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Most modern, standard doors are 1 ⅜-inches thick, so you should aim for this thickness unless you're building a door to replace an antique door or fit into a non-standard wall opening. Thickness varies when installing a pocket door or sliding barn door, so a good rule of thumb is to measure your existing door, if possible. For standard doors, you can also measure from the inside of the door to the door stop to gauge the proper thickness.

Kick plates are usually installed on the “push” side of a door, but there are plenty of reasons to install them on both sides. Interior kick plates can offer protection from pet scratches, doors being kicked closed, and even kids’ toys during enthusiastic play sessions. Consider what kind of use and abuse your door gets to determine which side or sides to install a kick plate on.

You should prime interior doors before painting for the best results. If you do paint directly on the wood, you could see some of the grain patterns show through the paint, in which case you’d need to apply additional coats. Priming the surface before painting will reduce the number of coats and can better cover the grain pattern for a clean, finished look.

A slab door is a standalone door without a frame or hardware. A prehung door is a complete set that includes the door, frame, hinges, and sometimes the doorknob and lockset.

In most cases, a prehung door is the better and easier option to install, especially for DIY projects or exterior applications, as they often come pre-weatherproofed. They require fewer tools and less experience to install properly. Although prehung doors are heavier and have a higher upfront cost, the investment is often worthwhile for a complete upgrade that includes a new frame.

A slab door may be a better choice if you are on a tight budget, have a custom-sized wall opening, or only need to replace the door while keeping the existing frame. While the initial cost is lower, you will need to purchase all the hardware separately and do more DIY work to hang it, which may not result in significant time or money savings.