How to Install a Pre-hung Door in Under 10 Minutes 

Are you checking the doors blood pressure

With Ryan's ru-vid.comUgkxy_pn55PK60wAV3X_C_RoLS_67mNonoCE plan I was like one taken by the hand and led step by step from start to finish. Thank you very much Ryan!

great attention to detail on a "small" job - makes a big difference. door swings true, and solid latch when closed with no effort.

My 35 years of hanging door gives this a thumbs up. There are nuances not covered but straight forward and correct. Nice demo young man. Incorporating elevation control lines for whole room or whole house door installation projects is a nice tool when trim head alignments matter.

My dad showed me how to hang a door in the late 60's. Cut and build the jamb, mortise the Butts, drill for the knobs and latches, mortise the keepers, plane the door edges for the reveal then set the door. Still have the mortising tools, drill guides and braces and bits. I LOVE pre-hung doors. I liked the "pump shim", Kyle. reminds me of the vehicle door expander locksmiths use to get into a locked car doors. Nice job. I DO have "level envy" by the way. ;-)

Nice man. That’s a pretty efficient method. The laser level and air shim... that combo speeds up the process a ton! Good tutorial!

Nothing like a great chisel montage, so satisfying when it's like butter

Helped a lot. We get something out of all your videos. Keep them coming. Love your attention to detail and how you approach your work. You guys are the best.

Thanks for making this. I helped a buddy of mine hang a door this weekend and this video was our guide. Keep it up man!

Love the laser and air bag combination. Brilliant!! I will definitely use this in the future.

Thanks for the detailed and closeup shots where needed, you made a simple project like this to actually look SIMPLE!

Fellow contractor here. Loved seeing the simple tips here. Like it great job brother!

Great video, the first I've seen where you show chiseling on the exterior door handle part (I am sure there's a more official name for that). Thank you for taking time to record and post this!

So tidy, that close at the end is satisfying.

You should put the wedge under the door edge to stop it moving!! Also I screw the latch in the correct place, then knife around it, stops it moving everywhere

Perfect technique, I love how you did it and most important explained how to go about the little things that make a big difference in craftsmanship and productivity, things that take years to learn n perfect, and are frustrating when you just don’t know. Nice vid. Keep em coming like that. Thanks broski!

When installing locks, I like to sit on a stool. That way I can hold the door from moving with my feet either side of the door.

Like the video. Nice to see a craftsman on here that actually knows what he is doing and takes pride in his work. I hang my doors much the same way. One difference I do with my shins. Once I get the jambs where I want. I shoot 2 nails under the shims first. This does 2 things. First it helps hold the shins in place. Then I check my reveal to make sure it is perfect. The second thing it does is it gives you the ability to move the shins slightly if you need to make the reveal better. Shooting the first 2 nails under the shins allows you todo this. Once it is perfect, shoot2 more nails through the shins, one on each side of the stop. I also agree with shins right behind the long screws. I also use 5 sets of shims on the hinge side. Adds more support, especially for solid core doors. That’s my 2 cents.

Never commented but watch all your content. Awesome attention to detail and that is where quality resides. Keep it up!

When installing the latch, instead of putting the post in the door when tracing the curves, flip it around, that way the face of the latch is flush and you can get a more accurate trace.

You did it fine, more then one way to hang a door. Be proud!

Did A lot of doors back in the day trimming. For latch I built a jig for my rotozip. Worked like a charm.

I love it! Quick and to the point. I like the "no fluff" approach. Thank you!

Nice! Installed a few, getting ready to do one on a VERY similar garage room. The thing I picked up from you was to put a shim between the door and the frame to make sure you keep the door gap right. The only different thing I do is double shim under hinges. Good video!

