How to Install an Exterior Door Unit
Exterior door units or pre-hung doors are a high-end option for door replacement. These units range in price from $1100 to $3000. Although these units come at a hefty price the amenities of these units outweigh the price. As statistic show these units are more weather resistant than other models and most come with warranties that outlast conventional doors. More importantly installation of these units is simplistic and does not require carpentry skills.
- Exterior door unit with hardware
- Box cutter
- Measuring tape
- Pencil
- One box of 16-penny nails
- One box of deck screws
- One box of finishing screws
- Caulking gun and one tube of caulking
- Miter saw
- Utility knife
- Open the packaging enclosing the exterior door unit using a box cutter.
- Separate the hardware into easily accessible piles.
- Place the door in a safe location within close proximity of the door entry.
- Measure and mark the center of the doorframe using the measuring tape and the pencil.
- Position the shims into the doorjamb header.
- Secure the shims and the doorjamb header with a 16-penny nail.
- Position shims behind the hinged area of the doorjamb.
- Ensure that the hinged area of the doorjamb is level using the level.
- Position shims underneath the area where the doorjamb connects to the door stud.
- Secure the shims and doorjamb to the hinged area of the doorjamb by driving a 16-penny nail into both the top and bottom portion of the hinged area.
- Repeat steps 9 and 10 for the knob side jamb.
- Ensure that the exterior door unit is completely open.
- Secure the threshold by driving deck screws into each pre-drilled hole in the plate.
- Install shims into all remaining doorjambs. Secure the shims to the studs using 16-penny nails.
- Secure the jamb header using finishing nails. Repeat this step for the door molding.
- Apply caulking onto the finishing nails installed in step 15.
- Apply caulking between the door stud and the doorjamb from the door's interior side.
- Prepare the door casing for installation. Using the miter saw create 45-degree angles at one end of two door casing portions.
- Secure the door casings to the jamb header's edges along each side.
- Trim the top portions of the installed door casings using the utility knife. Secure the door casings with finishing nails.
- Apply caulking onto the finishing nails installed in step 20.