An Ultimate Beginner's Step-by-Step Guide to Door Installation
Installing a door can be difficult, and if you have no experience with it, this project can turn into your worst nightmare. As a result, you must understand the proper steps to take for the job to succeed.
However, most people with some DIY skills should be able to do it if they know what they’re doing, have the right tools for the job, and take care to do each step right. So, if you’ve never installed a door before and want to know how to do it right, here’s a step-by-step guide you can follow, even if you’re a beginner!
Let’s get started.
What You Need for the Job
Before installing your door, you must know what tools and materials you need. So, to finish this project, you need the following:
Tools You Need
- Tape Measure
- Hammer
- Screwdriver
- Leveler
- Wood Shims
- Tie Bolts and Nails
- Saw and Drill
- Angle Grinder
- Cement Mortar
Materials You Need
- Door
- Frame
- Door Hardware
A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners on How to Install a Door
Installing your door by yourself is a fun thing to do. But before you do it, make sure you talk to your trusted door installation company so they can provide you with guidance. With that said, here are the steps you can take to install your door:
Step 1. Measure the Doorway Opening
Make sure to use a measuring tape to determine the doorway’s dimensions before buying a door. New York City’s standard door is 32 inches wide and at least 80 inches tall. If you think your doorway opening is too big or too small, you must modify the door and jamb.
You should also make sure that the doorway opening is straight, so you can be sure that the frame will fit perfectly.
Expert tip: It’s always smart to measure your doorway opening and write down the measurements in a note. You can show it to the door store to ensure you get the right door and frame.
Step 2. Check and Level the Sill
Sometimes, measuring the doorway opening isn’t enough. Make sure to check the sill to ensure it is level so that your door will open and close easily. Use the leveler to see if the sill is leveled.
If the floor isn’t level, you can use the wood shims to raise the leveler until it is. Find out how high the space is between the leveler and the floor. The size of the gap is how much of the bottom of the frame you’ll need to remove so the door can function properly.
Expert tip: When trimming the frame, you can use the saw to trim the parts you don’t need manually. This gives you more control so that you can cut with more accuracy.
Step 3. Place and Secure the Frame
After measuring, leveling, and cutting, it’s time to put the frame into the doorway opening and secure it. Use the wooden shims to keep the frame in place. This is a crucial step, so you must carefully insert shims in the gaps along the door jamb to keep it in place.
After ensuring the frame is straight, level, and held firmly, you can screw it into place. You can put screws in each place where the shims are to give them extra strength and hold.
Step 4. Install the Door and Test It
After securing the frame, you can now proceed with installing the door. Screw the hinges into the jamb and then into the door. Make sure you tighten the screw on the hinges while doing so. Test the door and see if it opens and closes properly.
Sometimes you can have trouble getting the hinges to line up with the door, which will prevent the door from opening and closing smoothly. If this is the case, gently loosen or tighten the screws and work through them until you have the perfect gap.
Step 5. Install the Door Hardware and Finish Up
Once you’ve finished installing your door, you can then install the door hardware. Drill a hole for the doorknob and the bolt, then install the hardware afterward. Test the doorknob to see if it’s working well, and finish up.
Get Professional Help for Door Installation in NYC!
Whether you live in Brooklyn, NYC, or one of our nearby service areas like Manhattan, or Queens, you can trust the team of experienced door installers at Matadoor Security Services for a wide range of services like expert residential, automatic, and commercial door repair, maintenance, and installation. Our crew went through a screening process with a program that checks their background, so you can be sure that we will always be polite and professional.
Need help with your door installation job in NYC? Call us at 929-539-8048 to set up an appointment today. We can help you with a wide range of door services in NYC.