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Proper Door Installation
We are always amazed at how people seem to think it is easy to do a door installation. As professionals we find it one of the harder installations to do. There is a tremendous amount of prep work that goes into a proper door installation. The sizing of the door and the swing of the door can be just as tricky. We would like to take you step by step through a typical door install.
- Choosing a door style: ”Not as easy as everyone thinks.” There an amazing number of decorative door styles, glass styles and even door configurations to choose from. This should be very well thought out. Doors are one of the most single most powerful design elements on a house. Once the door system has been chosen new door specs must be reviewed carefully.
- Sizing a door: Different door styles and manufactures use different stock sizing. When Sizing the existing door we do our best to determine the existing rough opening. Sizing should be taken underneath the door threshold to the top of the door frame”not to the top of any applied casings”. Width will be from outside of door frame to outside of door frame. If there is difficulty determining rough opening it is recommended to remove interior trim. Many existing doors do not use the correct jamb depth” they are for a 2 x 4 wall when the wall is a 2 x 6”, many times custom made door jamb extensions interfere with door locks. Others issues are the interior floors meeting up with the existing door threshold. Many times we need to cut back on the existing interior floor. We must also consider what conditions are going on under the existing door threshold. We always discover bad flashing techniques and rotten wood with other water related damage.
- Interior and exterior casings: Other items to keep a close eye on would be interior and exterior casings. Most of the time none of the exiting trim can be re-used, and depending on the new door specs trim may need to be wider.
- New threshold: Door swing and handing is very important as well as the new threshold height. New thresholds can be higher than existing thresholds; this must be taken into account when sizing and working with an existing floor system. Before any removal starts the new door must be inspected to make sure everything is correct. Completely remove existing door system, get down to the rough opening. Now is the time to replace any wood that was under the existing threshold. This area must be solid and level and should be higher than any existing exterior porch or stoop. Build an aluminum sill pan and use any soft weather seals where applicable. Dry-fit new door system and determine if there is too much spacing between rough opening and door frame. Check to see if you will have enough shimming room to square the door frame as well. Re-size rough opening if required and prepare to permanently set new door frame. Sealant must be applied under new door threshold before it is installed. Follow the manufacturers’ recommendations for proper door sealing. The new door threshold must be level with no high spots. This is extremely important and should not be rushed. Start squaring the door frame with wood shims; it is always very important to make sure the frame is level inside to outside as much as it is from side to side. It takes a lot of time to properly shim and square a door. Once shimmed, follow that manufacturer’s recommendation for fastening door frame to rough opening.
- Sealing a door: Before any exterior casings are applied ”assuming they did not come pre-applied” install your soft weather seals or flashing under any existing siding including a drip cap. Apply exterior casings then caulk and seal. Use Interior foam and fill between the rough opening and the door frame “use proper foam fill” apply interior casings as seen fit.
- Installing door handles and locks: This should never be rushed, make sure they work with your door before any tooling is done to the door and frame.
This was a basic explanation of a correct door installation. It still does not cover many other variables you may come across with a proper door installation. This is why we recommend door installations being left to door installation experts.
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