Installing an Interior and Exterior Door

Installing an Interior Door

This section provides step-by-step instructions for installing a pre-hung and pre-finished interior door. While these guidelines are designed to assist in a successful installation, Sun Mountain assumes no liability for the installation process and strongly recommends consulting a professional contractor for the best results. 

Skill Level: Intermediate – this project requires solid understanding of basic carpentry skills, proper tools, and attention to detail.

Step-By-Step Instructions

1. Place the pre-hung door and jamb unit in the rough opening. Center the unit so that equal spacing exists between the unit and the wall studs or wall structure on each side.
   
2. Shim the hinge side of the door. Shims should be used to fill the open space between the door jamb and wall stud on the hinge side of the unit. Place shims between the door unit and wall stud at each hinge location.
   
3. Temporarily secure the door in the opening. Ensure that the door unit is flush with the face of the sheet rock, front and back. Pre-drill a hole through the door stop at the top hinge shim (or, as desired, remove the adjustable stop and pre-drill through the jamb behind the stop). Nail one 2-1/2″ finishing nail in this hole to temporarily hold the door in place.
   
4. Verify that the hinge side of the door is square and plumb. Using a 6′ level placed on the front face of the hinge side of the jamb, verify that the jamb is square. Adjust the middle and lower hinge shims until the bubble on the level is exactly in the center. After the hinge side of the jamb is square, check for plumb on the jamb. Rotate the level so it is sitting flat along the front edge of the hinge side of the jamb. Again ensure that the associated bubble on the level is exactly in the center.
   
5. Secure the jamb on the hinge side. Once the hinge side of the jamb is square and plumb, pre-drill holes through the stop at both the center and bottom hinges (or, as desired, remove the adjustable stop and pre-drill through the jamb behind the stop). Nail 2-1/2″ finishing nails through these holes to secure the hinge side of the jamb in place.
   
6. Shim the strike side of the door. Shim the strike side (latch side) of the door unit, placing shims at the top, center, and bottom of the unit between the jamb and wall stud.
   
7. Verify the strike side of the door is square and plumb. Using a 6′ level placed on the face of the strike side of the jamb, verify that the jamb is square. Adjust the middle and lower strike side shims until the bubble on the level is exactly in the center. After the strike side of the jamb is square, check for plumb on the jamb. Rotate the level so it is sitting flat along the front facing edge of the strike side of the jamb. Again ensure that the associated bubble on the level is exactly in the center.
   
8. Secure the jamb on the strike side. Once the strike side of the jamb is square and plumb, pre-drill holes through the stop at both the center and bottom of the strike side of the jamb (or, as desired, remove the adjustable stop and pre-drill through the jamb behind the stop). Nail 2-1/2″ finishing nails through these holes to secure the strike side of the jamb in place.
   
9. Verify width measurements. Using the tape measure, verify that the distance between the hinge jamb and strike jamb is the same at the top, center, and bottom of the jamb. Carefully remove temporary nails and add or remove shims to adjust for equal distance at each position. Replace temporary nails after adjustment.
   
10. Shim the header (top) of the jamb. Place shims in two equal positions on the top of the door unit, between the header (top) of the jamb and the wall stud above. Adjust the shims until an even margin (called the “reveal”) exists between the door and the jamb across the top of the door.
    
11. Secure the jamb header (top). Pre-drill holes through the door stop in the location of each of the two shims on the header (top) of the unit (or, as desired, remove the adjustable stop and pre-drill through the jamb behind the stop). Nail 2-1/2″ finishing nails through these holes to secure the jamb header in place.
    
12. Verify the reveal. Close the door and check to ensure that equal spacing exists between the door and jamb at the top and along both sides (again, called the reveal). Adjust shims at any position until equal spacing is achieved. (Replace all adjustable stops, as needed).
    
13. Secure the unit with additional finishing nails. After verification of an even reveal, a second set of nails is needed to secure the jamb. Open the door and, on the hinge side of the jamb, place a second 2-1/2″ finishing nail next to the stop but on the narrow side of the jamb, for each of the three shim positions. Repeat this on the strike side of the door jamb. When all finishing nails have been installed, use a nail to counter sink the heads of all finishing nails.
    
14. Replace center screws on the hinges. Once the second set of finishing nails is in place, remove the center hinge screw(s) from the top hinge where the hinge secures to the jamb (not where the hinge is attached to the door). Replace the screw(s) with a 2-1/2″ screw(s). Repeat this step on the center and bottom hinges (again, jamb side of the hinge only).

The interior door is now installed, and case moulding (if applicable) can be installed.  

Installing an Exterior Door

For exterior door installation, Sun Mountain strongly suggests that do-it-yourselfers consult a professional contractor.