Exterior door installation, like many other home improvement projects, can feel overwhelming. It's best to hire a home improvement professional to help you choose and install your exterior doors. However, if you do have the necessary skills to complete your exterior door installation on your own, here are the basic steps to help you complete this project.
A new exterior door can spruce up your entire home. | @ fotolia.com / crin
How to Install Exterior Door
Most exterior doors are pre-hung, which means that the door comes already mounted on a new doorframe, with its hinges installed and the lockset and deadbolt holes pre-bored for a standard exterior door installation.
Before purchasing a new pre-hung door, be sure to:
1. Remove the interior trim around the existing door.
2. Measure the height, width, and depth of the door opening. Your new door should be 1/2 inch less than the height of the rough opening and 3/4 inch less than the width of the rough opening.
3. Determine which way your door opens.
4. Choose the style and kind of material you need for your new exterior door. Most exterior doors are wood, steel, or fiberglass–check out our exterior door replacement guide for more information about the different materials and styles. Once you choose your door, read the exterior door installation instruction. These manufacturer's instructions will be slightly different for storm door installation, screen door installation, security door installation, sliding glass door installation, and other styles of exterior door installation.
5. Remove your old door, including its exterior trim for re-installation on the new doorframe. Some door frames come with the exterior trim already attached, and if this is the case you can discard the old trim. Remove insulation surrounding the doorframe. You might need a friend or a professional to help you remove the old door and lift your new door into place.
6. Use a hammer and nail or a screwdriver to remove the hinge pins and detach the existing door from the hinges. For most hinges, you should insert the nail set in the hole at the bottom of the hinge pin and strike it upward with the hammer until the pin comes out.
7. Once the door is off the frame, remove the hinges from the doorframe.
8. Remove the screws or nails that attach the sill and jamb to the house frame. It's important to wear safety glasses and to take care not to damage the house frame studs during this step. Remove the old door frame.
9. To install your new pre-hung door, dry-fit the new door in position to make sure it fits and that the door will clear your home's floor.
10. Finally, follow the manufacturer's instructions for the rest of your exterior door installation project.
Other Types of Exterior Door Installation
There are several styles of exterior doors that require slightly different steps for their installations. For storm door installation, screen door installation, security door installation, and sliding glass door installation, be sure to check the manufacturing instructions. Again, it's always best to hire a home improvement professional to help you complete your exterior door installation smoothly, correctly, and in a timely manner.
Check out HomeAdvancement's database of local professionals to get started with your exterior door installation project.