\u00a9 2020 wikiHow, Inc. All rights reserved. Metal door jambs come in two basic types: knock-down and welded. The door sill, or threshold, is the bottom portion of your exterior door frame. Once the frame is off the door, carefully pull the glass out of the frame to prevent it from falling out and breaking. This allows the frame to butt up against the masonry rather than wrapping around the walls. Your door should be 1/8 inch smaller than the frame in width, and 3/8 to 3/4 of an inch shorter than the frame depending on the height of the threshold or flooring. Reply. Brace the frame using 2-by-4s or a door jack system designed to support a steel frame. To install a door jamb, start by measuring the door frame and cutting the wood to size. Install the frame before the masonry work begins. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. Once masonry work is complete, the spreader bars and bracing can be removed from the frame. Use wire anchors to hold the frame in place. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. Be sure to choose a replacement door that’s configured the same way. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. An existing exterior door on your house may need to be replaced if: The wood has begun to deteriorate or rot. Keep in mind that installing a pre-hung door means you'll have a large hole in your home, so you should plan to complete your exterior door installation in less than a day. I would be tempted to cut off the rusty section ( grinder or multi tool ) and use builder's bog to refinish the area . Item Unit Cost Quantity Line Cost; Galvanized steel door: 36" wide x 80" tall, 24 gauge skin, foam core; 20-minute fire-rating; prehung, with standard lockset, all trim, hardware, and touch-up. Step 5 Use knock down steel frames for installation in drywall partitions. Install the remaining jamb by fastening it to the clips at the end of the header. The videos below demonstrate how to install doors and frames the right way. Fasten the tabs or clips at the top of the installed jamb to the corresponding clips on the header. Unlike residential pre-hung units, steel doors and frames are typically installed separately from one another. Install 1-inch wood spreaders every 36" inches as illustrated. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. These anchors should firmly hold the frame to the drywall but should not be over-tightened. Clean away the sealant from both the interior and exterior sides of the opening using your knife or a screwdriver. Put them at the top, middle, and bottom on each side of the door. Emily Beach works in the commercial construction industry in Maryland. Apply the filler with a putty knife, using thin layers to help the material adhere to the frame. If your door frame is damaged, the best thing to do is to replace it with a pre-hung door, which comes inside a pre-built frame. Hold a chisel with the bevel side up, horizontally at the side of the door. Steel Door and Frame Installation. People often blame the manufacturer when there are issues, when in fact the problem lies with poor installation. Read the instructions that come with your new door to see if there are any manufacturer-specific steps you need to follow. Add another set of marks across the top of the frame to represent a steel lintel that will support the load above the door. Loosen the hinge pins by tapping them with a hammer, then pull them out of place. Add shims behind the hinges as needed to level it out and help the door swing properly in the opening. Remove the door from the frame by removing the screws from the hinges. Use a level to ensure each piece of trim is plumb. This article was co-authored by our trained team of editors and researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness. A steel door and frame can be installed into any type of wall including drywall or masonry partitions. Doors come in standard sizes, so this shouldn’t be too difficult. Steel doors, which give you more security for garage and utility rooms than wood doors, usually come with a frame that's also made from steel. Otherwise, measure the pieces so you can purchase replacements. Check for plumb and square. Step 14: Replace the Casing and Cut the Shims "Step 15: Install A New Lock and Knob " 1 Measure and Prepare the Door Opening The first step you need to accomplish before you learn how to install an exterior door is that you must prepare the rough opening of the door, if necessary, and remove the new door and frame from their packaging. 5-7/8 inches to make sure it fits inches, which can be removed from the frame will have installed! 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