Is it easy enough to install a pre-hung interior door?

Question

Never done it before.What should I watch out for?

Answer 1

20 - 30 min job. Things to watch; sides need to be plum, top needs to be level, don't "pull" the frame in by over-tightening the mounting screws, If possible, use shims on only one side of the frame.

Answer 2

You do realize if you remove the jambs you are talking materials and labor for the following: #1. New pre-hung door #2. New trim both sides #3. Labor to hang door #4. Labor to cut and install door trim both sides #5. Paint/Stain new trim #6. Paint/Stain new jamb and door. Or #1. Hang new slab only #2. Paint/Stain new slab. Yes, you would have to cut in the hinge pockets on all the doors. You can purchase a butt gauge which is a 3 sided plate with sharp edge that marks the hinge pocket location on the door edge. All you need is a quality 1" wood chisel, a utility knife and a hammer. Most of the time door frames are hung correctly and little work needs done on the door slab. Most door slabs come already bored for the knob - forget buying a jig for that. What you want is a hollow core door slab. Grades are mahogany (cheapest) then birch (middle of the line) and then oak. Paint grade comes primed. After doing 3-4 hinge pockets you will get pretty good at it. Being a first timer I guess it will take you about 4-5 minutes per hinge pocket at first. Then after several you will knock that down to 2-3 minutes. I have done so many of these it's hard to keep count. 99% are now pre-hung, but now and then a door gets damaged and the frames are sometimes stained and satin polyurethaned. It takes a lot of work to stain/seal the frame and trim - so I just hang a new slab. You can purchase a router and a hinge mortising jig - but you still have to mark the hinge location on the door edge, and by the time it takes you to clamp on the jig - run the router, remove the jig and clamp on the next hinge , get the router out,etc. then you put that jig in your garage and never use it again $$$$.

Answer 3

It is fairly easy, use shims and get the door hung plumb using a level. Sometimes need to trim off a portion of the bottom of the door, depending on your flooring. I use a straight edge clamped to the door panel to get a nice cut on my circular saw when trimming doors.

Answer 4

squarness, keep the door square, dont force the frame out or in, use wood shims, best to get some one that has had experiance to help you,
not too easy, but not too hard, to put one in,