Pre-Hung vs. Unassembled Doors

Pre-Hung doors are doors that can be purchased already hinged and hung on a fully-assembled set of side and top jambs. This also includes a threshold along the bottom if it's an exterior door. Door casing, also known as trim, is often installed on one side of the jambs.

A pre-hung door will cost you a little more than buying a door, jamb, and the trim separately, but it will save you a lot of time and it will most likely result in a better installation. A variety of pre-hung exterior door units are available. They include single doors, double doors, and doors with sidelights.

Pre-hung doors are the easiest to install, but it does require you to remove the old door and its jambs or create a new rough opening to put them in. Unfortunately, that process sometimes creates a different set of problems. However, with a pre-hung door you will avoid having to cut the jamb, three stop pieces, and six casing pieces; mortise and install.

Similarly, pre-hung interior doors have much of the work done for you when you receive them. But there is still some work for you to do to ensure a perfect fit. Usually the manufacturer will leave some extra length on each of the side jambs. This is done on purpose so you can adjust for a floor that is out of level across the width of the door opening. This is the first thing to check for.

Sometimes it doesn’t seem practical to replace your entire door and frame. If you simply want to replace an existing door, you can purchase a new door blank which is just the door. You could also purchase a door blank with unassembled jambs. You can then assemble them yourself on-site or pay a lumberyard to do that job.

Keep in mind, hanging an unassembled door is much more difficult than hanging a pre-hung door. It takes more tools, knowledge and more time. It requires you to get a door slab, an unassembled door jamb, hinges and door hardware and do all the mortising, drilling, rabbeting on site.

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