Replies

1. 
   SawdustSteve | Aug 20, 2008 10:20pm | #1

   You will probably get better answers over at 'Break Time' as that's where the builders hang out. But... here goes.... Again, I will assume you're replacing the DR to Garage door first, as it is the easier of the two.

   I assume will purchase a pre-hung door from your favorite supplier. Remove the old trim and saddle (threshhold) if there is one, from the old door. See where the door installer put shims. (You're going to need some of them to get the door nice and tight.) Remove the old door. Use a Saws-all to cut through the nails that hold the door in place. Clean out the opening... drive or remove all the old nails, shims, etc.

   Place the pre-hung door unit in place into the opening and roughly center it. You may have to remove the temporary shipping brace from the bottom of the jamb legs. Use a level and as few shims as possible, get the hinge side plumb and flush with the inside plaster (sheetrock.)

   Drive 2 or 3 10d finishing nails through the jamb & shims into the wall to secure this side of the unit. With the door closed, check the spacing all around the door/jamb. You should have about a 'nickles worth' of space on the two sides you have not yet secured. If you need, add shims top and latch side to even out the spacing. Make sure you are even with the sheetrock on the inside (living room side). Again, nail through the shims to secure the door and give the jambs some ridgidity. In most cases, the hinges are secured with 1" screws. I like to remove at least one screw per hinge and replace it with a longer screw that will go into the sub frame. Now apply new trim and lock and the job is complete. NOTE... if you removed a saddle, be sure you are allowing enough room under the door to replace the saddle or you will need to trim the bottom of the door to pass over the saddle.

   After the door is set and you have checked that it is working smoothly, I like to add a few more nails through the door jamb into the sub-framing. These nails should be hidden 'behind the door' so when the door is closed, the nail heads will not be seen.

   Your front door is a bit trickier because it must look good from both the inside and the outside. You also have to do a lot more calking/ sealing so you don't get water infiltration.

   On ALL external doors that I hang, I carefully seal the top and bottoms of the door with some sort of paint or sealer to keep moisture out of the door glue joints.

   I've probably left out a detail or two, but that is the short course. When you're using shims, always insert them in pairs, one from the inside and one from the outside, that way you do not wedge or angle the door jambs. Extra shim stock is cut off flush with the walls by scoring with a razor knife and then snapping off the excess.

   SawdustSteve

1. 
   YesMaam27577 | Aug 21, 2008 12:00am | #2

   SawDustSteve gave good advice concerning the dining room door, and a few hints about the entry door.Here's another item for the entry door: Be sure to flash the sill after the old door is gone, and before the new one is installed. Flashing can be in the form of a metal pan, custom bent to fit; or there are ready-made door pans available; or you can use bitumen rubber (vycor, usually found in the roofing section of a home center.)The purpose of the flashing is to direct water away from the interior, and away from the sill and floor joists. This may seem unnecessary, but it is actually quite important. Proper flashing can save thousands of repair dollars if/when the caulk fails (and it will).After the flashing is in, run a bead or two of caulk on it, then place the threshold of the new unit in place. Between the caulk, and the flashing, the interior of your home will stay dry.

   Politics is the antithesis of problem solving.