Details key to installing a prehung door
Q: Oh, do I need your help, Tim. I purchased a prehung interior door and nowneed to install it. I thought itwould be easy to do, but I’ve discovered it doesseemto takesomeskill and magic. Whatcan youshare withmeto getmeout of this pickle?
A: Admit it. Howmany times have you jumped into a job and started to flounder? It happened tomecountless times early inmy building career, but I enjoyed challengingmyself. Youmay only have theweekend to get something done, though, and challenges can quickly transform into disasters.
There are lots of steps to installing a prehung door. It’s important to realize the rough opening needs to be about 1⁄ inch to 1
2
inch wider than the outer width of the door frame. You need this wiggle roomto installwedgeshaped shims.
The goal is to have a consistent gap between the door and the door frame. This gap is usually one-eighth of an inch. The hardest part formost rookies is getting the gap along the top of the door to be the same. One or both of the side jambs usually need to be cut off to get the top gap perfect.
Be sure to install the shims behind the door hinges. Themost important step after the door is installed is to install a 2.5-inch, or 3-inch, screwin one of the screw holes of the top hinge. This screw needs to penetrate through the door jamb and embed itself into the rough lumber of thewall. This screwensures the door will not droop over time, causing it to rub against the jamb.
I have great detailed step-bystep tips and videos for installing a prehung door at go.askthebuilder.com/install prehungdoor.
Q: Whatcan youshare about installing fence posts? My online research hasmemore confused than ever. Quite a few websites talk about putting concrete around each fence post. Is this a good idea? Are there other options? Howdeep should fence posts be? Idon’t want towaste time ormoney.
A: Have you run into lots of conflicting information at various websites? I knowI have. The reason this happens, I feel, is because the barrier to publishing your opinion is nowlower than a limbo stick for ants.
Before the internet, book and magazine publisherswould do a good vetting process to see if the authorwas an authority. Nowthat vetting job is on your shoulders, andmost are not willing to see if the online material has been created by someonewhohas done the job for years in a professional capacity.
Inmy opinion, the advice offered by those promoting concrete is ill-advised. I prefer to look at the way ranchers and farmers install fence posts asmy north star. If they do use concrete, it’s often only at corner posts and around gate posts in a fence line.
If you have strong soil, the compacted soil will do a remarkable job of supporting a fence post. As you install the soil around the post, just add 4 inches of soil at a time and compact it using a two-by-four as a tamping tool.
You can use crushed gravel around fence posts too. It’s important to realize the gravel should have an assortment of sizes, including fines. Fines are sand-sized crushed rock and the resulting dust fromthe crushing process. This fine material helps interlock the larger pieces of angular gravel with one another.
Crushed gravel, once it’s compacted anddamp, is nearly as strong as concrete. The advantage over concrete is that if you have to remove the fence post, you can remove the gravel with far less effort than if you had to break apart the concrete around a fence post.
The depth of fence posts is important. Shallowfence posts create a fence that tips over with ease. If you live in a windy area, your fence could blowover.
I’ve had the best luck installing fence posts about 2 feet deep. This workswell for a standard 4- to 6-foot tall fence. If you plan to have a tall fence over 6 feet, then you mightwant to have your post extend 30 inches belowthe surface.
Be sure to call 811 if you intend to dig fence post holes. There might be all sorts of underground utilities in your yard, and the last thing youwant to do is cut a power or communications cable. Puncturing a gas orwater line might also ruin your day.
I have all sorts of extra fence post tips and videos atmywebsite waiting for you. Just go to go.ask thebuilder.com/fencepost.