Do It Yourself – Install a Steel Door And Frame

The point of a door is to allow entry and exit for an area still it ought to also provide protection from the elements when it is shut. Steel doors are an excellent method of giving security from intruders and fires. Also you will not have to fret about it rotting or being eaten by insects. Here is how to install a steel door on your own.

How To Install A Steel Door And Frame

Required Tools

Pry bar

Drill and bit set

Hammer

Screw driver

Required Materials

Steel frame and door

2 inch screws

Nails

Wall board

Wall board tape

Shims

2×4 stock

Plaster skim coating

Metal studs

Instructions

If you are changing out an existing door, the first step is to remove the existing molding. Use the pry bar to take the molding from the wall until all the molding right around is removed. Take the screw driver and screw out the hinge pins and take out the hinges and the door; use the drill or pry bar to remove the door frame, sills and jams. Obviously if there was no door in the doorway, there is no need for this step.

Next comes the framing of the wall; make sure the wall around the door is structural and set the frame in place. Nail a pair of 2×4 stocks together and place them inside the wall as a brace. Take out the studs on either side of the steel door frame and replace them with the metal ones and then screw the studs directly into the existing sill using the screws. Do the same to the header wall frame.

For the placing of the new steel door you will require the aid of another person. With the aid of your companion set the door in front of the opening and then tilt it up and into position. Level the door with the shims and set it into place; the steel door and frame may come with interior supports to keep the door straight and square.

Using the shims put the door in place between the jambs and level it by moving the shims on either side. Use the 2-inch screws to screw the lockset side of the frame to the metal stud, just screwing the screws in about halfway and then screw in the hinge side of the frame also halfway. Move the shims to ensure the door is still level and plumb and opens easily and then tighten the screws. When the door is securely in position remove the 2×4 frame braces.

You are almost done with your task to install a steel door and frame; all that remains is to patch the wall around the door where required and remove the old wallboards and nail the new wallboard in position against the door frame. Plaster and tape the boards and you are finished.

Tip

The level and plumb readings may vary a little when you screw the door and frame into the metal studs so look out for this and make corrections as necessary as you go along.