How to Install a Prehung Patio Door
Prehung doors are a modern twist on the old art of door installation, and one that puts the project within reach of the average homeowner. Instead of measuring and cutting a door to fit into an opening and then hinging it there, you just buy a unit that has the door already hung on its casing, and pop the whole unit into the opening at once. Patio doors and other exterior doors work in the same way, but it's important to insulate between the casing and the frame. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Prehung patio door unit
- Shims
- Level
- Hammer
- Power drill
- Pilot bit
- Screwdriver bit
- Long finish nails
- Razor knife
- Long hinge screws, 2 1/2 inches
- Spray foam insulation
- Wood trim
Instructions
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1
Remove the existing door, hinges and any trim or other obstructions, leaving you with an opening with smooth sides all around.
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2
Stand the prehung door unit in the opening. Make sure the front of the door casing is even with the exterior edge of the frame, so it forms a flat plane along the exterior of the house.
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3
Hold a level along one side of the door, and push shims into the sides until it reads level. Move the level to the other side of the door and double-check for level, inserting more shims as necessary. Continue until the unit is wedged tightly into the opening by shims on all sides (except the bottom), and reads level and plumb at all points.
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4
Take off the wood or plastic bracing that was holding the prehung door closed, so that you can get to the inner sides of the casing. Use the power drill and pilot bit to drill pilot holes 2 inches in from each side of the casing, and about every 2 feet up the length of the frame. Do the same on the other side of the door.
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5
Hammer long finish nails into each pilot hole to secure the door unit into the surrounding frame. Once it's secure, cut off the overhanging parts of the wood shims, using your razor knife.
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6
Reload the drill with a screwdriver bit. Remove the center screw on each hinge, on the side of the hinge that's connected to the doorway (not the door). Replace each center screw with a 2 1/2-inch hinge screw, sinking it all the way into the frame around the casing.
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7
Shoot foam insulation into the space between the casing and the surrounding frame of the opening (where the shims are wedged). Trim out the inner and exterior edges of the doorway in wood trim to cover the spaces.
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