DIY Network

Stepping Up the Basement: How to Install a Pre-Hung Door Learn how to install a pre-hung door with these tips. From "Sweat Equity" episode DSEQ-106

Now that the stairs are installed, the next step is to install the door that leads into the guest bedroom. John and Colleen make sure the pre-hung door is level and plumb before securing it with a nail gun. Add some low expansion foam between the wall and the doorjamb and this basement is open for business!

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	Figure A
	Figure B
	Figure C
	Figure D
	Figure E
	Figure F
	Figure G
	Figure H

Materials:

pre-hung door
framer’s nail gun
circular saw
tape measure
level
strike plate
lockset
carpenter’s pencil
utility knife
Philips head screwdriver
low expansion foam
straight-edge razor

Pre-Hung Door Tips:

• Decide in advance which direction you would like the door to swing in your jamb before you buy it.

• When measuring a door for an area, make sure to account for any carpet or floor covering that may be installed later.

Safety Alert:

• Always wear protective eyewear when working with power tools.

How To Install a Pre-Hung Door:

• After removing the old five-sided door, Adam measures the Rauscher’s door way opening (figure A). When they have their measurements, Amy and John lay the door on sawhorses.

• Mark the pre-hung door for the opening adding an inch or two for carpet to run underneath the door. Amy puts painter’s tape along the length of their mark (figure B) and on the plate of the saw (figure C). Then Amy cuts the door along the mark (figure D). Applying painter’s tape over the mark keeps the door from being marred by the saw and to keep the door from splitting while cutting.

• Next, John measures (figure E) and Amy cuts the doorframe. These measurements do not have to account for the carpeting.

• John holds the door while Amy screws the hinges and the door together (figure F). Then they walk the door over to the doorway.

• John levels the door in place (figure G). When the door is level, Adam shoots framing nails through the frame to the wall, making sure to preserve the spaces between the door and the wall (figure H).

• Finally, Adam applies low expansion foam to the spaces between the door and the wall, filling the spaces around the nails first. The foam expands and hardens and keeps the door in place and can be used instead of shims. Cut any excess foam flush to the wall after the foam dries with a straight edge.

• Cover the gaps with trim.

GUESTS :

Adam Berlin
General Contractor
Maverick Home Remodeling Inc.
Website: www.RenewTheHome.com