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Prehung Exterior Door Installation Print
Overall Skill Level: Intermediate
Exterior Door Installation Guide
Installation instructions for prehung exterior doors.
Steps
  1. Install the Door
    1. Clean rough opening
    2. Inspect sub-floor
    3. Inspect rough opening for square
    4. Fastening the Hinge Side Frame
    5. Prepare door unit
    6. Remove shipping nails
    7. Caulk sub-floor
    8. Caulk sill
    9. Caulk brickmould
    10. Lift door
    11. Plumb hinge side
    12. Shim hinge side
    13. Tack into place
    14. Shim side locations
    15. Shim head jamb
    16. Fasten hinge side frame
    17. Fasten lock side frame
    18. Re-check margins
    19. Adjust sill
    20. Test sweep seal
    21. Install drivepoint
    22. Install lockset
    23. Install strike plates
    24. Insulating the door unit
    25. Caulk brickmould
    26. Caulk Frame
    27. Caulk sill
    28. Caulk sill nose
    29. Check corner seals
    30. Remove excess shimming
    31. Add finishing trim
  2. Troubleshooting
    1. Has the unit been caulked?
    2. Is the weatherstrip in good condition?
    3. If the unit has an adjustable sill, has it been adjusted?
    4. Is the door bottom sweep in good condition and making proper contact with the sill?
    5. Make sure the prehung unit is installed plumb.
    6. Check the door for warp.
    7. Excessive gaps between the door and frame
Tools
  • 6' Level
  • 24" Square
  • Hammer
  • Screw Gun
  • #3 Phillips Screw Driver
  • Caulk Gun
  • Tape Measure
  • Safety Glasses
  • Gloves
Materials
  • Exterior Door
  • Shims
  • Caulk
  • 2 1/2" Wood Screws
  • Corner Seals (included with door)
  • Fiberglass Insulation
Install the Door
Skill Level: Intermediate
  1. Clean rough opening
    Clean the floor area around the door opening. If necessary, scrape off mortar or plaster spills. Double check the rough opening dimensions. The rough opening should be roughly 1/2" taller and 3/4" wider than the outside frame dimensions of the door unit.
  2. Inspect sub-floor
    Make sure the floor is level. If the sub-floor is not level it will adversely affect the rest of the installation.
  3. Inspect rough opening for square
    Inspect the opening for square by checking all four corners. make necessary corrections prior to installing the door unit.
  4. Fastening the Hinge Side Frame
    To inspect the opening for plumb check both walls with a level.
  5. Prepare door unit
    Remove all packaging materials from the door unit. This includes all cardboard and banding materials. Finally remove the installation plug.
  6. Remove shipping nails
    Remove the shipping nails from the door. These will not be able to be removed once the unit is installed.
  7. Caulk sub-floor
    Apply a triple bead of Silicone caulking to the sub-floor of the rough opening.
  8. Caulk sill
    Apply a second bead of caulking around the perimeter of the door sill.
  9. Caulk brickmould
    Apply a bead of caulking around the backside perimeter of the door's brickmould.
  10. Lift door
    Using two people, set the sill into the rough opening. Center the frame into the opening and tip the unit into place.
  11. Plumb hinge side
    Open the door and plumb the hinge side of the unit with a 6' level. NOTE: A door that is installed out of plumb is the most common reason for a door unit to leak air or water.
  12. Shim hinge side
    Place shims behind the top hinge of the door unit.
  13. Tack into place
    Tack the unit into place by removing one hinge screw from the top hinge and installing a 2 1/2" wood screw through the top hinge and into the rough opening. Note: We recommend the use of screws when installing your prehung unit. Screws allow you the opportunity for easy removal if adjustments need to be made to the installation.
  14. Shim side locations
    Moving the door frame as little as possible, carefully close the door unit. Once the door is closed, begin shimming the door unit. Place shims behind the middle and lower hinge locations and each of the three corresponding strike side locations.
  15. Shim head jamb
    Shim the door unit until the margin between the door and the head jamb is even and margin between the door and the strike jamb is even. The margin should equal about 1/8". NOTE: An even margin across the top of the header and down the strike side of the door will ensure that the door unit is square in the opening. Uneven margins will result in the door unit being out of square.
  16. Fasten hinge side frame
    Open the door carefully and re-check for plumb. Finish screwing the hinge jamb into place by removing one screw from the middle and bottom hinges and installing a 2 1/2" wood screw into those hinges at the shim locations into the rough opening. Install a second 2 1/2" screw into the top hinge to prevent the door from sagging.
  17. Fasten lock side frame
    Re-check plumb on the lock jamb. Install one 2 1/2" wood screw at the three corresponding shim locations along the rough opening. Carefully fold back the weatherstrip to conceal the screw head. The screw hole can be filled for a more finished look.
  18. Re-check margins
    Close the door unit and re-check the margin around the door unit, it should be even horizontally across the top of the header and vertically from the header to the sill. Make adjustments to the shimming as needed.
