Many people prefer to buy a prehung door for their house because it is very easy to install and takes very little time to do. Unlike regular doors, it comes with hinges and frame. Instead of buying a separate trim, jamb and door, more time and money can be saved by learning how to install a prehung door.
Materials Needed
For this moderate task, prepare several materials including a hammer, finish nails and wood putty. Aside from these, you will need a measuring tape, a carpenter?s square and wooden shims. To check if the door is properly in place, bring in a level.
Steps
For a one-piece-jamb style door, get the measuring tape and then use it to take the height and width of the rough opening. Aside from this, you also need to measure the wall?s thickness. Once you have taken all the right measurements, bring them to the nearest lumberyard or home improvement center. Buy a door that can fit these measurements perfectly.
Put the door at the opening. Get the wooden shims and use them to hold the door in place. Hammer 6d finish nails halfway through the hinge-side shims and jamb. By doing this, the unit will be attached temporarily to the surrounding frame. Close the door and be sure that the gaps surrounding it are all even.
When necessary, try adjusting the shims. Get 6d nails and then use them to attach the different sides of the jamb. The shims that go beyond the door must be trimmed off. At the outside of the frame, put the casing molding using 4d finish nails. Use a nail set to countersink the nails and then use the wood putty to fill the holes.
For a door with split-style jamb, put the first half of the jamb first. This process is just like a standard prehung door. From the other side of the door, slowly slip the other half. Get the stop molding and then use it to cover the joint found in between the jambs. Use the nail set to countersink the nail heads. Use the wood putty to fill the holes. After these, you can paint or stain the door depending on the color you want.
Additional Facts and Other Helpful Information
A split-jamb style door is suitable for structures with leaning walls. Likewise, it can also be used to hide door openings that are out of square. Whenever possible, purchase a door with locksets and a doorknob. This can actually save you a lot of money.
