After the installation of the bathroom tile, the next step in the bathroom renovation is the installation of the interior door in the rough door opening that was built earlier. The relocation of the door is a significant feature of the bathroom renovation. In its original location (figure A) door opened directly to the toilet. In its new location (figure B), the new door will open to the vanity and large mirror -- enhancing privacy and creating the illusion of space. Sarah -- the homeowner and project supervisor -- selected a 28-inch pre-hung door (figure C). This is a typical unit available at any home improvement store. Width sizes range from 18 to 36 inches. Pre-hung means the door comes already hinged to the frame and the casing for one side. The other casing slides out so it can be adjusted for the width of the walls and reattached. The pre-hung unit saves considerable installation time. The door itself matches replacement doors being used in the rest of the house. The style imitates wood grain and is primed to be painted after it's installed. Installation is relatively simple but it helps to have two people. Sarah's dad helps out as he has with several other parts of this workshop. Steps: - After taking off the casing on one side (figure D), they slide the entire unit into the rough opening (figure E). Sarah has followed the directions for this pre-hung door and sized the rough opening two and a half inches wider than the absolute width of the door. For a 28-inch door, the opening is 30-1/2 inches. This dimension could vary depending on the manufacturer of the door.
- The critical part of this operation is making sure the frame is level on both sides (figure F). Sarah and her dad insert wood shims to fill the space between the frame and the rough opening and to level up the entire unit.
- Once everything is level, the door casing can be nailed in place. For this Sarah will use #16 finishing nails to secure the door (figure G).
- Finishing nails have a small, indented head. This allows them to be set into the frame and the casings. To do this, Sarah uses a hardened tool called a nail set. She pounds the nail almost all the way into the frame but leaves a small part of the head protruding. That way she won't damage the moldings with blows from the hammer. Inserting the small end of the nail set into the nail-head's indentation (figure H), Sarah now pounds it a short ways into the frame. This allows resulting hole to be filled with spackling compound, smoothed and painted -- making the nails virtually invisible.
- With this section of the door level and secured with nails, the casing on the bathroom side (figure I) can be attached in the same way.
The completion of the tile floor and installation of the new door are particularly satisfying steps in the bathroom renovation. Both provide an immediate gratification with their visible results. The segments that follow cover the installation of drywall, plumbing fixtures and the new shower.
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