I've built, hung and swung at least 20 thousand custom doors in my life the old school way before per-hung doors were common place. I used to make custom doors with radius parts out of solid wood, build my own jambs, make my own mouldings and hang and swing the doors as well as install the hardware. Most of the work I did was on high end custom homes but I have done a fair bit of commercial work. The tallest door I've done was a pair of 16 foot tall doors for an entrance of a steak house restaurant. I did that by myself but each door was supper heavy and I wish I had someone to help me with that one. The more doors you do the better you get. It's an art form once you get the hang of it. If you want custom doors than I would suggest to build them yourself but you can also purchase book doors from door stores. You would need hinge jigs for your router, a hole boring jig for your hardware and a door beveling tool to bevel the hinge and strike side so that you don't get hinge bind and your strike side doesn't have a wide reveal and closes nicely. Also get a drill bit that is in a sleeve that centers the hole before you screw in your hinges. This insures that your screws are flat and centered. Another tip is use a sliver of wood to move your screw to center if the hole is off centered. Always install your jamb on top of your tile or hardwood flooring and not the other way around. You want to put your shims behind each hinge, on the top sides of each jamb where the joint of the wood is, on the bottom of the jamb and behind the strike plate. All other shims are for adjusting the wood if it's bowed or twisted but isn't necessary. When you install the casing, that's what locks the jamb in latterly and it won't shift after that is done as long as you nail the casing to both the jamb and to the trimmer and king stud.

A blessed Christmas to Kyle and company !!!

Doing this in my basement in the morning! Thanks for the refresher!

I've put in a few doors and windows in projects already, but watching this video already showed me so many things to make the job easier and more precise. And I always have trouble insetting the edge of the lockset into the door... I guess the "sharper chisel" makes all the difference in the world.

Retired carpenter loved that air bag .... slow and methodical makes it come out perfect🤠👍🔨

I don't have a line laser but I just my Stabila Jamber set that has magnets at the hinge locations. Before that, I place shims on the hinge side that are plumb. Set the jamb in place and run a long screw through one of the hinge screw. locations. The rest is pretty similar. For drilling the screws for the strike I use.a Vixbit.

I've been watching other videos and didn't come across one that tacked two corner pieces to help the dang door from falling through the other side. That helps greatly. Thank you.

I've been fighting with my door for a few hours. The hinge side 2x4 is twisted, so I have to shim it all funky to get it to close correctly. You make it look very easy! Well done.

I work for a window/door replacement company but I saw a few good things here. I've never seen the pump bag used before so that's a nice trick. I can always just eye the reveal bc I've been doing it for years. Always shim your hinges so your lag screws can bite it and always start at bottom hinge first. No trim makes it easier(when it come to replacements) bc the walls are not usually level. Mortiseing your strike and catches can be a pain but worth taking your time to do it right. I also always pre-drill the screws for them. Just makes it easier. Definitely a solid video for ppl trying to do it themselves tho

How great to watch a craftsman, who takes pride in using the right tools that are available today to do an extraordinary professional job. Thank you!

Thanks so much for the video! You're a perfectionist, and I like watching you work! It's good to see what it looks like, when it's done right!

Nice .i have wanted one of those air bags just didn't know what I would use it for. I have all kinds of ideas now . In the past I installed doors for Home Depot in Myrtle Beach SC. I would install over a thousand doors a year.working by myself I can see how that air shim bag thing would have made things a lot easer. Love this kind of content. Thanks

Thanks for the video, we are getting ready to install some prehung doors in our remodel job. This will help me do the job right.

You, my friend, are a genius! This is such a smart way to install a door alone. I need to do a few and your video gives me confidence!

I like the idea of using the shin to ensure a constant reveal. Good stuff.

Nicely done when I use to do this comericaly we were told to install the shims under the screws that you put into the hinges this way the hinge sat solid to the frame no chance for movement but I have been out of the trades for a while and things change all the time thanks for your show they have put lots of ideas into my head for future things to do

Should be the #1 trending door installation video of all time! Both the air wedge trick 7 the laser use are worth their weight in gold. Kyle has style and with a minimum of talk, which kept my attention and enhanced my retention with less time spent on review. Thanks, outstanding tutorial. When's your next class, and how much do you charge per session? Rick

Great install. When I do my handle latches mark out with the knife and chisel as you do too. But I find that using my trim router I can take out the bulk of the chisel work and get a perfect depth without all the guess work. Love the videos, keep up the good work :)

I always pop out the hinge pins and remove the door slab to plumb the hinge side with a magnetic jamb level. I make sure the head is level our slightly high on the hinge side. Pop the slab back in and shim the reveal perfect. Also I always shim directly behind the hinges and strike plate to ensure that possible flex in the jamb doesn't affect the door down the road. Popping the door slab of the jamb on step one is especially helpful when hanging solid core doors and allows to cut the slab down right then and there. (I do mostly remodels hence the need to cut doors to height) I also leave a slightly larger then 1/8" reveal to compensate for expansion and contraction. I live in an area that has hot humid summers and cold dry winters and hollow slabs move a lot with changing of the seasons.

