Making Door Installation Simple for your Residential Remodel
Many homeowners across the San Diego area have a do-it-yourself mentality when it comes to home improvement and home remodeling projects. This is a great attitude to have as long as you are familiar with local general contractors San Diego. Some people simply love to put a little bit of their own sweat and energy into their home with do-it-yourself projects, and others want to save money on their residential remodel San Diego project. For many, replacing one or more doors in the home is part of the San Diego residential remodel efforts. This may seem like a fairly easy project to tackle, but before you get started, you do want to consider reviewing the instructions carefully.
Where it can all go wrong
When a door is not hung properly, it can affect your ability to use the door until the installation is corrected. As a first step, you should consider buying a door that is ready for installation. Prehung doors are often easier to work with as opposed to partially assembled or knocked-down slab doors. If you purchase a slab door or partially assembled door, you will need to hang the door in the frame before you can install the door frame in the door. Buying a pre-hung door is a better solution because it can make the installation process much faster and easier. However, pre-hung doors are also more expensive to purchase, and this may decrease the financial benefit to you of taking a do-it-yourself approach. You will also need to gather all of the tools necessary for your task. The tools that you will need will be dependent on the type of door that you have purchased. Saws, power drills, wedges and other tools are common, but you will want to review the specific installation instructions for the type of door that you have purchased for your residential remodel San Diego project. Keep in mind that the cost of additional tools and supplies that you need to purchase for the installation may also detract from the benefits of a do-it-yourself approach to door installation.
Pre-hung doors, the right way
To install a pre-hung door or a slab door for your San Diego residential remodel project, you will need to remove the existing door and casing. This should be done with great care to avoid damaging the drywall. Otherwise, drywall repairs will need to be made after you hang the new door. When installing the new casing, you will need to use jambs and wedges to ensure that the door is properly level. When a door is not installed in a level fashion, it will be difficult for the door to close properly. In a high humidity area like San Diego, the wood in the casing and door itself can expand slightly, and this can further affect how easily a door opens and closes. Because of this, keeping the door level during the installation process is imperative.
As you can see, there are many steps to consider for the installation of your door, and installing a door in a high humidity area like San Diego must be done with great care. Because of this, you may consider the benefits of using a local contractor for assistance with this aspect of your residential remodel San Diego project.