How To Hang a Door In an Existing Frame?

A door is a very important part of your house. It's the first thing people see when they come around. When properly installed, it will also keep you, your loved one, and your belongings safe. But sometimes they can become damaged, worn down, and even unusable, which means you have to replace them completely.

When this happens, you have two options. Call a professional or do it yourself. Thankfully, installing a new one is something you can do by yourself with the right tools and a bit of time on your hands. 

Follow these tips and learn how to hang doors in existing frame with a high degree of accuracy.

Tools You Need

Hanging a new door can be a fairly simple process, however, there are a number of tools that you need to get the job done. The most important items needed to hang door on existing frame are:

• Chisel
• Circular saw
• Combination square
• Hinges and screws
• Drill bit (for pilot holes)
• Hammer
• Hand plane
• Hole saw
• Pencil
• Saw horses
• Screwdriver

Now that we have our tools together, let's look at the steps involved in fitting new doors in old frames.

Remove the old door

The first step is to remove the old door. This can be done by removing the hinges and then removing the pivot pins that secure it to its hinges. Once you have it completely out of its frame, set it aside in a safe place or where you want to work.

Measure the old door to determine what size to cut the new door

Once you have removed the old door, measure it to determine its size and if there is a need to cut and trim your new one. You will also want to make sure that your new solid wood door slab is wide enough to accommodate all of your accessories, such as locksets, handles, and moldings.

Cut and trim the new door to the right size

After measuring, you need to cut and trim your new one so it fits in the frame. The new door should be cut and trimmed to the same size as the old one.

Mark the hinge position and fit the hinges

Hinges are important when installing new door in old frame because they allow you to adjust how far you can open or close your doors by moving them up or down in relation to each other. Mark where these hinges should be placed on both sides of the opening before installing them so that they'll line up properly once installed. You will also need to mark where you want your lock set and knob to sit.

Drill holes for the door knob and the lock set

Next, drill holes for the knob and the lock set. You need to drill a hole in each side of each corner of your slab so that you can mount a knob later on. Make sure that it is properly aligned with the existing strike plate on the frame (if you want to reuse it).

Then, drill another hole for your lock set. You can use a jig saw or a drill that is appropriate to the size of your door knob. Use a file if necessary to smooth off any rough edges.

Install the door accessories

After drilling all the necessary holes, you can go ahead and install all of your door accessories, such as handles and strike plates. It’s important that you install all of these items before hanging your doors because they must be in place before installation in order to ensure proper operation.

These include:

• Handles
• Strike plates
• Stops
• Jamb stop screws (if needed)
• Tower bolt
• Viewer
• Locks
• Stops
• Pulls
• Catches
• And so on.

Hang the door

Once the hardware is all in place, you're ready to hang new door in old frame! Make sure you align it properly before nailing it into place so that it fits snugly into its frame so that it doesn't warp over time.

Install your new door by following all manufacturer’s instructions and make sure all screws are lined up squarely with their respective holes when installed on both sides of your frame. There should be no gaps between any pieces when done properly!

Conclusion

For do-it-yourself enthusiasts out there, hopefully, this handy little guide has been able to teach you how to install new door in old frame.

Remember, the most important thing when hanging doors for interior or even external use is making sure that your existing frame will accept the new door you want to install. Also, you'll have to make sure that the side trim on your door (if present) matches up with the side trim on your existing frame. Otherwise, your new door won't fit properly and it will probably look completely out of place.

It's quite simple really, all you need is the right door slab from a reliable source like United Porte, a bit of time and effort, reading the steps above, and some recruiting friends to help with the lifting parts!