Your door is one of the most important parts of your home. It keeps your family safe and boosts curb appeal. But a high-quality entryway will only work properly if it’s installed correctly.
A Dallas handyman can install a new entryway to replace an old one or add one where there is none. This project requires some planning and preparation but isn’t impossible to do yourself.
Choose The Right Entryway
A new door installation can breathe fresh life into an old entryway, or add a pop of personality to a bare space. Maybe you need an interior Dallas door installation that matches the style of existing doors throughout your home, or a pair of French doors to bring light to a room where there’s no window.
Or perhaps you need a sturdy exterior door that can protect your home from intruders, and stand up to weather, wildlife attacks, and pest infestations. Whatever your priority is, a licensed handyman can help you find the perfect solution for your door installation project.
Measure Your Rough Opening
The “rough” opening is the behind-the-scenes structure that ensures your door hangs straight and seals correctly. It’s an essential step, so precision here can save you a lot of time and effort later on.
Measure the width and height of your rough opening. Always take each measurement twice. Walls aren’t perfectly straight, so a single number could mislead you. Leave 1/4 to 1/2 inch of space for shims. This extra space allows the installer to adjust the stud and wall framing on each side of the opening, ensuring a plumb, level, square fit.
Pre-Hang Your Entryway
When the door is pre-hung, it saves time during installation. You don’t need to make adjustments with a level or shims, as the frame and jambs are already aligned.
The most important consideration for a new entryway is likely security and durability. Perhaps you need something that can protect against home intruders or help keep out nasty pest infestations.
Energy efficiency is also a big factor for many homeowners. If you’re tired of paying high utility bills, a new entryway that prevents heat transfer will probably be helpful.
Test-Fit Your Entryway
If you have an old entryway that seems to be causing energy loss, new door installation may help prevent heat transfer and save on your monthly utility bills. A wood door will provide a good insulator, while fiberglass and steel doors are even better.
Perhaps your first priority is security, and you want a strong door that can resist home intruders as well as weather and pest infestations. In that case, look for an interior option that matches the rest of your doors or choose a contrasting style to denote a different purpose of the room it leads to.
Attach Your Entryway
When it comes to door installation, Dallas homeowners often have a lot of preferences and priorities. They may want an exterior entryway that provides security against intruders and keeps their homes sealed from harsh weather conditions, wildlife attacks, or pest infestations. They could also be interested in adding natural light to certain rooms while still being able to close off the space for privacy or study.
Energy efficiency is another important consideration if you’re installing a new interior entryway. The option you choose should be able to prevent heat transfer, which will cut down on the amount you pay on your utility bills each month.
Install Hinges
Choosing an interior entryway is not as critical as selecting one for your exterior doors, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take care to make sure it’s a good fit. If you opt for a wood door with a window, you’ll want to ensure the glass doesn’t transfer too much heat into your home, but even then, there are many other options for energy efficiency.
When fitting hinges, start by setting a marking gauge to the depth of the hinge cup mortise and scribe the edge of the cabinet side or door stile. Then, drill for screws with a Vix bit.
Check the Lock Side
Whether you’re working on a single interior door or a pair of French doors, you want your doors to look good. Interior doors don’t have to match your home’s exterior, but you may want them to be similar or contrasting to denote different purposes for the room they lead to. If you’re not sure which side is the lock side, tap down on either stile to find out; the one that sounds denser will be the lock block position. Ensure that the lock block is properly positioned so that the door can open and close as needed.