Install entry door frame

This article was co-authored by Mark Spelman. With over 30 years of construction experience, Mark specializes in constructing interiors, project management, and project estimation. He has been a construction professional since This article has been viewed , times.

If you want to install a door in your house, you have to first frame the door opening to prepare it for the installation. With a ladder, some nails and a hammer, you're well on your way to outfitting your own rooms at a fraction of the cost. To frame a door opening, start by nailing the top plate through the ceiling or ceiling joists and the sole plate into the floor.

After that, you'll need to nail the longest boards in between the doorway and nail the smaller boards onto the bigger boards. Next, insert the header that will sit above the door and secure it by nailing the smallest boards between the header and the top plate. Finally, remove the sole plate by sawing through it at at the inside edges of the doorway. For more advice from our Home Improvement reviewer, including how to decide whether to build a door frame or buy one, read on!

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Decide whether to buy a frame or build one. Building your own door frame can save some money, provided you have the time, skills and tools to do the job correctly. If you are uncertain, it is usually much easier to buy a pre-made door frame assembly or prehung door unit. Usually such pre-made products are not much more expensive, and will save you time and potential headaches.

Know what lumber to purchase. Mount the casing of the door onto the wall framing. Use finish nails, and nail through the casing and shims and into the framing of the wall itself.

Do not attempt to nail into an area where there are no shims, because there will be an open gap between the door casing and the framing of the door frame itself.

You can fill in any open gaps with wood shims and nail the casing in place accordingly. Use an air compressor and finish nailer or a hammer and regular finish nails. Bob Vila's site suggests using trim screws as an alternative to the nails, because they can be removed if you make any errors that cause the door to shift during the final stages of installation.

The method shown here minimizes drywall work. Use a stud finder to determine the locations of your studs and plan the opening. Use a level to draw lines for the final rough opening and check for square, plumb, and level.

Cut out and remove the drywall. Editor's Tip: When picking lumber sizes, consider the door size. A 2x6 header is strong enough for a 3-foot-wide door opening. If you are cutting a larger opening as for a patio door , install temporary supports and use larger lumber.

After framing the opening the bottom plate will be cut and removed. Use a circular saw, then a reciprocating saw, to cut through each exposed stud in two places.

If you are confident of your measuring and cutting skills, you can cut the bottom of these studs to serve as the bottom of the cripples, but they must be cut straight and square.

Most homes have platform framing, with studs that span between a bottom and top plate. Some older homes have balloon framing, in which the studs travel up through the floor and the ceiling, with no plates. If you have balloon framing, you will need to cut the studs to the height of the floor joists that is, the bottom of the subflooring.

Also cut and install short cripple studs for each side and cut a piece of subflooring to fit. Pry away the studs and pull them off the bottom plate. For safety while you work, pound exposed nails out of the exterior wall or bend them. Then, mark the locations of king and jack studs.

Check that the distance between the jack studs equals the width of the rough opening. Assemble a king-and-jack-stud combination. You want to make sure that the door doesn't scrap the floor inside your house. If necessary, make adjustments by moving the jamb in or out, at the top or the bottom.

Secure door-jambs. Drive 3 inch 7. Secure the remaining jambs all the way around the door, always driving the screws or nails whatever is suggested by the manufacturer through the shims.

Verify occasionally that the door assembly is remaining properly adjusted. Install the lock strike, putting the screws through the shim. Install insulation. Finish the job by installing loosely packed, fiberglass insulation around the edges of the door frame. Install interior trim, following the manufacturer's instructions.

Apply paintable caulk along all of the joints and intersections of the trim and the brick-mold. Wear gloves, because you do not want to get caulk on your hands.

Ryaan Tuttle Home Improvement Specialist. Ryaan Tuttle. There are a lot of different styles of weatherproofing you can use for a door. Some go on the outside of the door. Some require a special tool that you use to cut a groove around the door slab so you can push a rubber gasket into it that goes all the way around the door. You can always add threshold weather stripping as well if you have a draft coming under the door. Not Helpful 2 Helpful 1. Install hinge shims to correct it.

They install under the hinge, just loosen the screws and insert. Not Helpful 3 Helpful 9. Is a metal flashing required under an exterior replacement pre-hung door threshold?

Yes, some type of flash should be installed. You can buy sill pan kitsch, or use metal flashing. Just follow the manufacturer's recommendations. Not Helpful 2 Helpful 4. A door should be able to swing around to degrees.

To avoid damage to the wall, use door stoppers. Not Helpful 1 Helpful 6. Yes, if the frame installed allows it to do so and there is adequate space for the door to swing open freely.

Not Helpful 2 Helpful Buy a replacement door to fit the opening or frame up the opening to fit the door you have. Not Helpful 6 Helpful If the floor is notched or not level, get a 2x8 or similar board to level it.

Not Helpful 2 Helpful 3. In my experience, backwards is always best as it lets less of a draft through. Not Helpful 6 Helpful 4. That's going to depend entirely on what's wrong with the door. If you have a specific problem, try looking up that specific issue to find instructions on correcting it. Not Helpful 3 Helpful 3. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.