Prehung vs Slab Doors: A Guide to Understanding What’s Best for Your Home

When shopping or designing any door you’ll likely be asked this question: do you prefer a slab door or a prehung door? Understandably, not everyone knows the difference between the two. However, it is important to be able to know exactly what you want because if the wrong door is ordered, it probably won’t fit in it’s space. But don’t worry, we are here to help you figure the right fit for your home with our guide on prehung vs slab doors.

What is a Slab Door?

Essentially, a slab door is nothing more than the actual door itself. There is no frame or any hinges. The purpose of getting a slab door would be to add or replace just the door. Meaning if you have created a door frame or you like the current frame for that space, you can opt for just the slab door. While a slab door typically comes with  handle preparation, a cutout for the door handle, slab doors may not always come with cutouts for the hardware and hinges that are required for hanging. Instead, the homeowner or the door installer must create a cutout and choose the proper hardware for hanging the door. Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of slab doors.

Slab Door Pros: 

• Less expensive than a prehung door
  • Since a slab door is basically a blank slate with no frame or hardware, it’s typically a cheaper purchase than the alternative.
• Provides design flexibility
  • In a lot of cases, there are more slab door options than prehung options which can give you more room to explore door designs. 
• A great option for interior doors
  • Since weatherproofing is not a concern with interior doors, installing a slab door inside your home can be much less daunting of a task. 

Slab Door Cons: 

• Cutouts and hardware not always included
  • Because this type of door lacks hardware and cutouts for said hardware, it falls on the installer of the door to create the perfect fit which may seem intimidating to even the most seasoned DIYer. 

What is a Prehung Door?

A prehung door is a slab door already connected to the frame and ready to install in any space that lacks a door frame and the door. As a rule of thumb, unless you plan to remove the door frame, all the casing, and the trim, this type of door is not right for you. A prehung door is attached by hinges to the frame, so there is no need to locate any additional hardware for hanging the door. Overall, this door option is an all-inclusive package for anyone looking for a completely new look. Let’s review some of the pros and cons for prehung doors. 

Prehung Door Pros: 

• Hinges and hardware are pre-attached
  • No need for creating your own hardware cutouts or installing your own hardware.
• Frame is made to fit the door
  • Takes the guesswork out of building a door frame from scratch then trying to pair it with the right door.
• Better for exterior doors
  • Prehung doors come weather-tight which make it the best option for a new exterior door. 

Prehung Door Cons:

• Heavy and hard to move
  • This can be an issue for whoever is installing the door, while the install part may be easier, getting the door where it needs to be can be the hardest part.
• Extra work required
  • After a prehung door is installed, you’re likely still going to need to finish the drywall, painting, and trim work around the frame. 

Ordering Your Door

Now that we’ve sorted out the differences between the two doors, we hope choosing the perfect door for your home has become easier. When you’re ready to shop or design frosted glass doors for your home, shop our stunning glass doors that are completely customizable through our easy-to-use door designer.