It’s time for another Pro-Follow update! If you’ve been following along, you know that Joe Bianco is in the process of remodeling Fred and Kim’s basement. Last time we left off, Joe brought in Dave and his mold sniffing dog, Sam, to detect any mold in the basement. It was a fascinating process, and I hope to bring you more with Dave and Sam in the near future. Since then, drywall has been hung in the basement, doors installed and most of the painting has been completed. I’m not focusing on these aspects of the remodel since I’ve covered them in the past. If you’re interested, you can read more about how to install drywall, installing pre-hung interior doors, and painting like a pro at those links. One question readers often have is how to install an exterior door so I was excited to learn that that would be part of this remodel. The old door in the basement was original to the house, and Joe installed a new, slightly larger door in its place. The new door is a simple, six-panel, steel door.
It’s pre-hung which makes it easier to install because things like weatherstripping and hinges are already in place. It’s a standard size, measuring 80″ x 32″. The guys got started by taking the old door off its hinges and removing the door casing and brick molding. Here’s a few pictures showing the different “layers” of the old door. You can see the block wall, pressure treated framing, blocking, door jamb, insulation, brick molding and threshold. Joe’s crew cut the door jambs to make them easier to remove. The guys preserved most of the rough framing to reuse it with the new door. It’s important to clear away old caulk and adhesive so that you have a clean surface for new framing. The beautiful artwork was an unexpected treasure underneath the old framing; you never know what you’re going to find. Joe’s crew glued and nailed 2 x 4″ and 1 x 4″ boards in place. They used a Ramset powder actuated nailer which makes this an easy task.
Otherwise, they would have had to mark and drill holes, add anchors and then screw the boards in place. Pro-Tip: Rough framing should measure 2″ longer than the door in each dimension. That means this opening measures 82″ x 34″, and the extra space is to ensure room to plumb and level the door. After the framing was completed, the guys removed all the braces from the door and set it in place to test for fit. Most exterior doors are installed with the brick molding against the face of the block wall. However, this door was installed with the brick molding flush with the block wall. This was because the next bigger, standard-sized door would not fit, and that’s how the old door was installed. In a few places the brick molding needed to be planed to fit. Joe’s crew accomplished that by setting the nails a little deeper and using a power planer. After the guys were satisfied with the fit of the door, they put down a heavy, double-bead of adhesive under the threshold and in the corners.
This is important because it will seal out water. Next, Joe and his crew checked the door for level on each dimension. The guys inserted shims between the door jamb and rough framing as necessary to ensure a perfectly level door and that the door would open and close smoothly. Altogether, they shimmed behind each hinge, the latch strike plate and at the top of the door. When the guys were satisfied with the shims, they inserted screws behind the weatherstripping to anchor the door to the rough framing. Next, they cut the shims by scoring them with a utility knife and breaking them along the score line. Joe’s crew used a can of Great Stuff on the outside and inside of the door, filling the gap between the door and the framing. The foam not only insulates around the door, but also forms a water-resistant seal. Pro-Tip: Use a minimal-expanding, low-pressure foam formulated not to bow window and door frames. All that’s left is to add some molding and caulk all the joints.
Unfortunately, the guys haven’t completed this step yet. When they do, I’ll update the article with finished pictures.Edit ArticleHow to Replace a Pre Hung Door A door replacement is a fairly large project. If your door can simply be refinished or otherwise mended, try that first. This door was very badly scratched by the previous owners' dog and it had warped to the point where no weatherstripping could keep the kitchen cozy. Read and understand all the instructions before beginning. Size up the job. Recruit an assistant or two.not Choose a mild, dry day, if this is an exterior door. Measure the door carefully and select the right door. Paint the door before installing it, if you wish. Clear a work area. Prepare the lockset, doorknob, and/or deadbolt. Remove the trim from both sides of the old door, exposing the door frame. Separate the old door from its frame. Remove the old door from its hinges, then carefully lift it off.
Exterior doors are heavy! Then, make sure the longest screws are out of the hinges on the jamb side. There are a few screws that just hold the hinges to the jamb, and there are others that go all the way through to the frame. Separate the old door jamb from the frame. When it is loose, tip the jamb out of the frame and remove it. Clean up the opening. Some exterior pre-hung doors come with brick molding already attached. Look at the door jamb and determine if the hinge screws are sticking through, many times they will be. Look at doorknob cut-out and be sure that any device used to hold door aligned can be removed after installation. Check very carefully for any nails going through the jamb into the door, and pull them out. Pull any staples, shipping materials, etc. Test fit the new door. Check the frame for level and plumb and correct any major problems now. Position door so that it can be tipped up into opening, if possible. Look at the bottom of the new door and get an idea of the areas that will contact the door sill.
