How to Install a New Door

If you have recently been searching for tips on different ways to remodel your home, you may want to consider putting up a new door. Putting up a new door will not only help with any insulation problems that you may have, but it will also change the overall look of any room, or the outside of your home.

The first step that you will need to take will be to choose the type of door that will be put up. Keep in mind that there are three basic types of doors that your will be able to choose from. These are entry doors, interior doors, and combination storm/screen doors. If you simply follow the five easy installation tips below, you will be able to install your new doors with relative ease.

Step 1 - Is very easy -- take off the old door. Remember to tuck a wedge under the outside corner and release the hinges. Once you have taken the door off, you will have two options. Hang the door from loose-pin hinges, which means that part of the hinge will be hooked into the door, and the other half will be hooked into the door frame. This may not be an option for you if you are working in an older home. If not, you may have to unscrew the hinges and take off the door frame to get the door off.

Step 2 - This step requires that you take the hinge leaves off of the door. After this task has been accomplished, you can either hang new hinges, or use the old ones if you so desire. If you decide to use the old ones, you will have to buff them with a sander while using a clear protective coating to cover it. If you are using new hinges, make sure that the new hinges are the exact same size as the previous ones.

Step 3 - Trim the door. Make sure that you remember to take notes from the previous door if needed. However if the new door is in line with the old one, you may not need to trim it at all. On the other hand, if the old door is not a good example, measure the door opening and leave a 1/8-inch bottom clearance and 1/16-inch at the side and top. If the room is carpeted, remember to take into account the fact that you will need to have a bottom clearance that is 3/4 of an inch more. In order to do the trimming you will need a fine-toothed saw.

Step 4 - -Prepare the door for the new hinges. Remember that you will need to make new mortises. After the old door has been removed you will find that there are craved out depressions in which the new hinge blades will have to be placed. Most people prefer to use the old door as a pattern to follow for this step, or you can use the new door instead. After that, put in the doorway, and wedge it 1/8-inch away from the bottom, remembering to put the hinge locations on the door.

Step 5 - Last but not least, put the door on the latch and trace the line to the door edge from every hinge, using a pencil or knife. You will know that this has been done correctly when the new hinges that you have mounted on the door are outlined with the hinge leaf template. Use a wood chisel to leave marks on the hinge mortises. Make sure to level the cuts to correspond to the thickness of the leaf hinge. Your door should only require three hinges as long as the height of the door does not exceed six feet tall.

Be sure to apply wood sealant to the door and put wood screws in the hinge leaves. The only thing left to do now is to hang the door.