How to Replace the Sidelights in My Entry Door

Remove the trim surrounding the door frame on the interior of your structure to reveal the edges of the frame. Use a pry bar to pull the trim away. Slip the tip of the bar between the frame and the wall at the locations of the nails holding the trim in place. Apply a slight pressure to the trim with the bar, pulling it away from the wall and door. Work your way along the line of trim, pulling it slightly further away from the wall as you go past each nail until you’ve pulled the trim pieces free. Set the trim aside for reuse after the new frame is in place.

Measure the door frame from the gap outside the edges of the sidelights and across the frame with a tape measure. Measure the height of the frame from the threshold of the door along the bottom to the top of the frame. Measure the depth of the door frame as well, from the interior edge of the frame to the exterior edge. Finally, measure the door’s width and height if you wish to keep it and use with the replacement frame. Use these measurements to order a new door frame along with the types of sidelights you desire.

Remove the door from the door frame. Use a Phillips-head screwdriver to remove the hinges from the frame, and the pull the door inward off the frame and set aside.

Cut the nails or screws holding the door frame in place using a reciprocating saw with a blade capable of cutting through wood and metal. Run the blade of the saw through the gap at the sides of the door, going from top to bottom to cut through the fasteners. Run the blade through the gap along the top to cut through any fasteners located there as well. Pull the door frame out of the wall towards the interior of the structure to avoid damaging the exterior trim.

Set the new door frame with the sidelights attached into the area cleared of the previous frame. Tilt the frame into place, by placing the bottom of the frame across the threshold from the outside with the frame perpendicular to the opening, and then tilting it upward until the top of the frame is even with the top of the opening. Go inside while you have an assistant hold the frame in position, and then the two of you center the door in the threshold. Rotate the door in place and make any necessary adjustments to keep it centered in the wall and over the threshold. Place wooden shims at the gaps in the corners of the door frame between the door and wall to hold the door in place.

Drill two holes through the exterior trim at the top and bottom of the door where the trim overlaps the frame. Use a 1/8-inch drill bit for creating the holes. Double-check that the door is centered in position, and then nail two 16-penny nails through the drilled holes and into the frame with a hammer to hold the door in place, leave the nail heads sticking out slightly for later removal. Place finish nails through the exterior trim surrounding the frame and into the frame, leaving the nail heads sticking out as well. Nail through the bottom half of the hinge side of the door, then the top half of the hinge side. Repeat the process with the striker side, opposite the hinge side, Nailing the top half before the bottom half.

Place the door into the new frame, securing it using the old hinges and the screws you removed.

Fill the gaps between the door frame and the wall with wooden shims. Remove one screw at each of the door hinges. Secure the door into place by driving 3-inch screws through each of the vacant hinge holes, and three of the screws through the frame along the striker side of the door, placed about 4 inches from the top, and bottom of the door frame and at the middle.

Remove the nails that you left partially exposed from the exterior trim.

Replace the interior trim to cover the door gap. Nail the trim into place.