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How to Install an Exterior Door
Overview: Installing an
exterior door is one of the easiest of all doors to
install. Whether the door is installed during new
construction or is a replacement there are a few
factors that make it an easy task.
Knowing how to install an exterior door is a simple
operation because it is a pre-hung. That means the
door is already hung in its jamb as a single unit.
The hinges are mortised into the door jamb and
screwed in place. The door is held in position by
the hinge pins leaving a perfect reveal around the
door and the jambs top and sides. The lockset hole
is pre-drilled for the deadbolt too.
Exterior doors are wood, fiberglass, and steel.
Fiber glass doors are very popular as they are easy
to maintain. The two most common sizes are normally
32 and 36 inches. A 36 inch facilitates moving
furniture and appliances into the house. The
standard height of the door is 6' feet 8 inches but
taller ones can be special ordered.
The exterior trim (brickmolding) comes already
nailed to the jamb saving you time installing the
door.
Exterior doors also have an aluminum threshold
attached to the bottom of the jambs. The standard
jamb size is 4 and 1/2 inches wide. With the demand
for a higher insulation R value in exterior walls
that are 2x6 is used more frequently. The jambs for
these walls are 6 1/2 inches.
How to install an exterior door:
1.
Check the rough opening size before installing the
door. The width of the opening should be 2 inches
wider than the door itself, 38 inches for a 36 inch
door or 34 inches for a 32 inch door. The rough
opening height should be 83 inches for most doors.
2.
Installing the door is easier with two people but
it can be done by one person. Place the door in the
opening from the outside. Tack the door in place by
installing a small nail through the brickmolding. I
recommend using a galvanized finish nails. They
don't split the wood and the small heads are not as
obvious to the eye.
3.
After the door is tacked in the opening go to the
inside of the door and check the reveals around the
door. There should be approximately an eighth of an
inch all around the door.
4.
Shim the jambs of the door so the reveals are the
same and the door is plumb.
5.
Check the door jamb on the hinge side for plumb. If
the floor is not level shim one of the jam legs to
make the threshold level. If necessary readjust the
reveals by shifting the door and jambs sideway in
the opening to make the reveals as close to the
same as possible.
6.
After the door and jamb are positioned shim the
jamb at each hinge and at the lockset strike plate.
Nail the
shims in place by nailing through the jambs through
the shims and into the framing. Check that the door
swings to the open and close position smoothly.
7.
Using the finished nails, nail through the
brickmolding to secure the door frame to the house.
8.
Most door manufacturers provide long screws that
replace some of the shorter screws in the hinges on
the jamb. The top hinge is the most important place
to install one or two of the long screws. These
screws pass through the jamb and into the framing
and keep the door from sagging over time. That is how to install an exterior door. When the door is securely installed it is ready for the door hardware installation.
Related articles:
Replacing Door Knobs and Lock Sets
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