You need a new door, but as you scour the internet or your local hardware store for the right option, you are likely to find a slew of unfamiliar terms. What are prehung doors? What are slab doors? Most importantly, what’s the difference between prehung vs. slab doors?

If you want to know what these terms mean and why they matter, Surplus Building Materials is here to help. Read on for what you need to know about prehung and slab doors, as well as advice for choosing one over the other.

What Is a Prehung Door?

A prehung door is a door that comes pre-hung in the frame and with premade cuts for the knobs and strike plate.

What Is a Slab Door?

A slab door comes without the frame and may or may not have premade cuts for the door hardware.

What’s the Difference?

So, what’s the difference between prehung vs. slab doors? Prehung doors are much easier to install because they come pre-assembled with the door handle bore and hinges precut and in the correct position. However, they tend to be more costly due to the addition of the frame and hinges.

Slab doors are typically cheaper since they don’t come with a frame or hinges. They’re also much easier to procure on short notice than prehung doors, which need to be built prior to shipping and delivery or pick up. However, installation can be tricky. You need to bore the door handle hole and hinges on-site, which takes time and precision.

Which To Choose

If you’re constructing a new home, preparing to replace old framing, or just want an entirely new look, you’ll likely want to choose prehung doors. If you plan to replace a door with a new door of the same size and setup, changing the whole unit with a prehung is easiest, but slab doors are also a viable option.

Regardless of the door you choose, measurements are crucial! Measuring the existing door is the most accurate way to get measurements for your new door. For prehung doors, take the dimensions of the current door plus frame, and for slab doors, take the dimensions of the current slab. For new builds, you can measure the rough opening instead. Taking measurements ensures your new door will fit so that you don’t have to return it or make time-consuming adjustments.

If you’re searching for a new door for your home, Surplus Building Materials has a wide variety of prehung and slab surplus exterior doors and interior doors available. Come and shop our collection of high-quality doors at phenomenal prices today!