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Buying new doors can be a daunting task. Once you get into the store and start looking at all the different types of doors that are available.

First thing will be to determine which door you are wanting to replace. Exterior doors are doors that allow entry or exit from your home. Interior doors are the ones that allow entry or exit to inside rooms of your home.

While picking your door to replace, keep this in mind. When replacing an exterior door you may want to go with a pre-hung unit. Pre-hung is defined by a door that is already placed in a frame and ready to use. It has a hole bored for the door knob and the hinges are mounted to one side allowing the door to swing open and close.

Exterior doors are subjected to the elements, and wood has a tendency to deteriorate over time. When replacing an exterior door, it is wise to replace the whole frame to allow for maximum energy efficiency as well as it is easier to install.

A slab door is just the door itself. It is not ready to be used just yet. Most slabs do not have the hole for the knob or hings. This is because they are manufactured to swing in multiple directions. The manufacturers do not know how you intend to use the door. So they make it as versatile as possible to meet everyone's needs.

Most doors are going to be specific sizes. Whether they are interior or exterior doors. So getting the size right is of major importance.

You can get the correct size two ways, rough opening or slab.

Rough opening describes the whole in the wall that the door fits. Most home construction in the Midwest, where I live, is 2x4 framing. However, older homes and some newer ones are 2x6 frames. Please check your frame width as well.

One way to measure your rough opening is to carefully pry off the trim. You do not want to damage it, unless you intend to replace with newer trim. This will expose the frame of the door, or the jambs. You can then measure the rough opening in three places, top-middle-bottom. Go by the smallest measurement because you will know the fit will as close to perfect as possible. Most homes do settle, swell and shrink depending on the climate of your region. You will then measure from the top of the jamb to the floor or threshold for your height.

Standard rough opening measurements for exterior doors include 30", 32" and 36" widths. Most standard heights are 80". Interior doors, while also 80" in height, will range from as small as 18" to 36" in width.

Slab measurements are a little easier. Just open the door slightly

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