How to Install Interior French Doors

French doors are a popular addition to both the inside and outside of a home. They are made up of wood and glass panels, with the glass often extending the entire length of the door. Unlike traditional doors, they allow light to travel from room to room, brightening up the space and often making it look larger. If you'd like to install French doors in your home, choose pre-hung units for easier installation. This project can be completed using basic tools in just a few hours.

Things You'll Need

• Hammer
• Drill
• Tape measure
• Pre-hung French doors
• Sawzall or similar tool
• Nails or screws
• Level
• Wooden shims
• Joint compound
• Putty knife
• Paint and paintbrush

Instructions

1. Remove the existing doors. Start by prying away trim pieces or casing using the claw end of a hammer. Next, remove the nails or screws from each jamb using a hammer or drill. When all fasteners have been removed, tilt the entire unit down until it is lying on the floor. Slide it out of the opening and dispose of it according to the regulations in your town. If the unit is ornate or in good condition, consider donating it to a construction salvage facility.

2. Measure the dimensions of the rough opening. This is the width of the opening from the face of one stud to the face of the other, as well as the height from the floor to the top of the opening.

3. Use the dimensions you measured in Step 2 to help you purchase your new door. French doors can be purchased at a local hardware or home improvement store. To make this job easier, purchase a pre-hung unit, with French doors already hung on a frame.

4. Size your new unit carefully. For the easiest installation, select a unit that is the same size as the one you removed. If this is not possible, choose one that is slightly bigger. It will be much easier to cut drywall away then try to add it.

5. Unwrap your new doors and decide which way they will swing. You want them to swing so that the doors will have minimum interference into open space. This will be a unique decision based on the layout of your home.

6. Prepare the opening, if necessary. Use a Sawzall or similar tool to cut the drywall and widen the opening. Your opening should be about 1/4 inch wider and taller than your French door and frame unit.

7. Slide the new doors into the opening, bottom first. Try to visually center the unit in the opening. Place wooden shims behind the hinges, under the jambs or between the jambs and the studs as necessary to level out the unit. Use your level to double-check that the unit is level before processing.

8. Secure the frame by placing nails or screws every 8 inches along each jamb. The nails or screws you use should be long enough to penetrate both the jamb and the stud behind it. There is no need to place fasteners in the head of the frame. Also place nails into any wooden shims you used to hold them in place.

9. Install trim kits or casing to cover the gaps along each jamb. Use joint compound (Spackle) to patch the drywall around the opening as necessary, then follow with a coat of touch-up paint.