Once you start looking for doors online or in your local home building supply store, you will quickly discover there are two basic types of doors. The first one is a slab door, which is just the door itself, and the second option is a prehung door, which includes the door and the door frame.
There are different reasons to choose either a slab or a prehung door. For interior door replacements, if the frame of the existing door is still in good condition, the slab door is often the most cost-effective option.
The Slab Door Issue
Keep in mind that slab doors are sold without anything done to the door. In other words, you will need to drill the holes for the handle and door mechanism and you will also need to measure and modify the door for the hinges. This is relatively easy to do, but it is additional work to consider.
With slab doors, you may still need to work with the frame or the door jamb if it is not level and square within the rough opening. In some situations when removing the old door, particularly when removing hinges, the door jamb can be twisted or pulled, and it will need to be shimmed and secured, and then have the door put in place.
Ready to Install
When purchasing a prehung door, either for the interior or the exterior of the home, the door is already designed to fit specifically with the door jamb. This takes all the issues out of trying to straighten the existing jamb in the rough opening in the wall.
For an exterior door in particular, choosing a prehung door is the best possible option. These doors are heavier than interior doors, and even slight issues with the door not fitting correctly to the frame can cause significant problems while opening and closing without dragging or rubbing.
Additionally, the prehung door will already have the hinges in place, thus allowing the installer to simply remove the door to install the jamb and frame, and then replace the door in the already developed location for the hinge that allows the door to swing open and closed in perfect balance.
Likewise, the holes are in place for the door hardware, and with top manufacturers the locking system is already installed in the door. Through shipping the prehung door in this fashion or in the frame, the door is safe and secure even if it has to be transported across the country.
If you are looking for an interior or exterior prehung door that is crafted by hand in the United States, look no further than Nick’s Building Supply.
