Doors and Windows - Pre-hung door install questions??
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jimbombo
08-27-05, 11:10 AM
First of all I am a newbie when it comes to any type of door install!
Please first let me tell you what I have done so far.
Last weekend my friend and I removed the front exterior door and storm
door as well as the jamb all the way to the rough opening. The Wooden
threshold was rotten, so that needed to be removed, the plywood floor
within the jamb area of the door was water damage also, so first thing we did was put a treated piece if 1x4 down for the pre-hung door threshold to sit on.
We then took off the brick molding(which I now know was a mistake) and then
fitted the door in the opening, we then made sure it was plumb and level,
as well as we could!! :) The door opens and closed OK the weather stripping
on the bottom of the door rubs the carpet inside the house when opening the door(interior opening door) but nothing major. We caulked the bottom of the threshold of the door, then secured it into place with shims, nails and screws
on the latch side of the door. about 4 or 5 sets of shims on either side of the door and 2 sets of shims on the top. We then used the yellow foam to fill in the gaps of the rough cut and jamb.
That's about where we are now. The plan to finish this is to first of all cut my
aluminum siding so we can fit the brick molding back onto the door, finish sealing with the yellow foam, then to caulk where the brick molding and siding lay against each other, cut a 2x6 to fit under the metal part of the threshold to support the threshold and door. then to rip some 1x4's to even out the jamb on the interior of the house, of course the wall is not even, so we can remount the interior molding.
My questions are??
1. Is the yellow foam insulation OK or should I remove and use pink fiberglass
to fill in the gap between opening and jamb?
2. Where the interior plywood floor and the 1X4 meet that I cut in place to support the threshold-there is a small gap about 1/8 to 1/4 inch should I use caulk or insulation to seal this gap?? Is this OK??
3. The shims that I have holding the door into place are in some spots 4 or 5 shims, is this OK or is this to many? Should I removed some of the shims
and put some 1x4's on the top and sides for added support?
4. As I first timer, does it sound like I am doing this OK??
Sorry about the length of this post, I am just worried because this is the first
time doing a exterior door in my brand new house!
Thanks all.
Please first let me tell you what I have done so far.
Last weekend my friend and I removed the front exterior door and storm
door as well as the jamb all the way to the rough opening. The Wooden
threshold was rotten, so that needed to be removed, the plywood floor
within the jamb area of the door was water damage also, so first thing we did was put a treated piece if 1x4 down for the pre-hung door threshold to sit on.
We then took off the brick molding(which I now know was a mistake) and then
fitted the door in the opening, we then made sure it was plumb and level,
as well as we could!! :) The door opens and closed OK the weather stripping
on the bottom of the door rubs the carpet inside the house when opening the door(interior opening door) but nothing major. We caulked the bottom of the threshold of the door, then secured it into place with shims, nails and screws
on the latch side of the door. about 4 or 5 sets of shims on either side of the door and 2 sets of shims on the top. We then used the yellow foam to fill in the gaps of the rough cut and jamb.
That's about where we are now. The plan to finish this is to first of all cut my
aluminum siding so we can fit the brick molding back onto the door, finish sealing with the yellow foam, then to caulk where the brick molding and siding lay against each other, cut a 2x6 to fit under the metal part of the threshold to support the threshold and door. then to rip some 1x4's to even out the jamb on the interior of the house, of course the wall is not even, so we can remount the interior molding.
My questions are??
1. Is the yellow foam insulation OK or should I remove and use pink fiberglass
to fill in the gap between opening and jamb?
2. Where the interior plywood floor and the 1X4 meet that I cut in place to support the threshold-there is a small gap about 1/8 to 1/4 inch should I use caulk or insulation to seal this gap?? Is this OK??
3. The shims that I have holding the door into place are in some spots 4 or 5 shims, is this OK or is this to many? Should I removed some of the shims
and put some 1x4's on the top and sides for added support?
4. As I first timer, does it sound like I am doing this OK??
Sorry about the length of this post, I am just worried because this is the first
time doing a exterior door in my brand new house!
Thanks all.
Boxarocks
08-28-05, 02:16 AM
It sounds as if you get a door hanging merit badge!
One issue which may or may not be a problem:
If the plywood floor is unsupported where you installed the 1 X 4, it will flex so much that it will delaminate.
One issue which may or may not be a problem:
If the plywood floor is unsupported where you installed the 1 X 4, it will flex so much that it will delaminate.
thezster
08-29-05, 08:54 PM
First of all I am a newbie when it comes to any type of door install!
Please first let me tell you what I have done so far.
