When you own a mobile home, once in a while you will be faced with the need for a mobile home doors replacement. Although you can hire a repair man to do the job for you, if you have little time or some money to give away, you can personally replace your mobile home door without much trouble.
For you to successfully complete your mission, you do not need to be a qualified technician, you simply need to follow the steps outlined in this guide.
Mobile home doors are prone to damages and mishaps, or sometimes, you may just want to replace your old door with a newer one that will improve the look and feel of your home. Apart from the aesthetic value that it adds to your precious home, the other benefits of installing a new door include adding value to your home and maintaining its structural strength.
Let’s not forget how amazing you will feel whenever you look at the door, after all, its great work that you ought to be proud of.
Installing a new home door is not the same as rocket science, but it does not mean that you can approach the task casually. Before you can begin your work, you need to plan ahead and get the correct and necessary tools. You also need to put some effort once the work has begun.
It is advisable to have an extra pair of hands to help you with passing tools and other minor tasks, but otherwise, this is a task that you can complete alone. Roll your sleeves, spit in your hands and take your first (maybe second) dive in the world of replacing mobile home doors.
Tools needed
Before you can start replacing your mobile home door, you need to have the necessary tools at hand in order to simplify and speed up the process. You are recommended to have the following tools:
- Power drill and drill bits (1/4 inch hex head)
- Double sided putty tape & putty knife
- Hex head screws
- Measuring tape
- Flat pry bar
- Carpenter’s leveling tool
- New mobile home door
How to take measurements of the mobile home door
Needless to say, this is the most important stage in the whole process. If you get the wrong measurements, you will obviously buy a door that won’t fit. You will be forced to re-do the measurements, take the door back and get the correct one.
Save yourself all that trouble and take your time to take the correct measurements. Double check the measurements until you are convinced that you have the right measurements. There is no harm in being extra careful.
The following steps show you how to measure your home door:
Step 1: Decide the kind of door you want
You can choose either a combination door with a storm door or an inward swinging standard door. Combination doors come with frames that are an inch thicker on all sides. Take this thickness into account when you measure your door size.
Step 2: Take the door measurements
Check whether the hinges are attached on the right or left side of the door. You can do this by standing outside your home or standing outside the room where you are replacing the door.
Close the door and measure the width and the height of your door opening. You do not need to measure the frame of the door.
Step 3: Write down the measurements
What is the point of taking measurements if you are not going to record them somewhere? Write down your measurements as accurately and correctly as possible.
If you get a measurement which is not an even whole number, you may round it up to the nearest even whole number. For example, a measured height of 77.7 inches can be rounded off to 78 inches.
Buying the right door
You need to know that mobile home doors are different from other types of home doors. You are advised to buy your door from a mobile supply home store. They come in standard preset sizes, the most common being 32 inches by 76 inches.
Removing your old door
At this time, you should have everything in place and in order. Have all your tools ready. You don’t want to start looking for a flat pry bar or power drill midway through the job. Try to have an orderly workplace and be as meticulous as possible. Believe it or not, it will save you time and energy. This is the crunch time as the actual work starts now.
Follow these steps to remove your old door:
Step 1: Detaching your door
Use a power drill (with the proper drill bit on) to remove screws from your old door. This detaches the door from your home.
Step 2: Taking the door out
Take the frame out of the door opening by inserting the flat pry bar behind the frame on both sides and at the top of the door. Remove the door from the frame without applying excessive force.
Excessive force may result in the siding of your house to come off with the door.
Step 3: Cleaning up
Use a putty knife to scrape away any putty or sealant you may see.
Installing a new door
Although there are a few and relatively easy steps to follow when installing your new home door, you need to be thorough and alert in order to ensure your safety during and after the installation process.
Step 1: Fitting and sizing the door
You can only use your new door if it is the correct fit. Place the new door into the door opening to see if it is a good fit. Use the carpenter’s leveling tool to check if the door is straight.
Close and lock the door during installation and leave the door’s shipping clips/fasteners intact. You do not need to remove them yet.
Step 2: Preparing the frame
Clean the surface of the remaining door framing and remove any obstructions.
Step 3: Attaching the frame
Take out the protective paper from one side of the putty tape and leave the protective paper intact on the other side. Press the sticky (the one without protective paper) side of the putty tape against all the flanges of the new door frame.
The flanges are placed on top and the two sides of the frame. You are advised to use fairly warm putty tape as it is both stickier and easier to use.
Step 4: Attaching the door
Lift and force the door into the frame by pressing the frame hard against your home’s frame boards. You need to make sure that the frame is as straight as possible and you can do so by lining the Carpenter’s leveling tool at the top of the door.
When you are certain that the door is level, drill three screws at mid-height on the side with the door hinges. Try not to drill too deeply because the aluminum which is used to construct your door frame can be damaged by the power drill.
Since you are only trying to hold the door and frame in position, there is no need to fully tighten the screws. Drill three more screws on the side with the door lock(s). Just like on the other side, you do not need to fully tighten the screws. Use the Carpenter’s leveling tool to check if the door is straight.
Step 5: Finishing up
Drill the remaining screws on all sides (lock side, hinge side, top side, and bottom door sill) of the door. You can fully tighten all the screws but be careful not to over tighten them. The screws hold the door straight and in place inside the frame.
You are now free to move the door’s shipping clips/fasteners. Check if the door can open and close appropriately. Do not loosen the door’s screws otherwise it will bend. You can now add the remaining door components such as door knobs, locks and safety chains.
Admire your handiwork
Stand at a distance from your new door. Take a thorough look at the work you have completed! Do you think that you deserve some credit for the work that you have just done? Well, you do! You can congratulate or give yourself a pat on the shoulder.
Your door is now expertly and securely installed. You have successfully and safely installed a new door in your mobile home.
Important points to remember
In this guide, you successfully learnt how to replace a door in a mobile home by yourself without the help of a professional. You have noticed that getting the correct pre-installation measurements and leveling the door during installation are the two most important factors in getting perfect results.
In summary, you now know:
- The tools required for the job and when to use them
- How to take measurements of your mobile home door
- The importance of getting the correct measurements the first time – this saves you time and money as you do not need to take additional trips to the mobile home store to get the correct door
- How to remove your old door
- How to prepare and attach a new door frame. Your frame needs to be strong and intact so that your new door can stay in place for a long time
- How to attach your new door
You should now have a pretty good idea as to how to replace the door in your mobile home on your own.
Any questions? What didn’t we cover that you would like to know about this process? Let us know and we will do our best to share so that we all can become mobile home door replacement experts.
