If you are renovating an existing home, selecting options for a custom home, or just considering something to add a new look, choosing prehung doors is always the first recommendation. These doors, which are built from the factory to fit perfectly in the frame, come in a wide variety of styles, wood and even design options for any home.
There are really two different types of doors to consider for the exterior of a home. These can be in any style and with any additional elements or features, and the more elaborate the door design is the more important it is to make the best selection possible for fit, performance and ease of installation.
A Prehung Door
All prehung doors come with the frame and the door shipped together. The best companies, particularly for exterior doors, will ship the door in the frame so the door and the frame remain correctly positioned at all times during transit.
When the door arrives, all the carpenter or contractor needs to do is to level the frame for the door within the rough opening, secure it in place and then re-hang the door on the hinges that are already mounted in place. The result of installing prehung doors is doors that always operate correctly in the frame and never require adjustments once they are correctly installed.
Slab Doors
The alternative to prehung doors is slab doors. These do not come with the frame, and it is just the door itself. With a slab door, the hinges and hardware will have to be attached after the door arrives.
Slab doors are also sold without the holes drilled for the handles and hardware. This means that it is up to the consumer to measure for these attachments and then position them correctly on the door. Mistakes, mismeasurements or any difficulties in fitting the door into the existing frame are all the responsibility of the buyer.
With prehung doors, particularly for the exterior of the home, having a perfect fit of the door within the frame is essential. This not only ensures that the door opens and closes easily, but it also prevents gaps between the door and the frame while also maintaining a good seal all around the door. In turn, this helps create a highly energy-efficient door, something that can be a real challenge in trying to hang slab doors.
For a top selection of all styles and designs of prehung doors for the exterior of the home, check out the selection at Nick’s Building Supply.
