How to Install a Front Entry Door

Changing a front entry door is not as hard as some would speculate. The size alone stops alot of home owners as well as renters from trying the "do-it-yourself" mentality, and call on a carpenter or home Improvement specialist to take on this task. The job takes anywhere between an hour to two hours, depending on the difficulty of the existing door, and the performance of getting the new door level and straight. The average price to have one installed will run you about $135.00-$250.00, depending on the rate of the person hired. For the same two hours, you can keep that money in your pocket and do it yourself. It's a good idea to get another person to help, but generally, this job can be done by one person if neccessary.

Tools You Will Need

Hammer, measuring tape, (one that at least measures nine feet), flat bar, pry bar, level, and broom.

Material

10-eight penny nails, 10-sixteen penny nails, handful of insulation, and a utility knife.

1. Step One-Removal

The first thing you have to do to get the old door out, is to remove the trim around the casing of the door. This trim is the wood that surrounds the door and should be facing you when looking at the door head on. Trim usually comes about four inches wide 98% of the time, but the sizes do vary. The nails associated with holding this door varies also, but they usually consist of six or eight penny nails. With a flat bar, tackle the edge of the trim closest to the nails installed and pull out. If the trim breaks, no problem, we dont need it anymore.

Next is the Interior casing. this piece of wood is actually the wood Inside the house. To remove, repeat the same steps as above, using a flat bar. Grab the casing as close to the nails as possible, to insure that the nails come out with the casing. If the nails don't come out, just use a hammer and drive them down.

Now you have a door that is being held up with nails that were inserted through the sides of the inner door straight into the frame, (house studs). These nails are generally sixteen penny nails installed at least six to ten times, so this part will be the hardest. there are two ways to unbrace the door from these nails:

A. Using a reciprocating saw, you insert the blade of the saw between the door frame and the studs, cutting the nails that's holding the door in place.

B. By taking a pry bar, you can "eat" into the door frame, catching each nail and pulling it out. this is usually the harder course to take, but according to where the nails were inserted, this might have to be an option.

Once you establish this last objective, grab the top frame of the door and, from the outside, pull the door downward towards you. Once the door is at a 45 degree angle, lift up and out.; this should take the doorway entirely out, giving you space to install your new door.

2. Step Two-Preparation

After the doorway is removed, clean up all debris around the opening of the doorway as well as the floor. This includes driving down all the nails left sticking out of the doorway and headway.

Using a level, see if the floor is leveled out. this is one of the most important steps to installing a door. If your flooring right below the doorway is uneven, stop here and get this fixed. Your door will never fit or align properly until this is fixed. Also, take a measurement to see if the door will fit inside the space of the doorway. If it's too tight, you will have to make a wider opening. If it's too loose, (which is better than if it was too tight), you can adjust the width with strips of wood.

To insure proper insulation for your homestead, it's always a good idea to apply a watertight seal around the sides and top of the door, to insure there is no air coming through the doorway casing. Insulation tucked inside gaps in the frame is also a good idea.

3. Installation

When you get a brand new door, the manufacturer staples cardboard around the outside area of the frame to protect the door against dents. Take these off and pull out the staples. Do not take out thestopper inside the dead bolt of the door trhough. This keeps the door from opening from the inside frame while you are trying to install it. Caulk the bottom of the threshold.

Insert the door from the bottom, making sure the bottom of the door touches the bottom of the threshold. Tip the door up to the doorway and , by eye, level out the door vertical with the frame. Install a nail to hold in place on the inside of the side of the door, then go inside. With a level, check to see if the door is vertical and flush with the frame.

Using a level, situate the door even with the floor. If uneven, pull out nail and adjust, then renail. Take a tape measure and measure the bottom left of the door all the way to the top right. Then measure the bottom right of the door to the top left. this measurement should be nearly exact. from this stand point, adjust to the right measurement so they both match. Once this is completed, look at the opening between the door and the sides of the door. this gap should not widen or thin out, always staying even from top to bottom, and usually consists of an opening no bigger than 1/8" gap.

Now open and close thew door. If it catches a corner, or seems tight, one of your corners need adjust from the opposite end. If your new door opens and shuts without it catching, nail between 3-4 nails, (16 penny), on each side of the door frame to the frame of the house, keeping the door intact. IMPORTANT: Be careful on how hard you hit when nailing the sides of the door with nails, you could knock out the alignment.

Lastly, nail the trim back into their original position. Keep the points of the trim tight. Caulk around the door and add hardware. You now have a brand new door installed and most importantly, your money is still in your pocket.