Preparing to install an interior door.
Interior doors often indicate the age of a home. Older homes often have luan wood doors that are made of a rough wood veneer that is flat. These doors may be functional, but they may also make the house feel old and outdated. Some new homes have doors that look modern but are hollow, making privacy hard to accomplish. Both of these conditions are examples of why people choose to update their interior doors, particularly their bedroom doors.. For best fit and easiest installation select a pre-hung solid door with pre-bored holes.
Instructions
1. Knock the door pins out with a hammer and screwdriver and set the old door aside. Cut the caulk around the door trim on both sides of the door using a utility knife.
2. Insert a wide putty knife between the trim and the door framing and wiggle the knife until you have a wide enough opening to insert a pry bar. Pry the trim off, allowing the wood to pull away from the finish nails. Set your trim aside to use later.
3. Saw between the door frame and the wall studs using a sawzall. This type of saw will cut through the nails. Slide the framing unit out of the hole and discard.
4. Measure your rough opening using a tape measure. Use these measurements to purchase a solid door that is pre-hung with pre-bored holes. These doors come with a strap around the frame and everything is pre-assembled for you. Insert the door into the opening and make sure it fits. Make sure your door swing goes the right way for the opening. Doors should open into the room when possible.
5. Position a 4-foot level along the hinge side of the rough framing. If the stud isn't level, position wood shims where the hinges will be and nail them to the stud until your level is plumb. If your door is mounting over carpet, your door jamb should extend 1 inch from the bottom of the door. For hard-surface flooring that is already installed, the jambs may need to be trimmed so that you have a half-inch between the door and the floor. Trim your jambs as necessary with a hand saw.
6. Insert your pre-hung door into the door opening. Slide up against the hinge side shims and check to see if the 1/8-inch factory gap between the door and the frame is maintained. If it looks good, run drywall screws through the door jamb, shims and into the studs.
7. Shim the top and latch side of the door by spacing shims every two feet and checking for level and a consistent 1/8-inch gap around the door. Screw the jambs in place. Remove one screw from the top hinge and replace it with a longer hinge screw that screws all the way into the stud. Take off your finished door and paint the top and bottom edges to prevent moisture intrusion.
8. Re-attach your finish trim molding by fitting it to the new door frame, matching the mitered corners and nailing it in place with a power finish nail gun. Fill all your holes with wood fill and caulk your edges and joints for a clean appearance.
Tags: your door, between door, , around door, between door frame