In this article we aim to give you all the information you need to make the right choice when deciding what prehung interior doors you need to get. So what options do you have? And what brand of door is best suited to your home? Read on to find out more.
What is a prehung interior door?
Some of you may have arrived here having heard the term prehung interior doors before, but not actually known what they really are. If you already know what it is you can skip onto the next section. To put it in simple terms, a prehung door includes the door and the frame, which normally features casing around the frame. The door is attached to the frame via hinges which are pre-installed. The casing is the decorative trim which goes around the door frame. So it is essentially a ready to install door, which makes the install process a bit more efficient.
Most of these doors come with a default trim, however for a little extra you could have something custom designed which goes with your home decor. Prehung doors are often used to save time when building new homes, however they can also be used when remodeling homes if you want to replace the door frame at the same time. Often when you are remodeling your home, only the door is replaced instead of the entire unit. The door on it’s own is know as the doorslab.
So to sum things up, prehung doors consist of the doorslab (door on it’s own) which is attached to the frame and the casing.
What should you consider when choosing prehung doors?
The first and most important thing you should consider is the size of your current door setup. When measuring a new home for door sizing or looking at replacing your current one, it is important that you consider not only the size of the door in the measurement, but also the size of the casing and frame too. If you are only replacing the door, then you will need to try and find a replacement door slab that is more or less identical in size. When replacing the entire prehung door unit then you can afford to give or take a bit of the measurement as the extra space can be filled in with building material.
How important is the look and feel?
Next you need to take into consideration the look and feel of your home. If you are designing a home from scratch, then this should be fairly easy as you should already have a rough idea of where you are going with the design idea. If you are remodeling some of your home doors, then you need to look at existing doors to try to get a matching pattern. Otherwise you can look at the windows and window frames to try to get something that looks somewhat similar to that design.
The threshold of the door is another thing to look out for. This is the little piece of wood or aluminum that runs across the bottom of the door, the bit that you step on that goes under the door. Most come with a aluminum piece by default, however there are often different options you can choose from. So keep an eye out for this as it is something that folks often overlook.
Finishes and functionality
Yet another item you should keep an eye out for when choosing prehung interior doors is the trim and finish. As a default, most prehung doors come with brass for the hinges and the doorknobs. The trims and finishes are often a forgotten little detail when choosing the door, so remember to check beforehand what other options are available to you before making a purchase. Brass suits most homes quite nicely, but if you are looking for something a bit more unique you could look out for chrome, nickel or even bronze to add a unique look to your home. These add a little extra onto the cost, but this is often a worthwhile investment.
Size should be another consideration when choosing a door knob. If you have a taller door, then you might want a larger doorknob to compliment the height of the door. Something else to think about is whether to go with a door knob or a door lever. There isn’t too much difference in terms of functionality, but the general consensus is that door levers are a bit less fiddly for some people, especially older folks. Stylewise, door knobs are in most cases a bit more elegant as they blend into the door slab a bit better. Remember to find out what the default option is when looking at prehung interior doors.
Where can you buy them?
So where is the best place to get hold of the doors? They are readily available from some of the big retailers such as Home Depot, Lowes and Menards. Prices are decent, and these places will give you a good chance to look up close at the doors. There are also some cheap options available online if you shop around a little. The benefit of shopping online is that you can compare prices between retailers with the click of a button. Even Amazon seem to offer a few different prehung models now.
Summary
Remember to look out for all the stuff we talked about above, so you get a good deal on a door that fits in with your home. If you don’t think you can manage to install the door yourself, you should get a professional to do it for you, as it can be a little tricky if you aren’t 100% sure what you are doing. Some places offer this as an optional extra, and pair you up with a local builder at a discounted price so keep this in mind if you think you may need a hand.
Remember to take your time, and shop around to ensure you get a quality door at the best price!
