When you buy a pre-hung exterior door from a top company you will receive the door already assembled. The door itself is already in the jamb, or the frame, with the hinges in the correct location and attached. This is the easiest option as you just need to attach the jamb, to the existing opening.
However, many doors that are pre-fabricated, and even some of the custom made doors, will require a lot more work. This is a quick guide to installing a pre-hung exterior door that arrives already assembled. If you are considering installing a door that is not pre-assembled it is really a good idea to hire a professional installer so your door sits right and works well.
Preparing the Opening
When you remove the old door you will need to take off everything from the opening including the interior trim. However, and just to be safe, always measure the new door and your old door to ensure that you will not need to make any additional adjustments.
Then, remove the hinges from the old door and take it off the frame. Remove the hinges from the existing door frame and then remove the screws or nails that are holding the door frame to the sill, the opening, of the door. Remove all existing shims and then slide the old door frame out of the opening.
Installing the New Pre-Hung Exterior Door
Position the door and the jamb correctly and slide it into the opening. Check the opening, particularly the bottom sill or subsill to ensure that it is level. You can use small shims to adjust the subsill and the sill to ensure that everything is level. The bottom and top can be checked with a level and the sides with a plumb bob or a level.
It is essential to be certain that all sides and the top and bottom are level before attaching the door permanently. Check to make sure the door opens and closes without catching or dragging. Once this is checked and double checked you can remove the door and then attach the frame to the opening. Position shims in the places where you are screwing or nailing the door in place to provide additional support and keep the frame even and straight.
After this is completed, you will then need to caulk around the area of the door opening, or use a spray foam, and then replace the exterior and interior trim. Last but not least, you will just have to attach the door hardware and it will be ready to use.
We design our pre-hung exterior doors to be very easy to install.
