How to hang a door

1. How to hang a door
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2. Measuring. Before you begin it is important to measure a couple of areas. Firstly, measure the breadth of
the proposed opening, which should be 2 to 2 ½ inches wider than the door to be hung. The extra space
will provide room for shim and jambs fittings into the opening of the door.
Next, measure the length of the pre-hung door jambs. Ideally, a door should be clear off the floor by at
least ¾ of an inch. Lastly, put the new door in the frame to check the fit. A 2mm gap around the sides and
top of the door is ideal. If the room has carpet, allow an extra 3-8mm gap at the bottom. Saw off some of
the door if it is too large or if the frame is not exactly square.
Now fit the casings to any one side of the door with the help of a brad nail gun. If the hinges do not fit the
old frame recesses exactly, rest them on the bottom of each recess and mark around the top edges.
Fix each hinge to the door frame with a screw and fold open. The hinge pivots should protrude from the
frame edge. Next assign the pre-hung door into the frame, resting on wedges to ensure correct space at
the bottom. Shut the door and tack the hinged side of the door with the door opening by using a pneumatic
nail gun. Ensure that the hinge side is flush with the frame door. Mark the top and bottom of each hinge
on the face of the door with a pencil.
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Step 2
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3. Unscrew the hinges from the frame and lay them on the edge of the door, lined up with the
pencil marks. Draw around the hinge flaps and use a straight edge to pencil the thickness of
the flap on the face of the door.
Using a chisel, tap around the outline of the hinge shapes, ensuring the bevel of the chisel is
facing toward the waste wood. Make cuts across the wood at 5mm intervals, trying to match
the same depth as the thickness of the flap. Chisel along the face of the door to remove any
chips of waste wood. Ensure the hinges fit alongside the edge of the door and fix one screw
per hinge, so adjustments can be made easily. Make a starter hole slightly smaller in diame-ter
than the screw using a drill.
Holding the door on wedges, at right angles to the frame, and fix the hinge flaps to the door
frame with one screw. Lastly, check the door opens and closes easily. If it does, finish off by
fitting the rest of the screws.
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