How to Install an Entry Door

Usually, this is done by specialists from the company where the door was ordered. However, it's important to know how to properly install a metal door to monitor the work of the installers.

Steel entry doors are made from high-quality materials that are very difficult to deform. However, if installation rules are not followed, all security measures may be wasted. Criminals can simply pull the door out of the frame along with the frame, without touching the door itself. Therefore, it's essential to supervise the installation process.

Preparation Work

First, perform the following preparation tasks: measure the door opening, purchase a ready-made door, or order a custom-made door based on the measurements, and finally, remove the old entry door.

Measuring the door opening and choosing the door

This is the easiest and most straightforward step. You’ll need a tape measure and a notebook to record the dimensions. First, measure the height from the finished floor to the top of the door opening, then the width from wall to wall inside the opening. After that, measure the depth of the door opening, which equals the wall thickness. Based on these measurements, you can select a suitable door.

When choosing new entry doors, pay attention to several important points. Remember that the gap between the door opening and the frame should be 25–35 mm, so you should slightly reduce the measured dimensions. If the old doors are still installed, you’ll need to remove the trim and carefully inspect the door opening. The opening may have been distorted. In that case, you’ll need to remeasure and choose the smallest values for height and width. If you decide to have doors custom-made, it’s best to have a professional measurer take the measurements. This helps avoid many errors and unnecessary costs.

Be especially careful when buying steel doors in stores. Currently, there are many low-quality steel doors from Chinese manufacturers that can be easily forced open.

Removing the Old Door

Before installation, clear the opening of the old door. First, separate it from the frame. For doors with removable hinges, open them past 90 degrees and use a pry bar to lift the door upward until it comes off the hinges. If the door was secured with non-removable hinges, you can easily unscrew them with a screwdriver.

Then begin removing the frame. Remove all anchors and nails, then cut the side stiles in the middle of the wooden block. Cut stiles can be easily pried off with a crowbar. After this, removing the frame becomes very simple.

If the door frame is made of metal, it will require more effort. You’ll likely need to cut parts with a grinder. After removing the door, knock off any loose plaster, chunks of mortar, protruding nails, and old sound or thermal insulation.

Installing the Entry Door

In general, the method of installing metal doors depends on the size, shape, and material of the opening. The most common method is anchoring through so-called "ears" (metal plates welded to the outer surfaces of the vertical parts of the door frame). At least three such plates, 3–5 mm thick and 40–60 mm wide on each side, are required. Holes of appropriate diameter are drilled into them.

Drill holes through these plates to a depth of at least 150 mm. Then insert anchor bolts or steel rods (diameter not less than 10 mm) and drive them into the wall. Tighten the anchor bolts or weld the steel rods to the plates.

If installation via the plates is not possible, alternative fastening methods can be used.

Entry doors can also be installed using steel rods driven into the wall. These rods are directly welded to the metal door frame. The main drawback of this method is that welding damages the paint or polymer coating on the frame. Paint can be restored, but polymer coating cannot.

Another method is anchoring through the frame itself. For this, drill holes of the appropriate diameter in both vertical parts of the door frame. Insert anchor bolts, drive them into the wall, and tighten them. It’s important that the bolt heads are recessed into the frame.

The drawback of this method is that the drilled holes are very close to the outer wall surface. This is especially dangerous when installing in old brick walls, as the door’s anchoring strength will be poor.

It’s crucial that the anchor rods are placed farther from the outer wall surface during installation. This helps protect the door from forced entry. The safest method is to install the door deeper into the opening. However, in this case, the door can open no more than 90 degrees.

Unfortunately, door frame and opening dimensions often don’t match. But this can be corrected. If the door frame is smaller than the opening, you can reinforce the opening perimeter with a channel or square section and, after installation, apply cement render to the jambs.

It’s much more difficult when the door frame is larger than the opening, as you can’t modify the door. However, a solution exists if the opening is made of brick, not concrete. In this case, you can carefully break off a corner of brick and fit a block into the opening. This is only possible if the door frame is no more than 10 cm larger than the opening.

In any case, to install an entry door properly, it’s best to consult a professional. Also, when purchasing metal doors, pay attention to the number of hinges and locks, presence of a threshold, thickness of the door leaf, and material gauge.