FIBeRGlASS & Steel
entry Door Systems
InstALLAtIon & fInIsHInG GuIDELInEs
Prehung Installation Guidelines for Non-Structural Performance
Read complete guide before beginning.
Tools needed:
• Level • Tape measure • Hammer
• Safety glasses • Phillips screwdriver • Nail set
• Caulking gun • Square • Rubber gloves
Do not set nails. Place one nail
or screw (centered in the jamb)
approximately 2" above the bottom
hinge and one 2" below the top
hinge (Fig. 6). Loosely fasten through
the jamb and into the stud.
• Power drill and 1/8" drill bit
BOTTOM HINGE
6. From the inside, level and shim the
Materials needed:
hinge jamb. Place shims behind each
hinge (Fig. 7). Be sure the hinge jamb is
level in both directions and is square in
the opening.
Fig. 6
• Lockset • shims • caulking • sandpaper
• 10d galvanized casing or finish nails or #8 x 3" and #8 x 2-1/4" drywall screws
• Paint or stain
To determine door swing (left or right), face the closed door from the
outside (the side where hinges cannot be seen). Open the door. If the door
swings away from you to your left, it is a left hand swing door. If the door
swings away from you to your right, it is a right hand swing door.
7. Level, square and shim the latch jamb.
Place shims in at least three locations
between the jamb and the stud.
Fig. 7
HEAD
JAMB
BRICKMOLD
HINGE
Temporarily fasten the latch jamb
approximately 2" from the bottom and 2"
below the top of the jamb with two 10d finish nails (or two #8 x 3"
drywall screws if the jamb is to be painted). Do not set the nails. Do
not shim or fasten the top of the jamb to the header on a single door
unit. If a sidelight is to be used, shim and fasten the top of the unit
where the sidelight joins the door jamb.
JAMB
RAIL
STILE
RAIL
STILE
THRESHOLD
After rechecking the hinge jamb to be sure
it is still level and square, securely fasten
the hinge jamb in place by setting the two
nails or screws installed earlier. Add an
additional nail or screw centered between
the first two. Remove any pre-hanging
clips (Fig. 8). Be sure the door opens freely
and that the space between the door
and the jamb is even on all sides. Be sure the weatherstrip meets the
door evenly and seals on all sides. Adjust if necessary. If adjusting is
necessary, loosen or remove the latch jamb fasteners and adjust the
latch jamb until there is even contact with the weatherstrip.
Fig. 8
8. Make sure the door sweep contacts
Fig. 2
the threshold evenly. You can adjust
the threshold contact by adjusting the
squareness of the door unit or, if an
adjustable threshold is used, by turning the
adjustment screws on the threshold (Fig. 9).
Fig. 9
9. Re-check for smooth door operation and
even spacing between the door and jamb. Secure the latch jamb in
place with two more 10d finish nails or #8 x 3" drywall screws. Place
the nails or screws evenly between the first two already in place and
fasten through the shims and into the studs.
10. Install four #10 x 2-1/4" wood screws
Fig. 4
through the hinge jamb and into the studs;
two into the top hinge in the holes closest
to the weatherstrip; and one each into the
other hinges in the top hole closest to the
weatherstrip (Fig. 10). You may need to
remove the screws supplied with the hinges
to insert these longer #10 x 2-1/4" screws.
Fig. 10
11. If you have a double door unit to install or
a door unit with sidelights, some additional
fastening is required. Double doors should
be fastened through the top of the door
jamb into the door header with two 10d
finish nails or two #8 x 3" drywall screws
(Fig. 11).
PARTS OF A DOOR SYSTEM
1. For most installations, the rough framed
opening (the distance between studs
on the right and left and the distance
between the header and the sub-floor)
should be 2-1/4" wider and 3" taller
than the door itself (not including the
door jamb Fig. 1).
2. Steel and Fiberglass doors are generally
1" shorter than wood, so the rough
framed opening may be somewhat
shorter. Also, most door units use a 1-1/4"
high threshold which provides adequate
clearance for both carpet and pad. If your
threshold is higher or lower than 1-1/4",
the rough framed opening may need to
be adjusted.
Check the rough framed opening to be sure
it is level and square and not twisted (Fig. 2).
Minor out of level conditions can be corrected
with shims during installation. If the opening is
badly twisted (not plumb), you may need to
repair this condition before proceeding.
3. If your prehung door is fastened in the closed
position with a duplex nail or removable
plastic plug, remove these along with the
packaging and crating. NO TE: If your door
unit has pre-hanging clips (Fig. 3), do not
remove them until instructed to do so. These clips
hold the door system aligned and closed
during installation.
4. Put a generous bead of caulk along the
outside edge of the sub-floor and another
generous bead of caulk 1/2" in from the first
(Fig. 4). Be sure caulking beads seal the threshold
and sub-floor to prevent the infiltration of
moisture.
5. From the outside, tilt the entire prehung
door unit into the center of the opening (Fig.
5). Make sure the sill is in contact with the
caulking and that the hinge jamb is level.
Temporarily fasten the jamb in place with two
10d finish nails (or two #8 x 3" drywall screws
if the jamb is to be painted instead of stained).
RAIL
SWEEP
LATCH
JAMB
Fig. 1
Fig. 3
Fig. 5
Fig. 11
Without the correct overhangs, doors with a southern, southwestern, southeastern or western
exposure will require frequent maintenance. They're also susceptible to performance problems,
such as rapid finish deterioration, color fading, wood splitting, warping, moulding shrinkage, wood
joint seperation and water penetration between mouldings, panels and glass. Improperly protected
doors with high gloss and dark stain or paint colors are also susceptible to large temperature differences (e.g., the door's surface is 30 degrees higher than the ambient temperature) and temperature
jumps (e.g., hot in the day, cold at night). Doors used in these applications or exposures will not
be covered under warranty.
Also, a door used in combination with a storm door can cause warping, splitting or cracking due to
build up between the two doors. Unvented storm door applications are not advised and may result
in denial of warranty claims.
B134
