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