When fixing up a room to be ready for use, it can be confusing as to which way you should go about it.
Both installing the door frame or flooring first have their own set of benefits and drawbacks. Installing flooring before door frames, in my opinion, would make the installation procedure lot smoother and less stressful.
When it comes to deciding how to go about finishing up a room project, it can be a daunting task to even start. But with the right knowledge and know-how of the pros and cons of each, you can make that decision for yourself.

Should You Install Door Frames Before Flooring?
The door frames are a necessary component of any room in any home. They are the barrier between you and the outside, acting as an entry and exit to provide some extra privacy. But, should you install this part first?
Pros
- An initial installation of door frames can eliminate the need to worry about floor damage entirely. They can possibly scratch or even dent your fresh flooring should you or a handyman make a mistake, which can be avoided if the doorway is set beforehand.
- If installing flooring before doorways, you have more room to work with when it comes to the installation process. The doors are out of the way.
- It is much easier to install a door frame as opposed to the flooring. This works the other way around, as it is much easier to remove a door frame as opposed to individual flooring pieces. Should you or anyone else need the door frame removed, it can be easy to uninstall and reinstall.
Cons
- Modifications to the door frames are usually expected, calling for extra work to be done which could have been avoided with a different order of installation. This can be a hassle, as an extra tool in a jamb saw is required when this could have easily been sorted out before installation.
Should You Install Flooring Before Door Frames
I put my flooring in before the door frames when I built my house in 2020. We even lived inside for two weeks before our handyman built bathroom doors, which was a quite amusing experience. Let’s dive in to pros and cons.
Pros
- If installing flooring before doorways, you have more room to work with when it comes to the installation process. The doors are out of the way,
- meaning you are not working around them or hiding them. This way, you can make sure that the installation is done correctly and all of the tile lines up appropriately.
- Installing flooring before has another benefit as well! When doors are shifted out of line during the installation process, there is no worry about your tiles getting damaged. These considerations allow for a much smoother installation process overall which means that you will have an easier time completing this task at hand!
- Flooring can be very expensive to replace so it’s best to take every step necessary to ensure its protection when renovations are being made at your home. With these points in mind, it should be clear to see why installing flooring before installing door frames makes so much sense.
- When door frames are installed first, it is generally expected that the jamb will need to be cut for the flooring to fit around the frame. If the floor is done first however, this won’t be something to worry about.
- While not the most pressing issue, flooring is going to be one of the largest parts to any room. As such, alleviating some of that pressure by getting it out of the way first can eliminate a pretty large burden.
Cons
- Floor damage is much more likely if you install the flooring first, as construction will still be rampant throughout the room.
- If you drop the door frame onto the flooring, that could very easily damage either the floor or door frame entirely.Attention is needed.
Conclusion
Both have their own set of advantages and disadvantages. Installing the flooring before the door frames, in my opinion, would result in a much better overall installation process and give you peace of mind that everything will go smoothly.
Related questions
Does this Apply to All Floorings?
Yes, this can apply to all types of floorings used. The only real variable here is how to level the ground actually is, which has nothing to do with the floor material itself.
How Long do I have to Wait Before Installing Flooring after Door Frames?
You do not have to wait before installing flooring after the door frames are installed. You ca cann in whichstead focus on other parts of your home that require renovation if you want. Howeve placer, it is highly recommended that you let the door set in first as there may be some settling. This way, you remove the chances of any damage occurring to your flooring during installation.
What is the Difference Between Field Tile and Edge or Door Strip?
Field tile is what you use for your flooring material when it comes to entire rooms, whereas edge or door strip are used around the outer edges of your room where you’ll have doorways.
Can I Get Door Strip without having an Actual Door?
Yes, this is entirely possible! It all depends on how much time needs to be spent on renovation. You can simply take one tile up at a time which will allow you to install everything else that’s needed before putting the tiles back down again after installing your new door frame.
Then, once everything has been installed appropriately, you can put your old front door back in its original spot
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