  19. Adjust sill
    If your prehung unit has an adjustable sill: Using a #2 phillips screw driver, adjust the set screw on the top of the sill crown to allow your door to operate properly.
  20. Test sweep seal
    A good test for the compression of the sweep on the sill crown is to close the door on a piece of paper. Pull the paper from between the sweep and the threshold. If the paper tears, the threshold is adjusted to high and it will prematurely wear out the sweep. If there is no tension on the paper, then there will be potential for water leakage.
  21. Install drivepoint
    To install the backset as a drivepoint system, simply follow the lock manufacturers instructions for converting to a drivepoint system. Hammer the drivepoint into place making sure the angled portion of the backset faces the jamb.
  22. Install lockset
    Using the manufacturers instructions, install the lockset.
  23. Install strike plates
    Install the strike plate on the jamb. Our jambs are mortised for a 1/4" radius strike plate. If the lock manufacturer has supplied a square plate, use a chisel to remove the excess wood material from around the corners of the plate. For doors that are bored for a deadbolt, install the deadbolt strike plate. If the door does not have a deadbolt install a plastic deadbolt cover plate.
  24. Insulating the door unit
    Before applying casing to the interior of your door unit you will need to insulate around the frame opening. We recommend using "Fiberglass Blanket Insulation" do not use expanding foam, it will affect the margin around the door unit.
  25. Caulk brickmould
    Caulk where the brickmould contacts the exterior wall.
  26. Caulk Frame
    Caulk where the brickmould contacts the frame.
  27. Caulk sill
    Caulk where the frame contacts the sill
  28. Caulk sill nose
    At the nose of the sill, where is contacts the sill plate.
  29. Check corner seals
    Make sure the corner seals are in place. If they have been removed during finishing, please make sure they are replaced.
  30. Remove excess shimming
    Remove all excess shimming by first scoring the shims and then breaking them off with a hammer.
  31. Add finishing trim
    Apply casing to the unit as desired
Troubleshooting
Skill Level: Intermediate
  1. Has the unit been caulked?
    Make sure that you have followed the installation instructions for finishing your prehung unit. Proper caulking of your prehung unit is critical for the proper performance of your unit. All joints must be caulked. Critical locations are under the sill, the backside of the brickmould, where your brickmould meets your siding, where your brickmould is attached to the frame, where your frame connects to the sill, and where the nose of the sill makes contact with your sill plate.
  2. Is the weatherstrip in good condition?
    Check to make sure that the weatherstripping runs the full length around the unit, making sure the door is making contact with the weatherstrip. If the weatherstripping is long enough but is not making contact, make sure that the weatherstrip is not pinched or damaged and is allowed to operate freely. Make sure that you have the corner seals in place. They will be located in the lower lock and hinge side of the frame.
  3. If the unit has an adjustable sill, has it been adjusted?
    If you have an adjustable sill, make sure that you have adjusted the sill properly. The clearance between the sill and the bottom of the door needs to stay consistent to the length of the door. Adjust the sill so that your door operates smoothly and is not difficult to open.
  4. Is the door bottom sweep in good condition and making proper contact with the sill?
    Inspect your door bottom sweep. Is the sweep centered and does it run the entire length of the door? Is the sweep damaged or worn? If the sweep is damaged or worn, make sure you have the two long screws applied in the top hinge to insure that the door will not sag in the frame.
  5. Make sure the prehung unit is installed plumb.
    This basically means that the lock-side frame and the hinge-side frame are twisted in the rough opening. The door must follow the plane of the hinge frame because of the three hinges holding the door to the frame. If the lock-side of the frame is not perfectly lined up with the hinge-side frame, the top or bottom of the door will appear to be extending into your home, giving the appearance of a warped door. You can check to see if your frame is twisted with a 6' level. Place your 6' level on the length of the hinge-side frame. Note where the bubble is lined up in the sight glass. Next, place the level on the length of the lock-side frame. Again, note the location of the bubble in the sight glass. If the bubble is not in the exact location between the level marks, it will be necessary to adjust your frame.
  6. Check the door for warp.
    The most accurate way to check a door for warp is with the string test. You will need a piece of medium to light gauge string. Take the string and wrap it over the top of the door. Pull the string tight to the bottom of the door. If your door is warped, it will show up as a gap between the string and the face of the door. Do not use levels. High line levels have a built in chamber that will give the door the appearance of being warped when it actually is not.
  7. Excessive gaps between the door and frame
    Make sure that the prehung unit has been installed tightly. Check the corners of your door frame, make sure the joints are tight where the frame meets the sill and the header. If gaps appear, add shims at the top and bottom of your unit to close the gaps.
Products, materials, techniques, tools, building codes and local regulations are subject to change; therefore, Midwest Manufacturing assumes no liability for omissions, errors or the outcome of any project. The reader must always exercise reasonable caution, follow current codes and regulations that may apply, and is urged to consult with a licensed professional before beginning any project.