One of the most important tips we can give any homeowner replacing a front, side or back entrance door is to choose only prehung doors. When we say prehung we mean the door is already mounted into the frame, so all you have to do is slide the entire frame into the rough opening.
The other option, and the one we don’t recommend at Nick’s Building Supply, is the use of a slab door. A slab door is just the door; you have to use the existing door frame or jamb or build a new one. The problems with this are obvious and include not only matching the grain of the wood and the color of stain, but also in ensuring everything is perfectly level and fits correctly.
House Shifts
The reality is as any house ages it settles and moves slightly. This results in slight changes to how square the door frame will be. You will often notice a slight difference in the gap between the top or bottom of the existing door and the frame caused by the movement of the home.
By using prehung doors, you don’t have to start out with a door frame that isn’t perfectly square. Instead, all you need to do is square the frame supplied with the door using shims, which is not a difficult process, and then you automatically have a door fitting perfectly in the frame.
Door Style and Design
With our prehung doors, you have a range of different styles and designs from which to choose. We offer everything from hand carved doors to contemporary designs to showcase the front of your home.
Our rustic doors, copper doors and our classic Knotty Alder and arched or round top doors are perfect for any home. Double doors are also very popular, and with our doors you can also add sidelights and a transom to match, creating a very unique look.
At our site or through visiting our showroom, you can even choose the type of glass you want in the door as well as the sidelights and transom. Since our doors are constructed in-house, customizing an existing door or starting from scratch isn’t a problem for our team.
While you can install prehung doors on your own, we recommend you work with your contractor or carpenter to get the door correctly installed. It is a relatively short job and within a few hours you will have your old door off and your new one on, instantly transforming the look of your home.