DIY Network

Installing French Doors The key to perfect door installation? Keeping it on the level. From "Bathroom Renovations" episode DBTR-501

Amy Matthews helps homeowners Andy and JP install their custom door frame and swanky new French doors.

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Materials:

custom door frame
safety glasses
work gloves
hammer
flat-head screwdriver
impact driver
prybar
reciprocating saw
tape measure
tape
marker
level
dust mask
2x4 lumber
wood lath or sheetrock
framing nailer

	Figure A
	Figure B
	Figure C

Installing French Doors

• Pop out the hinge pins and remove the existing door. Unscrew the screen door and remove it also.

• Remove the interior door trim with a hammer and prybar (figure A).

• On the exterior of the door, cut away the silicone caulk with a utility knife, then pry away the exterior trim. Cutting the caulk will help prevent damage to the siding when the trim is removed.

• Wearing safety glasses, cut through the door jamb at several points with a reciprocating saw (figure B). Remove the jamb in pieces to help prevent damage to the siding around the jamb.

  Safety Alert: Always wear safety glasses and use extreme caution when working with a reciprocating saw and make sure you will be able to control the saw safely. These powerful tools can have a strong "kick" that makes them hard to manage. If you aren’t sure you can control the saw, use a hand saw or get some help.

• Loosen and remove some of the siding around the opening and set aside (figure C). Andy and JP’s house has shake siding, so they were able to use a prybar to remove pieces around the door which they reinstalled after the door was in place.

• Measure the outside of the new door frame to determine the size for the rough opening.

• If the door needs to shift farther down the wall to accommodate the bathroom redesign, measure from the wall and mark the point where the door should sit. Place a piece of colored tape, such as duct tape, on the floor at this mark. (The door jamb should be 4" or more away from built-ins such as a vanity.)

• From the tape, measure out the width of the new door jamb. Mark this point with tape also.

• Use a reciprocating saw to cut through the bottom of the wall studs between the two tape marks.

• If the new door is wider than the old one, or in a slightly different spot on the wall, there may be a space between the floor and the exterior wall sheathing. To level out the space and create a solid footing for the new door, cut pieces of 2x4 lumber to fit these spaces. Use an impact nailer or framing nailer to nail them into position and create a solid surface that’s level with the floor.

• Measure the height of the new door frame. Measure this height on one of the cut wall studs, then use a level to extend the mark across the other wall studs being cut.

• Use a reciprocating saw to cut the wall studs at the marks. Be conservative when making these cuts: Remember, trimming a little more material away later is much easier than dealing with a top stud that’s too short to reach the new door frame.
  

  	Figure D
  	Figure E

• With the studs removed, set the bottom of the new door frame in place and raise it into position (figure D). The bottom of the frame should rest on the new 2x4s mounted flush with the floor. Make sure the new frame lines up with the tape marks on the floor.

• Use a framing nailer and 3-1/4" nails to toenail one leg of the door frame to the 2x4 footing below.

  Safety Alert: Always wear safety glasses and use extreme caution when using a framing nailer or any type of power nailer. These powerful tools can drive a nail instantly through a piece of wood – or a hand or foot.

• Use wooden shims to adjust the door frame until it is perfectly plumb, then use the framing nailer to toenail the other leg of the frame to the 2x4 below. Make sure to nail through any shims under the door frame.

• Slip shims between the top of the door frame and the bottoms of the studs above it. Once the spaces are filled, check the frame again for plumb and toenail the studs into the top of the door frame (figure E). Make sure to nail through any shims.

• Wearing safety glasses, use a reciprocating saw to cut through the exterior wall sheathing. Use the inside of the door frame as a guide.

• Remove the new doors from the door jamb and install the jamb in the new door frame. Slip the jamb into the new frame, use shims to bring it into plumb and secure it by driving nails through the pre-drilled holes in the nailing fin. (Other styles of doors may require different installation techniques.)

• Install the new doors in the jamb according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

• Install the door trim according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Replace exterior wall sheathing or siding as needed.

RESOURCES :
French Doors
Peachtree Windows and Doors
Website: www.peachtreedoor.com