Installing an Entry Door

Prepare the rough opening, if necessary, and remove the new door and frame from their packing.

Leave in place the retaining brackets that hold the door closed while you’re working on it. Measure both the door and rough opening to make sure the door is the right size.

Test-fit the door and frame, centering them in the rough opening.

Use a level to make sure the door is plumb. If necessary, shim under the lower side jamb until the door is plumb. Adjust as necessary to keep the doorjambs square with each other. Double-check to make sure the door is centered.

Trace the outline of the brick molding onto the siding.

If you have vinyl or metal siding, be sure to enlarge the outline to make room for the extra trim required. Remove the door and frame after finishing the outline.

Put on your safety glasses and cut along the outline down to, but not into, the sheathing.

Start the cut with the blade clear of the siding, and then lower the moving blade into it. Stop just short of the corners to prevent damaging the siding that will remain. Finish the corners with a sharp wood chisel.

To provide a moisture barrier, cut a piece of drip edge to fit the width of the rough opening,  then slide it underneath the siding at the top of the opening. Do not nail the drip edge.

Check the fit of the door and enlarge the opening as necessary.

Remove the door and apply several thick beads of silicone caulk to the bottom of the doorsill. Caulk underneath the spots where the bottom of the jamb and brick molding will be.

Center the door unit in the rough opening and push the molding tight against the sheathing.

Check that the doorjamb on the hinge side is plumb; shim underneath it as necessary to correct any problems. Temporarily screw the hinge jamb in place by driving two #8 3-inch drywall screws through it: One about 2 inches above the top hinge and the other about 2 inches from the center hinge. Loosen the screws if necessary to bring the jamb back into plumb.

Go inside the house through another door and place pairs of wedge-shaped cedar shims together to form flat shims, and insert them into the gaps behind the hinges and between the jamb and framing to stabilize the jamb. Cedar shims are preferable to pine because they are more weather-resistant.

Remove two of the screws on the top hinge and replace them with long anchor screws (usually included with the unit). These anchor screws will penetrate the framing members to strengthen the installation. DO NOT use longer screws than the manufacturer calls for on doors with sidelights—the screws might break the glass.

Anchor the brick molding to the framing members with 10d galvanized casing nails driven every 12 inches. Use a nail set to drive the nailheads below the surface of the wood.

If your door has an adjustable threshold, adjust it for a tight seal as directed by the manufacturer.

NOTE: If you make it too high, it will make the door difficult to open and eventually could damage either the door or the weather stripping.

Cut the shims flush with the framing using a utility knife.

Apply paintable caulk around the entire door unit.

Fill all nail holes with caulk. Finish the door as directed by the manufacturer.

Replace the casing on the inside of the doorjamb.

If the trim was damaged during removal, cut and install new casing.

Install a new lock.

First, insert the latch through the hole for it in the door. Then insert the lockset tailpieces through the latch bolt, and screw the handles together by tightening the retaining screws.