A gallon size paint stick is the perfect reveal shim since they are typically 1/8" thick.

Great Video! I've found that doors are the absolute worst to hang. This helps greatly! Ive got a whole house to do. Thanks!

You should be proud. Doing excellent, cutting edge work in the greater Chicago-land area. People don’t think about Chicago’s importance in our industrial revolution but, you kind of showcase our regional gain from this huge influx of money and material. Do it right and everyone wins.

Thanks very helpful. I needed a demo on installing with just a mailer (except the hinges). I have installed tons of doors in remodeling projects at home. But never with just the nailer. My local lumber yard told I should do it with nails only.

man that was great. love that little air pump to level out the door!

Gonna install pedestrian garage door tomorrow. Good helpful tips, thanks man 👍🏼.

Thought this was going to be simple and straightforward.... then the damn laser came out... then the pump thing and i lost it after that. Too damn funny

i love this video because I can tell you care about the details. Amazing work

Great video, Clear and easy to follow along. Thanks for the Help and extra tips!

I always install shims directly behind the long hinge screws.

Great video. I was always taught to put the shims behind the hinges so the screws have more to bit into, but your technique is great too.

Thanks for the vid, good stuff, keep on keeping on!

One thing that has helped me alot: I level across the opening at maybe four or five feet. Then I put the prehung in the opening. Now I can measure down from the top of the jamb to make sure both sides are the same. Then I start plumbing the sides.

I need to buy a laser level like that. Like the video Kyle!

The video helped me a lot. First time installing a pre hung door.

Good video. The blade over a pencil is a good tip. The air bag is awesome. I use mine to level furniture. 125 year old house!!!

Your attention to detail is phenomenal.

I almost skipped this video, thinking... jusy another door install video... But, glad I watched it. I don't know how I've watched so many, done a few, and yet, saw something new. Thanks for the video!

Cool vid man, pretty much the method i use, i've tried the casing on method and i'm, not 100% sure i like it ( i made a video of my first attempt) but i change things up occasionally so no doubt i'll try it again, one thing i do is use the laser or 1800mm spirit level and fix my hinge side shims before i slip the door in then i just screw it in and use the 'eye-o-meter' to pack the striker side. This vid convinced me i need to get one of those airbags too. Keep up the good work, cant wait to see the finished stone.

Hey Kyle. I use the RT composite deck screws. Griprite has their own version also. That way you can shim after plumbing!

awesome video for self installation of door. now this time is very useful. I have a plan to install door by myself for private gallery. really thank you for sharing.

ON outside or high traffic doors I like t support my hinges more, spacers and longer screws. Nice touch with the lazer.

Kyle, thanks for this video. I have the laser, that I use in my wood flooring business, but never thought about hanging a door with it. SMH 🤦‍♂️

My buddys got what's basically a hole punch, but in the shape of the door latch plate. I don't think they make them anymore, but man is it handy. No tracing the latch out with a knife or pencil. Center it in the hole. One whack with the hammer and it's a perfect depth and shape cutout to chisel.

Awesome! Nice job 👍

Very helpful and informative video. Thank you very much.

After this video I really need to get a laser level. I helped a friend do 8 door and no laser level. It must make a difference. Great video. Keep them coming.

Having the edge prep done when ordering is definitely worth saving the multiple times of cutting towards yourself ^^; $2 a door extra at least through mastercraft. but glad you showed how it's done Definitely love the blocks in the corner to help get everything flush, and that win-bag is even more usefull than I thought. Totally passing this video around! Thank you for taking the time to share!

