Find 1 2 Green Exterior Screws @ Amazon.com
|
Installing an exterior door is one of the easiest of all door installations. Whether the door is installed in new construction or in a alternate situation, there are a few elements that make this an easy task. The greatest reason this is a simple operation is that these doors come prehung. What this means is the door is already hung in it is jamb. The hinges are mortised into the door and jamb and screwed in place. The door is kept in position by the hinge pins, leaving the perfective disclose around the door and the jambs top and sides. The holes are likewise bored for the lockset and if necessary, for the deadbolt too. Exterior doors come in wood, fiberglass, and the most popular, steel. The two sizes are ordinarily employed for exterior doors are 32″ and 36″. With the sizes of todays furniture and widgets the smart choice is the 36″ door. The general height for a door is 6’8″ but taller ones may be special ordered. The exterior trim comes nailed to the jamb. This trim, called brickmoulding, is mitred and already installed, saving the installer(s) another step. These doors also have an aluminum threshold already attached to the legs of the jambs. All these things make the door and jamb one united unit. The ordinary jamb size is 4 and 1/2 inches wide. With the demand for a higher insulation R value in exterior walls, 2×6 framing is being applied more frequently. Jambs to fit these walls, 6 1/2 inches, are getting more common. Jamb widths may be made to order for whatsoever a projects needs are and would cost more. To install an exterior door, basi check to see if the rough opening is correct. The width of the opening ought to be 2″ wider than the door itself (38″ for a 36″ door, 34″ for a 32″ door). For a rough opening height 83″ will suffice for most door manufacturers. Also check to see if the framing and floor is reasonably plumb. Door installation is having little impact with 2 people but may be done alone. Put the door in the opening from the outside. If you are working alone, tack the door to the wall through the brickmoulding, not driving the nails home. I like to use galvenized ring shank splitless nails that are used for cedar siding. They don’t split the wood and the littler heads are not as apparent to the eye. The ring shank feature gives them outstanding keeping power. With the door tacked in the opening, go to the inside of the door and check the reveals around the door. There ought to be when it comes to an eighth of an inch all around the door. Shim the jambs of the door so the reveals are right. Check the door jamb on the hinge side for plumb. If it is not plumb, then the floor is out of level. One jamb leg or the other will need to be shimmed so the threshold is level. Now readjust the reveals by moving the door and jambs sideways in the opening to a point where the reveals are right. Once the door and jamb are in position, shim the jamb at each hinge and at the strike, top and bottom on the strike side. Nail the shims in place by nailing through the jamb, through the shims and into the framing. Check the door swing to see if it opens and closes properly. If all is well, go outside and nail through the brickmould using the splitless nails to nail the door frame to the house. Most door makers provide long screws that replace a good deal of of the shorter screws in the hinges on the jamb. The top hinge is the most essential place to use one or two of these screws. Most doors come with an adaptable threshold. This may have to be adjusted up or down to develop an airtight seal. With the door securely in the opening, it is ready for door hardware installation. Mike Merisko (c) 2007 |
