Become a pro! | Install an interior door

With the explosion in the cost of materials and the shortage of labour, it is time more than ever to reclaim some maintenance or renovation work on your home. Become a pro and take action with tasks anyone can do.

Project

Installing a door and framing it is much easier than one might imagine. The most important thing is that it is installed straight, square and firmly anchored in the opening structure of the room. Although there are different ways to do it, follow the pro and then do the same at home.

In the first place

Generally, the rough opening for a door is 2″ wide and, depending on the type of flooring, 2″ lengthwise. These gaps leave room for the door frame and leveling. Adjustment materials are used (wood wedge, cedar shingles, piece of plywood, etc.). We will level each side.

There are different types of doors for different rooms in the house and then, of course, different prices and styles. First, there are hollow core doors and solid doors. Those whose center is empty are more economical and light. Those in solid wood, therefore denser, more soundproof, are, unsurprisingly, more expensive. They also require a solid and well-adjusted installation.

Purchasing a door with the handle hole, hinge gaps and strike in the door edge is much simpler.

To facilitate installation in the case of a new door, it is preferable to buy it in its frame. The framing will be machined for the hinges and the strike of the door handle. The door is temporarily fixed in its frame to facilitate transport and installation.

Each door manufacturer has its hinge standard. If you change doors, you will have to modify the hinge frame space.

How to do it

Before Installation

Check the measurements of the opening available for the door.

1. Using a level, check the squareness of the door opening structure and the level of the floor.

2. Adjust the shims to fill the space between the frame and the structure on the side of the hinges, exactly where the hinges are. Use the door to guide you. It is on this side that we find the load of the door. Pro tip: use plywood to make it strong and durable.

3. If necessary, cut the frame. In this case, there was a slight slope in the floor, we cut about 1/4 inch to plumb the frame. “It is generally more solid and interesting to support the framing on the ground rather than correcting with latex”, indicates Patrick Mathon, of Entreprises ICK

4. For a new door, remove the screws or shipping block to release the frame.

5. Make sure the space is straight, square, without snags (gypsum, plaster or other).

6. Slide the frame and its door into the space provided, then secure the door by nailing it. First position a first nail, which serves as a pivot, and nail. Then three or four nails around the hinge should be sufficient. The frame is installed on solid (plywood wedge and structural wood). Three to five nails are needed on the side of the handle on the adjustment shims so that it does not move. You will have to unscrew the screws of the hinges in order to tighten them in place.

7. Adjust with a shingle. Tip: adjust so that the door is well supported on its stop. Place the adjustment wedges on the same side to adjust the angle until tight. Place them in the strike area, they will be hidden by the hardware. Do not place support at the top of the door.

Last step

Cut the cedar shingles at the edge of the wall. Cut the wedges at a slight inward angle to prevent the cedar shingles from overhanging the drywall. When it’s time to install your moldings, everything will be right.