How to Replace a Door Frame
Learning how to replace a door frame is important as a homeowner. When you buy a home, you're taking on many responsibilities that may drain your pocketbook. Learning how to replace a door frame will save you money for other things around the home. A door frame may need to be replaced for a number of reasons, including warped wood and rot. Doing this type of project isn't that difficult, and the following article will make learning how to replace a door a frame easy.
Removing the Door
Open the door to expose the hinges and then remove the screws from the top and bottom hinges. Brace the door as you remove the middle hinge. Put the door and the screws off to the side to use later. Now, remove the hinges from the door frame and put them off to the side as well.
Expose the Door Frame
With the door removed, you can now expose the door frame which is hidden by the molding, or the trim which is affixed into the wall by a series of nails. You will need to carefully pry each piece of it from the wall. To do this, insert the pry bar under the trim or molding from outside the doorway and apply pressure. Place a bit of scrap wood or a shim between the wall and the pry bar, to protect the plaster and paint. The leverage will pop the molding or trim from the wall. Go slowly and methodically, only applying enough pressure to loosen the trim or molding. Once one section is loose, you can pull it from the wall. Repeat with the remaining three pieces to expose the entire door frame.
Remove the Door Frame
Before you set out to remove it, use the measuring tape to determine its size so you can purchase the replacement. Use the pry bar as you did in Step 2 to pry away the door frame. Clean away the debris and remove any nails left in the wall. Stop when you are left with the rough, wall framing.
Replace the Door Frame
Place the new frame in the doorway until it is seated in the open space. You will know it is seated properly by using the level on all sides. Place the wood shims around the new door frame. They will need to be on both sides and the top with a set at top and bottom. These keep the door frame centered, plumb, level, and firm in the space.
Check to make sure the frame is level again and adjust the shims as needed. Use 16p nails, and nail the frame in place through the shims and into the framing of the house. Replace the molding around the door frame with tack nails. To rehang the door on its hinges, you'll have to router or chisel out recesses for the hinges before you screw them in place.
