How to Replace a Non-Prehung Exterior Door

Pre-hung doors are already mounted in their casings with hinges, so all you have to do is pop the units into the door opening. This often isn't an option with exterior doors, though, because they may not be a standard size and style. That means you will have to hang the door yourself, including insetting the hinges so the metal hinge plate surface is flat and even with the surrounding wood of the door and the jamb.

Screw gun
Hinges with hinge screws
Utility knife
1-inch wide sharp wood chisel
Hammer

Instructions

- 1
  Remove the old door by taking the hinges off the door jamb with a screw gun.
- 2
  Stand the new door on its front edge so the back edge is facing up at you.
- 3
  Lay a hinge on the back edge, about 8 inches in from the end of the door. Lay it so one of the two hinge plates is sitting on the edge, and the other plate, connected by the hinge pin, is hanging over the side that will face into the room. Make sure the position of the hinge isn't the same as the previous hinge on the jamb. So if the previous hinge was 8 inches down from the top, move the new hinge on the door edge so it will be above or below that.
- 4
  Trace a pencil around the hinge plate on the edge of the door. Move the hinge off.
- 5
  Cut around the trace line with a utility knife, making the cut about 1/8-inch deep. Chisel out the square with a hammer and chisel, making the whole square about 1/8-inch down from the surrounding wood.
- 6
  Set the hinge back in place so the surface of the hinge is at the same level as the surrounding wood surface. If the hinge is raised at all, remove it and chisel the area a little deeper.
- 7
  Secure the hinge by driving the hinge screws into the screw holes in the plate with the screw gun.
- 8
  Repeat for each of the other two hinges, putting one 8 inches from the other end of the door and the other in the middle.
- 9
  Stand the door in the opening. Use shims under the door to get it to the level it needs to be to clear the top and bottom enough to open. Press the hanging halves of the hinge plates up against the door jamb. Trace their positions with a pencil.
- 10
  Take the door out. Chisel out the traced hinge areas on the jamb as before. Stand the door back in the opening. Secure the hinges to the jamb with hinge screws.

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