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What Does It Cost?
Building a custom door takes time and expertise. Pre-hung units cost a little less than custom units, but come with everything you need -- a door, hinges, jamb, stop and casing moldings, in one complete component.
Before you buy a pre-hung door,
measure the thickness of the
wall; plaster and drywall surfaces
call for different jamb widths. This
procedure applies to pre-hung door
assemblies that have a removable
casing on one side. With another
type- split jamb doors, the casings
are attached permanently on both
sides, but side and head jambs are
split down the middle. You install
half the unit into one side of the
wall, then install the other half from
the opposite side.
Align unit in opening with wood shims.
I would use two shims at the top,
three on each side of the unit. Don't
force the shims; if you do the door
won't close properly, or will close too
tightly. Make sure the head jamb is square and the sides are plumb. Shim wherever necessary before nailing. Drive in 2 1/2 -inch finish nails though the jambs and shims, then break off the shims tabs (the exposed shim parts). They cut easily with a utility knife if needed.
A door that does not fit snuggly against it's stop molding almost certainly will rattle. To silence it, move the strike plate or reposition the stop. If the strike plate is off only 1/8 inch or so, file the opening in the plate. You may need to chisel away some wood. For bigger shifts, relocate the strike. You will need to extend the mortise. Use thick cardboard to shim a strike that is too far away to engage the latch. Resetting hinges can cause this type of problem.
Before you buy a pre-hung door,
measure the thickness of the
wall; plaster and drywall surfaces
call for different jamb widths. This
procedure applies to pre-hung door
assemblies that have a removable
casing on one side. With another
type- split jamb doors, the casings
are attached permanently on both
sides, but side and head jambs are
split down the middle. You install
half the unit into one side of the
wall, then install the other half from
the opposite side.
Align unit in opening with wood shims.
I would use two shims at the top,
three on each side of the unit. Don't
force the shims; if you do the door
won't close properly, or will close too
tightly. Make sure the head jamb is square and the sides are plumb. Shim wherever necessary before nailing. Drive in 2 1/2 -inch finish nails though the jambs and shims, then break off the shims tabs (the exposed shim parts). They cut easily with a utility knife if needed.
A door that does not fit snuggly against it's stop molding almost certainly will rattle. To silence it, move the strike plate or reposition the stop. If the strike plate is off only 1/8 inch or so, file the opening in the plate. You may need to chisel away some wood. For bigger shifts, relocate the strike. You will need to extend the mortise. Use thick cardboard to shim a strike that is too far away to engage the latch. Resetting hinges can cause this type of problem.
Installing A Prehung Door
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Correcting strike problems. When a door will not latch, or if it rattles when latched, look at the strike plate attached to the jamb. Minor adjustments here probably will solve the problem.
Take a look at what happens when you try to close the door. Is the latch engaging the strike plate? If not, determine if the latch is too far from the strike or if it is hitting the strike but missing the hole.
Scratches on a good strike plate often provide a good clue as to how far it is out of alignment.
Take a look at what happens when you try to close the door. Is the latch engaging the strike plate? If not, determine if the latch is too far from the strike or if it is hitting the strike but missing the hole.
Scratches on a good strike plate often provide a good clue as to how far it is out of alignment.
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related video: install a prehung door
How to install a prehung door.
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