How to Install French Doors

French doors are absolutely beautiful when installed in a kit home and it should come as no surprise that more people are choosing to have them installed in their kit house. This may seem like a job reserved for professionals, but installing French Doors is not all that difficult. Yes, it is going to take a bit of time and skill, but if you put the effort in, then you are going to end up with a top quality installation.

Tools and Materials Required:

·         French Doors

·         Power Drill

·         Hammer, selection of Screwdrivers, Screws and Nails (If not supplied with the door)

·         Shims

·         Pry Bar

·         Level

·         Safety Goggles

·         Carpenter’s Square

·         Angle Grinder

·         Caulking

·         Fiberglass Insulation

·         Silicone Sealant

What You Will Need to Do:

Step 1.    Remove the old door frame using your hammer and pry bar. You have to ensure that you don’t damage the trim as you are going to need this again pretty soon.

Step 2.    Check the opening for your new doors to ensure it is going to be big enough. If the opening is not large enough, then you may want to call in a professional to widen the gap for you. This is not really a job that can be done by you. Even the most experienced DIY expert could end up causing serious damage to the structure of the frames. Even electrical wiring may need changing if it goes over the door opening. 

Step 3.    Check that your opening is a perfect square before you begin installing your doors by using a level in combination with a carpenter’s square. If the opening isn’t level then make any necessary adjustments using a grinding wheel or an angle grinder. It shouldn’t be too bad if a door was already in place.

Step 4.    Put caulking on the floor where the bottom of the door is going to sit. This will help protect and seal the floor.

Step 5.    Center your new frame in the door opening ensuring that it is perfectly level. Once it is, use shims to hold it in place.

Step 6.    Attach the doors to your new frame if they aren’t already in place. Ensure that everything works correctly and check that everything is level once again!  Then screw the frame into place permanently using the hardware supplied with the door. You will need to drill holes at this point! A word of caution: Don’t put the screws in tightly they pull the frame out of square!

Step 7.  Once screwed into place, put your fiberglass insulation in place. You only need to do this if installing exterior French doors.

Step 8.    Attach the moldings that were supplied with the door.

Step 9.    Use silicone sealant to seal up any gaps that the moldings didn’t cover and add all the hardware that was supplied with the door. Paint over everything if you need to.

 

French Doors are also great value to install in any granny flat.