Really need help installing & getting double closet doors to align correctly

[Banjorear]

Hi All:

I really need help aligning a closet door project. I kept the old jamb and jsut cut in the hinges with a tool.

The old doors aligned correctly, these do not. I think it is something with the hinges on the jamb side. Top lines up, but the bottom is out approx. 1" as seen in the pictures.

Any thoughts or advise is welcome for I'm pulling my hair out. This is the last set of doors I needed to replace. The rest were all pre-hungs and went in without issue.

My thought is that the entire door/hinge needs to be tilted down, but that I find it strange that the old jamb would be that far out of whack.

ThanksR

 

[pop pop]

Check the door frame verticals with a good level. If OK, your door(s) are warped or your hinge cut is way off (not likely).

 

[Banjorear]

Check the door frame verticals with a good level. If OK, your door(s) are warped or your hinge cut is way off (not likely).

Never thought about checking the jamb. Feel silly saying that out loud. Just assumed it was good.

Thanks for the tip. Hinge cuts are good and I don't think the door is warped to the point on being an +/- an 1" out.

In laid on the horses flat and without a corner picking up or rocking.

If the jamb is out, what is the easiest way to realign that?

 

[Broncoman75]

Never thought about checking the jamb. Feel silly saying that out loud. Just assumed it was good.

Thanks for the tip. Hinge cuts are good and I don't think the door is warped to the point on being an +/- an 1" out.

In laid on the horses flat and without a corner picking up or rocking.

If the jamb is out, what is the easiest way to realign that?

if you just need a little bit of tweaking, I find that a couple pieces of thin cardboard (like from a cereal box) placed just so behind the hinge on the frame like a shim can correct misalignment like that.

 

[Banjorear]

if you just need a little bit of tweaking, I find that a couple pieces of thin cardboard (like from a cereal box) placed just so behind the hinge on the frame like a shim can correct misalignment like that.

OK, maybe I'm using too much shim. I'm using popsicle sticks and the like.

If you had to guess, Which hinge is causing the mis-alignment?

 

[COSMOS]

Several things could have happened, the old pair were flat or warped when installed or the new ones are flat or warped take your pick of the combinations. When installing a new prehung set you can easily make adjustments if the doors are warped or not, more than likely not warped in a prehung frame.

When installing new doors into an existing frame the new doors are more than likely warped based on 30 years of installing residential to commercial doors, hollow core doors warp just by looking at them.

You do not have many options although I have some ideas but it is difficult to write, but I will try.

Remove the casing both sides and adjust the jambs in or out to flush the doors in the middle at the bottom and reinstall the casing. Also are the door edges at the hinges flush with the jambs?

 

[Banjorear]

Several things could have happened, the old pair were flat or warped when installed or the new ones are flat or warped take your pick of the combinations. When installing a new prehung set you can easily make adjustments if the doors are warped or not, more than likely not warped in a prehung frame.

When installing new doors into an existing frame the new doors are more than likely warped based on 30 years of installing residential to commercial doors, hollow core doors warp just by looking at them.

You do not have many options although I have some ideas but it is difficult to write, but I will try.

Remove the casing both sides and adjust the jambs in or out to flush the doors in the middle at the bottom and reinstall the casing. Also are the door edges at the hinges flush with the jambs?

I'll try to get better pictures tonight. The jamb side hinge cuts were all butched up. the new doors are solid door blanks.

 

[spotco2]

If the hinge cut outs are in the same place on each of the doors, then yer wall/frame ain't plumb.

Always remember that something can be level and square but not plumb. Use a plumb bob (not a level) and see which side of the frame ain't right. I betcha it's one or the other.

I learned to install and repair frames many years ago. The guy that taught me hardly ever used a level. He always used plumb bobs and string. It was amazing to watch him make an X across a door opening from corner to corner and another scrap of string to measure everything on each side of the X with. Dang if he never had a door drag or scrape when he was done.

He always told me that a string will never lie and he's been right so far.

 

[Banjorear]

If the hinge cut outs are in the same place on each of the doors, then yer wall/frame ain't plumb.

Always remember that something can be level and square but not plumb. Use a plumb bob (not a level) and see which side of the frame ain't right. I betcha it's one or the other.

I learned to install and repair frames many years ago. The guy that taught me hardly ever used a level. He always used plumb bobs and string. It was amazing to watch him make an X across a door opening from corner to corner and another scrap of string to measure everything on each side of the X with. Dang if he never had a door drag or scrape when he was done.

He always told me that a string will never lie and he's been right so far.

Good point.

 

[Banjorear]

Forgot to mention. I'm fairly certain they aren't warped for I had them on top of one another on horse. They are perfectly in line with one another.

The one fits and the other doesn't. Really leaning toward the jamb being out of whack. Dang, this stinks for I just tiled the floor.

 

[COSMOS]

That changes what I had suggested cant move the jambs or remove the casing, I have more than one way to fix it. A little here and a little there so as to make it not noticeable.

 

[Banjorear]

That changes what I had suggested cant move the jambs or remove the casing, I have more than one way to fix it. A little here and a little there so as to make it not noticeable.

I may still be able to move the jamb with a careful slice at the bottom. I'm going to do the string trick and see if it truly plumb or not and I'll report back.

 

[SH7mi]

From the pix it looks like you need to move the middle and bottom hinges towards the inside of the closet on the right door and do the opposite on the middle and bottom hinge on the left door until the doors are flush .
To make the reveal even at the top, shim the top right hinge with thin card board until even.
Sorry, I just looked at the pix again and noticed each door has only two hinges, you need only adjust the bottom hinge of each

 

[Banjorear]

From the pix it looks like you need to move the middle and bottom hinges towards the inside of the closet on the right door and do the opposite on the middle and bottom hinge on the left door until the doors are flush .
To make the reveal even at the top, shim the top right hinge with thin card board until even.
Sorry, I just looked at the pix again and noticed each door has only two hinges, you need only adjust the bottom hinge of each

OK, thanks. Didn't occur to me to move the other door either. Thanks for the tip.

 

[COSMOS]

Do this by moving the hinge on the door or jamb as noted, door stop has to be removed. Correct me if I'm wrong, the door on the right is the one protruding into the room?

 

[Banjorear]

Do this by moving the hinge on the door or jamb as noted, door stop has to be removed. Correct me if I'm wrong, the door on the right is the one protruding into the room?

Nope, you are right. Wow. Super helpful. Hope to get to it tonight. If not, tomorrow.

Thanks everyone! Really appreciate your help.

Any tips or suggestions for relocating the holes in the jamb?

 

[COSMOS]

Large match sticks or a piece of pine whittled with a razor knife. Predrill the holes after filling so you have less chance of the hinges moving. Before removing the door stop score the caulking so it does not tear the paint.

 

[Banjorear]

Alignment is getting closer. Shimmed the top right with a sliver of hard cardboard.

Got bottom closer, but not yet. I'm going to cut the back side of the right side lower jamb to push it back a hair more. I think that will do it.