While do-it-yourselfers pride themselves on, well, doing it themselves, it just makes sense sometimes to let someone else do the tedious, time-consuming work. And hanging a door is just such a time.
By ordering a prehung door, you eliminate the need for calculating and measuring everything from the frame—yes, you then actually have to build, too—to affixing hinges and handles properly. You’re not limited to single-door installations either.
For our laundry room, we decided to go with French double doors from Milette, which are available at Home Depot. Practically speaking, the doors enable us to move larger objects (such as appliances) into and out of the area with ease; their decorative style also gives the room a more polished look.
Keep in mind, however, that you may have to disassemble the doors, especially if you’re working alone. Prehung double doors are unwieldy to manoeuvre as one unit, so I recommend separating all the components first. This step does not defeat the purpose of getting prehung doors—you know that everything is square and will fit together perfectly. If you ask me, it’s an open-and-shut case.
Left-hand or right-hand?
Prehung door kits come with the hinges already mounted; so when it comes time to order your kit, you’ll need to know how you want the door to open. This is referred to as the door’s “hand.”
To determine the kind of hand you need for your door, stand with your back against the side of the door jamb that would be hinged. If you want the door to swing the same way as your left arm does, as it swings outward, you want a left-hand door. If you want it to swing to the right, order a right-hand door. —Gary Rudy
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