Install Dynamite Doors

Changing your interior doors can give the inside of your home a whole new look. On today's show, we'll tackle two installation projects: installing a pre-hung interior door and installing a bi-fold closet door.

Materials

new door(s)
screwdrivers
drill with bits
level
pry bar
nail set
hammer
utility knife
measuring tape
pencil
staining or paint supplies (optional)
scrap wood and cardboard
shims
safety glasses

1. First remove the hinge pins using a nail set and hammer. Then lift the old door out.
2. Unscrew the hinges from the jamb and remove the strike plate. Be sure to wear safety glasses to protect your eyes.
3. Using a utility knife, score any caulk between the molding and the wall to break the seal (figure A). Then with a pry bar and hammer, carefully remove the door trim. You can protect the wall by placing a piece of scrap wood under the pry bar, if needed.
4. Remove all the remaining nails from the jamb. Pry away the doorjamb and remove any remaining nails.
5. To calculate the exact dimensions, measure the width between the side studs and from the header to the floor.
6. Also take measurements of the thickness of the wall (figure B). The rough opening should be at least 2" wider and 1" taller than the outside frame dimensions of the door. This will allow room to adjust the door if necessary.

7. Decide if you want a left- or right-handed swing, as well as an outward or inward swinging door. Your door should swing into the room against the nearest wall to minimize taking up living space.
8. Removing the cardboard packaging and side bracing and carefully pull the unit apart (figure C).
9. Place the pre-hung door assembly in the rough opening, centering the door between the jambs (figure D). Use a level to check for plumb.

10. Make sure the clearance between the door and doorframe is the same distance at the top and sides using a cardboard spacer (figure E).
11. Carefully reset the pre-hung door assembly into the rough opening and remove the door brace (figure F). Place cardboard spacers at the top and along the sides of the door opposite of the hinges.

12. Using a level, plumb the door and nail the casing to the framing.
13. Open and close the door to make sure you have proper clearance for the floor.
14. Add shims behind the hinge side first. With the shims in place, nail through the jamb and shims into the framing (figure G) and break off the excess of the shim. Then add shims to the other side of the door in the same manner.
15. With the shims in place, check the operation of the door again.
16. Put the other side of the casing in place and attach it to the framing.
17. Insert the latch in the hole and tighten it with the supplied screws (figure H).

18. Align the exterior and interior knob on the door and tighten the connecting screws (figure I).
19. Install the strike plate in the doorjamb and secure it with screws (figure J).
20. Test the door to make sure it works properly, then prime and paint or stain it to your liking.

For Bi-Fold Doors

3. Measure the width and the height of the opening to determine the proper size door to buy.
4. Holding the new track in place, mark the doorjamb through the screw holes (figure M) and drill pilot holes in the frame at the marked locations (figure N). Don't forget to wear safety glasses when drilling.

5. Place the track on the header frame and attach the track by driving in screws through the pilot holes (figure O).
6. Attach the jamb brackets to the floor (figure P).

7. Attach the mounting hardware by lightly tapping the pivots into the pre-drilled holes with a hammer (figure Q).
8. Tighten the set screws to anchor the door's top pivot (figure R).

9. To hang the doors, fold them and insert the bottom pivot into the bottom bracket first (figure S). Tilt the doors toward the center of the opening and slide the top pivot guide to the center of the track (figure T).
10. Mark the location for the knobs and drill the holes through the doors.
11. Push the bolts through the back of the door and screw the knobs to the outside of the doors.
12. Open and close the doors to check the clearance.