Here we are going to give you step by step instructions for installing an interior door in your home. Let’s start with a checklist of the materials and tools you’re going to need.

• 1 pre-hung interior door
• sm. Box of 2 inch casing nails
• 1 bundle of door shims
• 1 door knob
• caulk

• • 6 foot level
• • 2 foot level
• • nail set
• • phillips screw driver
• • hammer
• • caulk gun

First thing you want to do is check the opening your door is going in to make sure you have a big enough opening. The opening needs to be 2 inches bigger than the door itself, an inch and a half for the thickness of the doors frame (3/4 of an inch on each side) and a half inch extra so you can make adjustments. There for a 32 inch door would require a 34 inch opening.

Un-package your door and place the door into the opening keeping mind which way you want the door to swing. Center the door in the opening and also flush up the outside of the doors frame with the drywall.

Put a 2 foot level on the floor where the door sits and make sure the legs of the doors frame are level. You can also check this by placing your 2 foot level on top of the doors frame however if the wood is bowed a little bit it will be hard to get it perfect. If one side is higher, shim up the other side to make them level with each other.

Now place shims around the doors frame. Four shims down each side spread out evenly will do. On the hinge side be sure to put shims close to the hinges because this is where you’re going to put your nails. On the knob side, be sure to put one of your shims behind where the latch will go.

Starting on the hinge side, push the door frame tight to your shims. Check the frame with your 6 foot level and adjust your shims accordingly. Now drive one of your casing nails through the frame putting one by every hinge and driving through your shims. DO NOT sink your nails all the way. You will do this later with the nail set and you might need to remove them to make adjustments later.

Now that one side is hung close the door and tighten the shims on the other side. Be sure to use the level and make adjustments accordingly. Before you nail this side close the door and look at the small gap between the door and the frame on the hinge side. It’s a little smaller than a quarter inch. You want to make sure that gap is the same all the way around the door. Raise and lower the frame to adjust the gap above the door and adjust your shims to the side.

Once your gap has the same reveal all the way around, make sure your door is still flush with the drywall and nail it off. Again make sure you do not sink the nails all the way.

Now open and close the door and make sure the door is swinging good and not rubbing. Go ahead and install the door knob to make sure it lines up right and latches correctly. If everything looks good you can go ahead and sink the nails with the nail set and fill the holes with caulk. If you need to make any adjustments you can pull the nails and make them as needed. If you pull the nails out use one of the shims between your hammer and whatever you’re prying on so you don’t damage the wood. If you can’t pull the nails you can use a reciprocating saw between the doors frame and the wall studs to free the door.