-size screen inside of it.   The design is a bit awkward, but the idea is that you can have glass and screen, or just glass, or just screen.   We had the glass and screen setup in place, since that’s how the door came out of the box.   But we decided to go with just the glass, as it would look better, and the chances were slim  of us ever going to the trouble of taking out the screen, taking out the glass, and then putting the screen back in order to have just screen.  

My husband set to work on it a couple days ago, and soon realized that he needed some long plastic strips that were supposed to be included in the packaging.   These were meant to hold the glass in place inside the rim of the door.   Oops.   Guess they were for our door after all.   We debated calling the company that made the door and trying to order the strips by themselves, but that would probably have been pricey, and we were very proud of how low-budget the door had been so far.   So he went over to Home Depot to browse the hardware section and see what he could find.   He came home with a $1.50 package of mirror holders – tiny little steel brackets about half an inch long, with screws to hold them in place.   He wedged two of them into each side of the door, between the glass and the edge of the door.   He drilled holes and screwed each one in place.   The door is very solid now – the glass doesn’t wiggle at all (probably better than it would have been with just some plastic strips down the sides).   And the tiny mirror brackets look like they were made to go on the door.   Only about 1/4 inch of each one shows, and you’d never know that it didn’t come that way.   So I guess we’ll be more careful to read directions all the way to the end in future, but I’m very proud of my sweetie for his resourcefulness and creativity.   And his frugality – $1.50 is a pretty cheap fix!