Tip door into opening, and adjust in or out till door jamb is flush with wall surfaces. Begin shimming between the jamb and the door frame. Stack wedge-shaped shims pointing in opposite directions and drive them in until they take up the required space. Start at the bottom on the hinge side, then at the opposite bottom corner. Proceed to the top of the hinge side, and the top of the opposite side. Then shim directly behind the top, middle and bottom hinges. You will be driving screws through the jamb, shims, and frame, so for the shim locations behind the hinges, put the shims directly behind the empty hole. Finally, shim opposite the top and bottom hinges and just above and below the deadbolt. The objective of all this shimming is to center the jamb in the door frame and to square, plumb, and level the door. Use a piece of material of an appropriate thickness, probably about 1/8", to feel all the way around the door, to ensure that the spacing between the door and the jamb is consistent and even.
This is somewhat a process of trial and error. Use the door itself to gauge where the frame must be to be square. Be patient and make adjustments as necessary, pushing the shims further in or pulling them out. It is worth being picky at this stage, since these adjustments will affect the fit and operation of your new door for years to come. Also adjust the door location front to back. If the door is weatherstripped, look for even compression of the weatherstripping from top to bottom. If not, look for an even gap when the door is closed. The door jamb should also be flush with the wall, as much as possible. Remember, the trim needs to go back on at the end. If the door has pre-cut openings for the knob and deadbolt, make sure that they align properly as you shim the jamb. Putting a screw through the jamb and shims will pull the jamb slightly towards the frame. Shims can be used to correct the parallelogram of the jamb and to flex the wood in or out a little bit near the shim.
When the door is shimmed all around, you can test opening and closing it, but be sure to support its weight so that it does not pull out all your careful adjustments. Install the long screws into each hinge, through the shims, into the frame. Proceed around to the other shim locations and screw or nail through those into the frame, again checking and adjusting as you go. When the door jamb is level, plumb and square, install the deadbolt, doorknob, and strike plates. Cut off the shims so that they are flush with the jamb and rough opening. Insulate the space between the door jamb and frame. Replace the trim, adjusting it if necessary. Caulk around the trim or molding, inside and out. Paint or finish the door, if you didn't already, and paint the trim to match its surroundings. Install weatherstripping, kick plates, and any other accessories. Method for hanging with molding attached. Measure from floor up, on hinge side of jamb and mark locations of hinges.
Subtract width of door assembly from width of rough opening and divide by 2. Stack shims up in alternating directions until you get a stack that is equal in thickness to the vertical margin. Place shim-pack directly over the mark on the framing for the lowest hinge and nail in place. Place a 6 foot (1.8 m) level against bottom shims and place the shim-pack across top hinge line. Place level against bottom shims and top shims, and slip the shim pack between level and framing, at the middle hinge, and adjust as above until it is snug against level. Cut excess shim material off slightly narrower than wall thickness. Run a bead of caulk on the back of the brick mold near the edge. Tip the new door up onto the caulk. Place door in opening and push hinge side tight to shims, and brick molding tight to outside wall. Nail a 16 penny galvanized finish nail through the brick molding into the wall framing, at the top hinge location. Now you can carefully open the door and nail another 16 penny finish nail through jamb into framing at the top hinge location.
Check margin between top of door and the head jamb, at the corners. Nail through brick molding at next hinge location working from top to bottom. Remove the middle screws from the hinges where they attach to the jamb, and replace with screws of sufficient length to go through shims and into framing at least 1-1/2 inch. At this point the door is basically hung. Place a 16 penny finish nail through brick mold at top on the latch side of door. Break off the thin end of a shim until the end is the same width as the margin between the door and jamb. Make another shim pack Place spacer between door and jamb at the strike (doorknob). Insert shim pack between jamb and framing at the strike. Adjust shims until they are snug. While pushing the jamb tight to the shim pack, open the door. Nail through jamb into framing at this location as described above. Nail through brick mold at the same location. Repeat this procedure at locations opposite the hinges, as well as in two locations at top of door, and above and below the dead bolt, be careful not to allow shims to cover or block the dead bolt hole.
Cut off excess shim stock off and wipe any excess caulk off. Screw sill to floor. Adjust sill to fit door, if necessary. Insulate between jamb and framing. You may now install the trim and any hardware. Walls and frames are not always square, level, and plumb. If you must compromise between an even door fit and perfection in the level or plumb of the jamb, favor the even door fit. It affects the smooth functioning of the door more than precise leveling. When removing nails, protect the surrounding wood or wall with a block of wood beneath the hammer or nail puller. Read manuals and understand the safe operation of all the tools you will use. Doors are large, heavy objects, and installing one requires at least one strong person on either side. Do not attempt this project alone. Think ahead about the possible dangers of any operation and how you can avoid accidents. Wear appropriate safety gear: safety glasses, gloves, hearing protection, dust mask.