Try turning the screw with a pair of pliers while pulling outward at the same time. The screw threads in the door are probably stripped so you'll also need to drill and tap a new screw hole for the replacement clip if the new screw doesn't grip.

You may have to abandon that clip location if the threads in the door are stripped as well. You will probably need a 10/24 tap (or whatever matches the threads of the clip screw) after drilling the proper hole. Or just have one less clip.

randy427 & Sombreuil,

Thanks for your feedback.

I removed the screw with a pair of pliers but
it could not come off without taking out the part that the panel clip
screw goes into.


I went to my local hardware store and looked around. I eventually found
something called a Blind Nut Insert. A panel clip screw fits into it
perfectly since it has threads inside. The insert is 8-32 in terms of
size. According to the instructions, it's supposed to go into a hole
that is 17/64". Right now the hole on my screen door is just slightly
smaller than this because I have not drilled out all the parts of the
former panel clip. And even if I accidentally make the hole too big I
can use a washer with the insert.


Does anyone know how I can secure this insert onto the storm door? I was thinking of a strong glue or even Bondo.


Alternatively, I think the real thing that is supposed to go into the
storm door is a rivet? Am I right? If so, won't I need a rivet gun? Is
this a better way to go?


I'm attaching 3 photos: my storm door hole, the Blind Nut Insert and the
panel door clip screw in the Blind Nut Insert (so you can see what I'm
trying to do).

Oops!

I screwed in the panel clip screw wrongly. It's supposed to go in from
the other end of the Blind Nut Insert. Below is a photo showing the
right way it's supposed to go in. Sorry about that. :)

A 2-part epoxy like JB Weld might work, but I'm doubtful. I'd use a metal filler to seal off that hole, paint it, then drill and tap another hole about 1/2" or so away for the new clip. Another alternative would be to substitute a short, fat, sheet metal screw (#8?) at the existing location.

I bought a 17/64" Milwaukee Thunderbolt Black Oxide drill bit from Home Depot yesterday for $1.98.


I then drilled new holes or expanded the holes in my aluminum storm door
today. These were the holes where the old storm door panel clip screws
had either broken off, while still inside the storm door, or where the
previous owner of my condo had simply drilled new sheet metal screws
instead of using real panel clip screws (no offense to Randy427. While the sheet metal screws are definitely a solution, panel clip screws look better).


All I can say is that the blind nut inserts went in and fit snugly like a
glove! I can now use new panel clips, and the screws that go with them,
and therefore give my door a neat, uniform appearance. Before I had
panel clips that were held together with a mixture of real panel clip
screws and sheet metal screws.


I'm including two photos below. One of them is of the section of my
local hardware store where I found the blind nut inserts (keep in mind
that I found these myself. The store clerk did not know that they had
them).


The other photo is of the storm door panel clips, in case you don't know
how they look like. Home Depot has them in plain aluminum and white.
Since I painted my storm door white I bought the white panel clips.

Blind nut insert in and painted.

Can you tell the difference between the blind
nut insert and the original things the storm door panel clip screw goes
into? See photo below.

I am looking at the longer post about finding and installing the blind nut inserts. It seems at least some of these inserts require more than just pressing them into the sheet metal of the storm door. There are special tools that have a threaded stud that is screwed into the insert and then pulls the threaded stud which in turn, deforms and expands the blind side of the insert, forming a bead that prevents the insert from coming out. There is a video tutorial about using a bolt, nut and washer to achieve the same result without buying the special tool. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhzVDvnN_yM