| How To Install A Prehung Door | | | | the door in the center of the opening. The door jamb |
| Hanging a door these days is easier than its ever | | | | should be able to move to the left and right in the |
| been. In the days before prehung doors, it took | | | | opening. The gap between the door and jamb on the |
| more tools and knowledge to hang a door than it | | | | hinge side is usually about an 1/8" of an inch. This |
| does now. | | | | dictates the gap or space you should have all around |
| Imagine getting a door slab, an unassembled door | | | | the door. Move the door jamb to the left or right |
| jamb, hinges and door hardware and having to do all | | | | until you have that same space at the top. You then |
| the mortising, drilling, rabbeting on site. | | | | nail the trim on the top hinge side and the bottom |
| No longer do you need an array of tools such as a | | | | hinge side. Then nail the strike side on the top making |
| drill, a mortising jig for hinges, strikes, and bolt plate. | | | | sure you still have an equal space. Nail off the rest of |
| No jig for drilling the backset for the doorknob and | | | | the hinge side with 3 or 4 more nails. The 2 nails |
| bolt. | | | | already in the top are all I usually put in. Now nail the |
| Nowadays all you need is a hammer and hard trim | | | | rest of the strike side starting at the top and |
| nails or a finish nail gun and some shims. | | | | working your way down, maintaining the same space |
| The first thing you need to do is check the opening | | | | as the top and hinge side. |
| you'll be hanging the door in for the correct size. It | | | | Once the door is nailed into the opening on the inside, |
| should be 2" bigger than the door size. Even though | | | | it's time to shim the door jamb. First, pull the door |
| it's a rough opening it should be reasonably plumb and | | | | closed to make sure it hits the door stop evenly on |
| square. | | | | the strike side. If it is hitting only at the top pull the |
| If the opening was framed by someone else, you | | | | hinge side toward you till it hits even. If it hits only at |
| may want to break out your level and framing | | | | the bottom, push the hinge side jamb away from |
| square and check this also. Drywallers sometimes | | | | you till it hits evenly. |
| believe the rough opening was meant for them and | | | | Once you get the jamb aligned put shims between |
| will let the drywall run into the opening. If this is the | | | | the jamb and stud opening, being careful not to bow |
| case use a drywall saw or sawzall to cut it back. | | | | the jamb into the opening. If need be use a straight |
| Once all the vitals have been checked your ready to | | | | edge to keep it straight. I put shims behind every |
| hang a door. Prehung doors come assembled a couple | | | | hinge and the strike and also at the top and bottom |
| different ways. They can be bought with trim already | | | | of the strike side. I nail these shims in with two nails, |
| mitered and nailed on to one side and without trim. If | | | | one on each side of the stop. |
| there is no trim installed, I like to put it on before I | | | | The next step is to apply the door casing to the |
| put the door in the opening. The trim is installed on | | | | outside of the door. Once this is done, your ready |
| the hinge side. | | | | for the door hardware. If everything went right, the |
| Most doors open into a room and against a wall. | | | | bolt should engage the strike plate and the door |
| When putting the door into the opening, try to put | | | | should fit snuggly against the stops. |