Pre hung interior doors

[fishhuntwork]

I purchased a few pre hung interior doors today and now comes the staining. Whats the easiest way to stain them? Should I stain them after install or before. Like always thanks for all the input.

[eurolarva]

I am not a pro but I would say after. The cheap interior doors get real flimsy and a lot harder to install after the strapping has been removed. Once you install the door staining is easy except maybe by the floor

[cavalierowner]

I've done it both ways and for me it was a horse apiece. Possibly slightly easier to stain and varnish after installation. Definitely be sure to stain and varnish door trim before installation and take the door and all the hardware off before staining and varnishing. Don't forget to at least varnish the top and bottom door edges even though you don't see them.

[bottomdweller]

When I built my house I stained and varnished everything before install.

Easier I dont know, but I hat lots of saw horses set up and had a nice flat surface, no runs that way.

[IcePro]

Stain after installing but first do this neat little trick....

Put wax paper around the door frame and wall before installing the door. This will prevent any stain from going on your walls. When done staining remove the wax paper.

[Surface Tension]

I hang the door first.

To stain I'll remove the door from the hinges and stain on a pair of horses.

The casing gets stained before hand.

[Bobby Bass]

I always install my doors and then remove the blank to stain it and the jams at the same time. However once the blank has been stained I reinstall and finish the door and jam at the same time. No need to wait for one side to dry before being able to turn it over. I do stain all six sides of the blank when it is off. As for trim I stain and finish that before installing. Some blue tape on the hinges and you save a lot of time this way. Of course normally I am doing multiple doors at the same time.

[PurpleFloyd]

We always do them first but then again I am spraying them so it makes it much easier. If you aren't careful and good at staining you end up with stain and clear over the hinges. There is really no right and wrong way, just do what you are comfortable doing.

[picksbigwagon]

I took two 2x2's, stood the door up on it's bottom n the 2x2's, and screwed two small screws into the top of the door, tied 100# powerpro fishing line to the two screws on top of the door, and then tied the line off to screws I put into the floor joist ceiling in the furnace room. I did nine doors at once like this, no problems at all.

I love the idea of wax paper around the frame, would have made my life a little less stressful a couple years ago when my wife decided we needed to change all the interior doors while the house was on the market.... Oh yeah, use Ez-Hang door hangers when you install the door frames, I did and it took me 5 minutes to get each door hung by the end.

[cavalierowner]

.... Oh yeah, use Ez-Hang door hangers when you install the door frames, I did and it took me 5 minutes to get each door hung by the end.

As an experiment I used those EZ-Hang door hangers just a few months ago when I hung a door at my sisters house. It made life SO much easier, I am now a believer! But I thought they were too flimsy to be the sole method of anchoring, especially with a heavy door; I still used shims like I would do with any other door install.

[11-87]

yea, I've done that wax paper too... put it behind all the trim before its nailed on, then stain it, or use it when painting around the trim.. then when done, just razorblade it off