I am looking to install a single metal pre-hung door with threshold from the garage to the basement. Its technically an interior door but I assume its installed like an exterior door. I am fairly handy but I have never installed a pre-hung door.

Are there any tips or tricks? Get it square and centered, right? Sounds simple enough

Have a 2nd set of hands.

I did a prehung solid wood door, solo, and it was quite difficult.

Do the hinge side first and treat it like installing any another door. For me, pre-hung doors are easier to install but it makes it better with 2 people.

You have shims and know how to use them, correct?

This video shows that by screwing piece of 1x4s in the corners and towards the bottom on each side you can make it fairly easy for one person the install the door and in your case, prevent the door from falling down the stairs:

This message has been edited. Last edited by: trapper189,

I've hung several in my lifetime, pre-hung types. And none of them were 100% successful. My next door I'm calling a pro. They know all the ins and outs and unspoken and unknown gotchas, and make it work. I'm guessing a full time door man, a professional carpenter, or a trim carpenter. I wouldn't hire a handyman, unless he's a retired bona fide hands-on house builder.

The threshold will help you get it plumb
to your opening and then shim away. As said, get a hand.

The level is your friend

As said the threshold make the job much easier to get right. It probably has brickmold attached as well so it's just stick it in the hole, plumb, shim, and nail but screws are more forgiving.

quote:

Originally posted by P250UA5:
Have a 2nd set of hands.

I did a prehung solid wood door, solo, and it was quite difficult.

I would agree with that. I did some louvered doors that beat me up pretty bad. Heavy is hard to plumb solo unless you've done it a few times.

I've found that the degree of difficulty is highly dependent on how good the rough opening is framed. In my basement, whoever put in the original walls didn't frame the opening tall enough, so I've had to cut a bit off the bottom of every door. Also, some of the 2x4's on the hinge side were warped or bowed, making installation by one person impossible if you're trying to shim the door at the same time as fastening it.

Solution is to rip thin plywood and use that plus shims to plumb that side of the rough opening first. A six foot level is required. Then the door can be directly attached on the hinge side. Once that is done, level the top side, then plumb the latch side. Check often to ensure an even gap exists all around the door as you go. I also used #8 x 3.5" trim head screws instead of brad nails. If I make a mistake, easy to take them out and try again. Fill screw holes with joint compound and sand flush. YMMV.

I would just add that pre drilling through the shims is quite helpful especially if you’re hand driving nails. Also, the video didn’t show getting the jam plumb. That is a must or your door will swing open or closed and annoy you until the day you die.

You may need a fire rated door and if sheetrock is involved it may be 5/8 thick.
I have had better luck using a magnetic level and plumbing the door off the hinges than the jamb.
Use your shims at the base and very top of the door on both sides as a start especially if you are by yourself. This keeps it tight.
I hang doors by myself and its a pain so this is the method I use.
A finish nail gun helps along with a prybar.

I like the idea of using 1x4's as an extra set of hands. I will not really know what I am getting into until I get the old door out and see what existing framing looks like. Luckily this door is in the basement and will not visible to many.

Andy knows....

Captain Morgan,
Good point. There’s no guarantee the hinge insets are parallel to the jam edge.

Up by me, Home Depot stocks Jeld Wen doors. If you take the hinges off you will see that where the hinge sits is not flat but angled ever so slightly.
Also the door jambs are not 3/4 thick anymore the are 5/8 and I also think this makes it harder to plumb and square the door.

If you care about keeping this up to code, most garage-to-basement doors need to be fire-rated.

They cost more, they are heavy, and they have a little plate attached.

Local code states the minimum fire rating for the door in minutes.

Check your local codes.

Use shims between the 1x4 pieces and the door jamb to make the door jamb plumb if the wall isn’t plumb to begin with. I meant the video to be a demonstration of a way to make it easier for one person to install a prehung door, not as a comprehensive how to.

quote:

Originally posted by sig2392:
If you care about keeping this up to code, most garage-to-basement doors need to be fire-rated.

They cost more, they are heavy, and they have a little plate attached.

Local code states the minimum fire rating for the door in minutes.

Check your local codes.

And auto-closing. Like to latching, not kinda-sorta-mostly closed.

Get a pack of wooden shims, a plumb bob, and look for a "This Old House" video with Tom Silva about prehung doors.