Fixing up an entryway with a pre-hung door is an effective way to increase energy efficiency and add curb appeal, while making your home more energy-efficient. But installing new doors may be complex.
Before beginning, take measurements of your existing frame’s rough opening dimensions, including its trim. Shims may need to be added in order for it to sit level.
Shims
Installing a pre-hung door will add style and reduce drafts in your house’s exterior, but for it to go smoothly you need some basic measurements as well as careful attention paid to each detail.
Verify the rough opening dimensions for your existing frame, particularly its height and width, then compare these with the door specifications to select an option that best meets them.
Check the hinge side first and use shims as necessary to achieve plumb and flushness with the wall drywall surface, while making sure that its gap remains even.
Shimming the latch side requires using a carpenter’s level to achieve accuracy in alignment of its edges. Once complete, close and inspect your door to make sure the reveal along its top is uniform.
Score the shims with a utility knife before snapping them off to make this task simpler, and to allow you to trim off any that are sticking out from the frame later. In addition, make sure you purchase some trim as well as 4d, 6d and 8d finish nails to complete this step successfully.
Hinges
At this stage, having help is ideal to ensure you can safely secure the door as you attach its hinges. Begin with the top hinge, placing its knuckle 7 inches from the top of the door frame and its hole so as to align with any gap between jamb and wall.
Continue this process with all remaining hinges, moving along the door until all have been adjusted. Finally, level off the latch side jamb until it is level with its counterpart.
At each step in your project, it is vitally important that you double-check your work. This is especially important if your building has settled over time and throw off measurements, leading to problems and possibly costly delays. If there are any questions or unsurenesses with anything related to carpentry work or measurements that you encounter early on; calling a pro may save time and frustration down the road; hiring one might even save money over hiring you as you would not need an unexperienced worker who’s knowledgeable of this trade! If not capable enough of carpentry skills yourself it may well worth extra costs to hire someone experienced enough!
Hardware
Based on your desired style of hardware, it may be worthwhile to purchase additional doorknobs, locksets or strike plates as additional investments. If original pieces cannot be salvaged this may also represent additional purchases.
As soon as your new hardware arrives, use a 3/16-inch bit to carefully drill through all pilot holes with care to ensure that screws line up without hitting wooden framing inside your house.
Pre-hung doors offer an affordable way to give the interior of your home an instant makeover or simply update. Unfortunately, however, a few simple mistakes can quickly turn this project into a major hassle; but with proper planning these errors are easily avoidable and soon you will enjoy your brand new look within hours! Here are a few helpful tips so that you can ensure a successful start and enjoy a new look in just hours.
Finishing Touches
Installing a pre-hung door improves your house’s appearance, saves energy and stops drafts – all great benefits of doing it yourself! Doing it with just basic hand tools (utility knife, hammer and tape measure) as well as power tools like drill, circular saw planer or finish nailer makes the task faster and simpler.
Before beginning, first assess which direction and hand your door swings in. This information will enable you to order the appropriate door and handle.
Clean out the rough opening and take any necessary steps to remove existing door jambs, such as using a pry bar and hammer. However, if any nails or screws embedded in brickmould trim need removing then use a reciprocating saw with fine-tooth blade to avoid damaging drywall. Shim the frame as necessary until it’s square with the wall by nailing in shims at least every 12 inches; trim off excess with a handsaw as necessary.