DIY Network

Front Door: Making Adjustments to Door From "Floors, Doors & Windows" episode DFDW-104

Hosts Jay Baker and Scott Branscom show you how to install a new front door.

In this third segment, hosts Jay Baker and Scott Branscom make adjustments to the door.

Materials:

Standard carpentry tools (hammer, nails, tape measure, level, etc.)
Circular saw
Wood chisel
Shims
Spray-foam insulation
Cold chisel
Drill motor with screw and drill bits
Paint

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	Figure A
	Figure B
	Figure C
	Figure D
	Figure E

1. If you have a gap, you may need to install shims in order for your door to fit properly. Installing shims at the top of the door on the hinge side (figure A) helps rack the top of the door from the other direction. If the whole door shifts and is still closing tight, you can put some shims on the other side of the door. Do not put them in tight, just slide them in and put some nails in and it will slide the door that way.

2. It is common for doors to ship with short screws that you will need to replace with longer ones. Just remove all the short screws and replace them with longer ones that go deeper into the framing (figure B).

3. If you need to add any more shims to a gap, put them in tight because you don't want the door to actually move.

4. With all the shims in place, countersink the nail heads with a nail punch (figure C). Trim off the shims with a reciprocating saw.

5. Be sure to really seal the juncture between the brick mold and the siding to make it nice and weather tight.

6. Use an insulating foam sealant (figure D) to fill in the gap. The foam will expand, but it is very easy to take a blade and cut it out once it dries.

   Note: You do not want to get any of the foam insulation sealant on your hands. If you do get it on your hands, get it off while it is still wet because when it dries it is like super glue.

7. Caulk all around the door casing in the space between the door and siding (figure E). This is an important step in weatherproofing and it gives a finished look to the door installation.

RESOURCES :

Front Door (Jeld-Wen)

JELD-WEN
Website: www.jeld-wen.com

Installing and Hanging Doors
1561586358
Gary Katz
(August 2002)

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Taunton Press