Last weekend my friend and I removed the front exterior door and storm
door as well as the jamb all the way to the rough opening. The Wooden
threshold was rotten, so that needed to be removed, the plywood floor
within the jamb area of the door was water damage also, so first thing we did was put a treated piece if 1x4 down for the pre-hung door threshold to sit on.
We then took off the brick molding(which I now know was a mistake) and then
fitted the door in the opening, we then made sure it was plumb and level,
as well as we could!! :) The door opens and closed OK the weather stripping
on the bottom of the door rubs the carpet inside the house when opening the door(interior opening door) but nothing major. We caulked the bottom of the threshold of the door, then secured it into place with shims, nails and screws
on the latch side of the door. about 4 or 5 sets of shims on either side of the door and 2 sets of shims on the top. We then used the yellow foam to fill in the gaps of the rough cut and jamb.
That's about where we are now. The plan to finish this is to first of all cut my
aluminum siding so we can fit the brick molding back onto the door, finish sealing with the yellow foam, then to caulk where the brick molding and siding lay against each other, cut a 2x6 to fit under the metal part of the threshold to support the threshold and door. then to rip some 1x4's to even out the jamb on the interior of the house, of course the wall is not even, so we can remount the interior molding.
My questions are??
1. Is the yellow foam insulation OK or should I remove and use pink fiberglass
to fill in the gap between opening and jamb?
2. Where the interior plywood floor and the 1X4 meet that I cut in place to support the threshold-there is a small gap about 1/8 to 1/4 inch should I use caulk or insulation to seal this gap?? Is this OK??
3. The shims that I have holding the door into place are in some spots 4 or 5 shims, is this OK or is this to many? Should I removed some of the shims
and put some 1x4's on the top and sides for added support?
4. As I first timer, does it sound like I am doing this OK??
Sorry about the length of this post, I am just worried because this is the first
time doing a exterior door in my brand new house!
Thanks all.
1. yellow foam is fine... messy, but fine...
2. run a little caulking in there.
3. Probably could have "reframed with a 1X" but this isn't uncommon. As long as your nails go through the shims, you're fine
4. As a first timer, it sounds like you done good.....
Please first let me tell you what I have done so far.
Last weekend my friend and I removed the front exterior door and storm
door as well as the jamb all the way to the rough opening. The Wooden
threshold was rotten, so that needed to be removed, the plywood floor
within the jamb area of the door was water damage also, so first thing we did was put a treated piece if 1x4 down for the pre-hung door threshold to sit on.
We then took off the brick molding(which I now know was a mistake) and then
fitted the door in the opening, we then made sure it was plumb and level,
as well as we could!! :) The door opens and closed OK the weather stripping
on the bottom of the door rubs the carpet inside the house when opening the door(interior opening door) but nothing major. We caulked the bottom of the threshold of the door, then secured it into place with shims, nails and screws
on the latch side of the door. about 4 or 5 sets of shims on either side of the door and 2 sets of shims on the top. We then used the yellow foam to fill in the gaps of the rough cut and jamb.
That's about where we are now. The plan to finish this is to first of all cut my
aluminum siding so we can fit the brick molding back onto the door, finish sealing with the yellow foam, then to caulk where the brick molding and siding lay against each other, cut a 2x6 to fit under the metal part of the threshold to support the threshold and door. then to rip some 1x4's to even out the jamb on the interior of the house, of course the wall is not even, so we can remount the interior molding.
My questions are??
1. Is the yellow foam insulation OK or should I remove and use pink fiberglass
to fill in the gap between opening and jamb?
2. Where the interior plywood floor and the 1X4 meet that I cut in place to support the threshold-there is a small gap about 1/8 to 1/4 inch should I use caulk or insulation to seal this gap?? Is this OK??
3. The shims that I have holding the door into place are in some spots 4 or 5 shims, is this OK or is this to many? Should I removed some of the shims
and put some 1x4's on the top and sides for added support?
4. As I first timer, does it sound like I am doing this OK??
Sorry about the length of this post, I am just worried because this is the first
time doing a exterior door in my brand new house!
Thanks all.
1. yellow foam is fine... messy, but fine...
2. run a little caulking in there.
3. Probably could have "reframed with a 1X" but this isn't uncommon. As long as your nails go through the shims, you're fine
4. As a first timer, it sounds like you done good.....
larryg9651
08-30-05, 09:26 PM
Be careful which foam you use and how much you use. Some of them expand more than others, I've seen installations where the installer shot the cavity around the jambs full, then when the faom expanded during curing it actually bowed the jambs inward to the point that the doors and windows were siezed in place.
Larry
Larry