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How to Replace Non Pre-Hung Interior Doors

You can choose to purchase either a door already mounted in the jamb, known as a pre-hung door, or the slightly cheaper option of a slab door. Many slab doors come with the doorknob and latch holes already drilled out. However, if you look along the door's edge, you will notice it does not have any mortises to mount the hinges in. It is up to you to properly mount the hinges on the slab door and hang it between the jambs so it opens and closes properly.

Things You'll Need

  • Drill
  • Phillips head bit
  • Table saw
  • Tape measure
  • Utility knife
  • 1 1/2-inch chisel
  • Hammer
  • 1/8-inch drill bit
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Instructions

    • 1

      Lay the new door on a workbench. Back out the screws that secure the old door's hinges to the door's edge then lay the old door on top of the new door. Line up the old door's doorknob hole with the new door's doorknob hole.

    • 2

      Trace around the old door's edges to transfer its size to the new door. Set the old door aside. Use a table saw to cut the new door along the lines you just traced onto it. Lay the old door back on top of the new door and line up all four edges. Mark the hinge locations on the old door's edge to the new door's edge.

    • 3

      Measure the width of each hinge mortise on the old door's edge. Transfer this measurement to the new door's edge, measuring from the door's exterior edge corner toward the interior edge corner.

    • 4

      Back out the screws that secure one of the hinges to the door jamb. Place the hinge against the markings you made for the top hinge and trace around the hinge with a utility knife. Make several shallow passes around the hinge to make the depth equal to the hinge's thickness. Repeat this step for the two remaining hinge locations.

    • 5

      Set a 1 1/2-inch chisel inside the top hinge tracing. Use a hammer to tap the chisel's handle, driving it through and removing the wood. Test-fit the hinge into the mortise. Continue to remove wood until the hinge sits flat inside the mortise, flush against the door edge's surface. Repeat this step for the two remaining hinges.

    • 6

      Set the hinge into the top mortise. Mark the hinge's middle screw hole. Repeat for the bottom hinge mortise. Secure the hinge back to the door jamb with the screws you removed in Step 4.

    • 7

      Drill a 1/8-inch pilot hole through the two screw hole markings. Lift the door into the door opening and line up the pilot holes with the top and bottom hinges' center screw holes.

    • 8

      Drive one of the screws you removed in Step 1 through each pilot hole. Open and close the new door to ensure it does not rub on the jambs. Drill 1/8-inch pilot holes through the remaining screw holes in the top, middle and bottom hinges, and drive a screw through each one.

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Window & Door Repair
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  8. How to Make Hinge Holes for Doors
  9. How to Measure to Replace an Interior Pre-Hung Door
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  12. How to Replace Interior Door Slab

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