New Front Door Installation

Before removing the old front door, it is vital to check that the new composite door is all correct and present. First, check the packaging to ensure there is no damage that may have been caused during transit. If all seems OK, begin to unpack the new door, making sure that you don't damage the face of the door if you are using a sharp knife. Measure the new door AND the doorway to ensure you have the correct size and check all the fittings sent with the door. If everything is present and correct, you can begin the process of removing the old front door. To begin with, run a knife around the outside of the old door frame, both inside and outside. Next, remove the old front door from its frame. Saw in the middle of the old door frame then, protecting the brick with a packer, pry the frame away with a crowbar. Carefully remove the entire door frame in the same manner. If your new front door comes with a sill, you need to do some measuring and cutting. The sill provided is often bigger, so that you can create a sill horn if you want. Measure the width of the doorway as well as the distance between the outside brick and the inner plasterwork. Next, carefully copy these measurements onto the sill and cut away the excess. Squeeze a layer of silicone along the bottom of the doorway and apply the sill, ensuring it is level. Before installing the new front door, first attach the handle (if it is not attached already), then remove the protection tape from the inside of the door only. Position the new door in the open doorway, using packers between the frame and bricks to ensure stability. When it is stable, open the door in the frame and support using bricks. Then check the frame is level on both sides, adjusting if it is not. Measure out the location of the screws. These should be as directed by the door supplier and in positions where there can be a good fix, i.e. not in half brick or into mortar. When sure the positions are correct, drill through the frame and into the wall. Using frame fixing screws, screw the frame to the wall, making sure not to over tighten which may damage the frame. Do the same on the opposite side of the frame. Next, chisel off the excess of the frame packers. Now you can peel off the protection tape from the front of the frame. Using an LMA silicone sealant, seal around the outside of the frame to give a neat finish.Before closing the door, test all the mechanisms to ensure that the handle and all the locks function correctly. Tighten any of the screws that need tightening. If the door does not fit in the frame correctly, adjust the hinges. Lastly, seal the inside of the door between the frame and the wall using either a silicone or acrylic sealant.