Installing A Pre-hung Door

With a factory-manufactured pre-hung door; hinges attach the door to the preassembled jambs, and the sill and jambs are braced to keep the whole assembly square until you install it. For more about the types of doors available.

Pre-hung interior doors normally have a piece of scrap trim stapled to the bottom of the door and the jambs. After carrying the door to where you intend to install it, you remove this temporary brace(you must be able to open and close the door as you place shims between the studs and jambs, drive nails to hold the jambs, and check the alignment of jambs).

When you’re ordering a pre-hung door; make sure you specify the wall’s overall thickness. The jambs ordered for plaster-covered walls must be wider than those fm walls finished with drywall. When you fit the jamb into the rough opening, you’ll see that the jamb is wider than the rough framing, and it will stick out on either side-be sure the distances are proper to allow for drywall, plaster; or sheathing and siding(in the case of an exterior door).

For information on how to prepare the rough opening.

Position The Door Properly Place the door in the rough opening, centering it in the frame and fastening it. Using a piece of drywall(or other finish material) as a spacer against the trimmer studs, slightly adjust the unit back and forth until flush with the spacer. (If the finish floor is not yet installed, raise the side jambs to the correct level with blocks; you want to avoid cutting off the bottom of a new door when possible.)

Before nailing the jambs, it’s very important to make sure the door fits squarely in the opening and that the jambs are plumb, both from side to side and from front to back. Drive pairs of tapered wooden shims between the jambs and the trimmer studs (if the casing is attached to the jambs, insert shims from the open side) to adjust the unit and hold it in place until you nail it.

Secure The Door Hinge-Side First Start by shimming the lower hinge side of the door. Nail through the jamb and shims partway (I inch) into the stud with a 3½-inch finishing nail; position the nail where the stop molding will cover it. Insert shims next to the upper hinge location, check the jamb for plumb, and nail partway. Again, shim, plumb, and nail halfway between the top and middle hinge positions. Repeat between the middle and bottom hinges. Check to make sure the jamb above the doorway is level. Now shim the opposite jamb at similar locations, but don’t nail where you’ll need to cut for the latch.

Complete The Installation Remove any bracing or blocking tacked to the unit. Close the door and check that there is the same amount of space(about 1/16 to 1/8-inch) between the edges of the door and the jambs. If the door sticks or is out of alignment, pull nails in the area that seems to be the problem, using a block to protect the jambs from your hammer. Adjust shims and renail. Install the lockset. Drive the nails home and set the heads with a nailset. Cut the shims off flush with the jambs, using a handsaw(you can just break off short, thin pieces). Finish with door casing or other trim.

For exterior doors, nail the threshold between the jambs, shimming below it if the threshold does not rest securely on the subfloor. Finally, install the stop molding with 1½­inch finishing nails.

Installing A Door

Position the pre-hung assembly in the opening and temporarily secure it in place with shims and finishing nails. Adjust for plumb as necessary. After final adjustments are made, set the nail heads, cut the shims flush using a handsaw, and install the trim.

Removing A Door

To remove a door, dose the door securely(place a wedge under it or have a helper hold the door). Using a hammer and a nail, gently tap on the bottom of the lowest hinge pin or on the underside of its head to drive it up and out of the hinge barrel. Remove the middle pin, if any; then remove the top pin. Carefully dislodge the door from its hinges. When you reinstall the door, interlock the hinge leaves, then replace the top pin first. Next replace the middle and bottom pins. Tap the pins home with a hammer only after the hinges are correctly aligned.