IVE PUT ON ALOT OF DOORS JUS AT MY HOME .. I STUGGLE MOST TIMES BUT GET THEM INSTALLED RIGHT AND CORRECT , YOU DID A GREAT JOB ,. I RECENTLYBGOT A 15 GAUGE NAILER SPEEDS INSTALLING DOORS UPM ALOT . YEA GOOD JOB.

Awesome Video.. Always looking for a new tip/trick 👍🏼

Great install video. Not sure if this was a HC or SC door but on SC doors especially if they are 8' I would use shims located above and below each hinge and also in the middle, then as close to the bottom as possible. The more shims the better. (How many of us remember as kids grabbing door knobs on each side and hanging on for a fun ride? Also, shims must be perpendicular to the plane of the door, "big mistake most people do". Check to be sure to if the strike plate is aligned with the mortise. Most pre hung door companies fail at this and I can't over emphases this enough because you want your door to close and the latch to be aligned. Make sure to open and close the door many times during every adjustment and check how the door fits against the stop. I recommend to remove door hinges and use long 2.5" fasten screws behind it so that they are hidden. Many times painters will remove door hinges for painting that installers used a set screw (s) from hinges which upon reinstalling will cause door alignment/ sagging issues. I also use a "stepped pipe wedge gauge" (amazon) to measure the gap between door and jamb opposite hinge side ESPICALLY at the top corner for a 1/8" - 5/32" gap for humid regions (Southern US) to compensate over time for Hinge barrel slop. (Door pins wear over time and will cause the door to drop). Lastly, you want to leave a 1" gap between door and floor for HVAC circulation flow unless the room has a return air duct.

I have hung many doors in my 40 years of doing carpentry and my best tool was Tajima plumb bob always accurate and could be used on both wood and metal jambs.

That was therapeutic and informative!!! Thx

Another great video, properly hanging a door is always the difference between the men and boys. I assume you already knew the height of the finished floor when you set the legs of the jamb? I have a cross line laser but I don't think I have hung a door since getting it, I will definitely use it next time. Two questions about that, would it be wrong to use the laser to set the top of the jamb level and thereby square with the hinge side? And how about using it as well to set the clearance on the latch side rather than shimming? Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Beautiful job👍

Great video brother, thank you🙌🏼

Helped me. Thanks!

Use some shims under the door between the door and floor when working on the lockset so the door doesn’t wiggle around. Saves you from the utility knife. Never thought about cutting the curve around the plate of the lockset with the utility knife to get rounded corners. Super I install the screws to position the striker to do the layout marking, then remove them to chisel out for the striker. Great video

Thank you for sharing this. Definitely a couple helpful tips I hadn’t seen. 🙂

Wow. This was perhaps the best advise I have seen on the RU-vid. I will go fix the door.

Your a great carpenter thank you for the video.👍👍

For the door know: Pop that plate off the latch and use that optional collar insert that came with the door knob . Chiselling that out takes at least five maybe 10 minuets. It never turns out perfect and you're bound to screw it up.

The most important step in hanging a door is framing the opening. I like to go through the lumber and set aside the stratist 2x4 studs. I use 2 king studs and one jack stud on each side of the framed opening. The king studs are set flat and the jack is screwed into both king studs. Much like a header. A couple of 1/2" plywood spacers help to control twist. If you use screws to attach the king studs to the top plate you can fine tune the assembly for plumb. Although I have never used it engineered lumber would be ideal for this application.

Well done. This will be helpful for me tomorrow. Thank you.

Good Video RR! Love that Air Bag shim and laser...gotta upgrade my tools!

Yes, well done. I will use your method for my first door install - thanks.

Great job like always brother👍🏽💪🔨 happy new year 🎉🎆🎇

good job, well done mate.

Quick tip for self preservation.. don't have your hand below your razor sharp chisel! Hold above when pushing down... those things sometimes jump out and that may leave a mark!! Great vid again!!

Great job it was really good watch learned a lot

Good demo.tyvm

Nice job, very good video .

Thanks for the help

Thanks for the video! Also, your nail gun sounds like a blaster from star wars. Cool

Good video! Thanks!

Excellent video. No need for words!

You are a door ninja!