I just got done installed three prehung interior doors. On all three the vertical gap on the hinge side is super tight and I have a huge ( about 1/4") gap on the latch/ striker side. The doors hand very very good. The jambs are plumb and level and I have parallel gaps everywhere. The first door I put the handle in will not even latch the gap is so big. What is the best way to correct this? I thought about shimming the hinges but it will be obvious the the hinges are sticking out and not flush in the jambs. I also thought about bending the hinges so that it is opening the gap on the hinge side but closing it on the latch side. My only worry is getting all three hinges per door bent the same. What has worked for you guys in the past? Thanks in advance
Adjusting door gap side to side on prehung door
- Thread starter mc1984ss
- Start date
looks like the head of the jamb was cut to long.
the easy fix is to loosen the hinges and shim behind them to move the door over
harder fix is to knock down the jamb & cut the head , put it all back together .
show me a pic of where the head & side jambs meet. maybe you can move the latch side jamb over
the easy fix is to loosen the hinges and shim behind them to move the door over
harder fix is to knock down the jamb & cut the head , put it all back together .
show me a pic of where the head & side jambs meet. maybe you can move the latch side jamb over
As Bert said. you should be able to shim that out. These are made in different sizes and shapes to accommodate different hinges:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0044V0L8C/?tag=atomicindus08-20
Grandpa used dressmaker's cardboard when I was a kid.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0044V0L8C/?tag=atomicindus08-20
Grandpa used dressmaker's cardboard when I was a kid.
ZRX61
Well-known member
Take the pin out the top hinge & middle hinge. Shim the small gap to make the big gap tighter.
Now the halves of the hinge won't line up for the pin to go back in.
Grab each knuckle on the frame half with Channel Locks & bend them to line up with the other half. Insert pin.
Repeat for bottom hinge
Now align parts of the middle hinge & put the pin back in
Sorted.
Now the halves of the hinge won't line up for the pin to go back in.
Grab each knuckle on the frame half with Channel Locks & bend them to line up with the other half. Insert pin.
Repeat for bottom hinge
Now align parts of the middle hinge & put the pin back in
Sorted.
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ZRX61
Well-known member
video if the explanation was confusing:
manwithtools
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Yep, pre-hung doors can ****..
I've had the best success taking the frame apart and trimming the head jamb to make it narrower, If it's a split jamb then that does not work so well.
Good luck. I can't imagine the channel lock trick that ZR recommends creating anything but a door that squeaks down the road - among other issues.
I've had the best success taking the frame apart and trimming the head jamb to make it narrower, If it's a split jamb then that does not work so well.
Good luck. I can't imagine the channel lock trick that ZR recommends creating anything but a door that squeaks down the road - among other issues.
this guy is supposed to be a carpenter? ouch
I've hung thousands of doors, both prehung, in existing frames and new install from scratch. in many cases , Prehungs are not as accurate as a good from scratch door . I have never bent hinges to adjust a door. shim behind the hinges ? yes .
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ZRX61
Well-known member
People have been using that method for over 100 years. I just posted the first vid I found that showed how to do it.
You can even buy a tool designed to do it:
https://www.toolsofthetrade.net/videos/door-hinge-knuckle-bender_c
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wrenchguy
Well-known member
Could be close to hinge bound, using tapered shims "roll" hinge jamb to increase margin/gap. If you need more, make/use cardboard shims between slab mortise and its **** half. And same between jamb mortise and its **** half if needed. Use youtube with caution.
Cobbler I've hinged and hung tens of thousands doors!
Cobbler I've hinged and hung tens of thousands doors!
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I’ve never bent hinges. You can do wonders with shimming. I’ve hung hundreds of thousands of doors lol
I’ve bent metal doors with a 2x4 to twist then to fit the opening because sometimes it’s what you have to do when you pin a frame down perfect and the brick layer somehow bends or twists your frame.
Could be close to hinge bound, using tapered shims "roll" hinge jamb to increase margin/gap. If you need more, make/use cardboard shims between slab mortise and its **** half. And same between jamb mortise and its **** half if needed. Use youtube with caution.
Cobbler I've hinged and hung tens of thousands doors!
This is what I would do first. Just use shims to “twist” hinge jamb towards strike jamb.
To tell if it’s hinge bound, you just swing the door closed and from the hinge side of the door, watches the hinges and you’ll see the flex a bit and the door will kind of spring back open a bit.
If you trim installed then just remove the outside hinge screws on the jamb and loosen the inside ones. And slide a piece of cardboard behind the outside part of the hinge, kind of kicking the outside towards the strike jamb, and tighten screws.
nadogail
Well-known member
FWIW, IMHO, I would shim the hinges away from the door frame.
Bending the hinges, IMHO, will invite trouble.
Bending the hinges, IMHO, will invite trouble.
ZRX61
Well-known member
This is bizarre, I thought most people knew about adjusting the knuckles? They even do it on ToH.
I always did the bend trick too. Takes a few minutes.
Shims let you see the exact gap.
A very small amount moves the door a lot.
Shim the hinge out of the mortise? No thanks.
ard
Well-known member
Marctrees
Well-known member
signcrafter
Well-known member
- Joined
- May 9, 2012
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Many ways to skin a cat. Sometimes shims work best and sometimes bending the knuckle(hinge) works better. Nothing wrong with bending the knickle if you know what you're doing. It's a slight tweak to the hinge that is already bent at the factory. A little bit goes a long way. Just keep in mind that you are essentially twisting the door so the top and bottom gaps are going to change when you bend the hinge to make the side gap even. But shimming will do that also. I have the fast cap knuckle bender and I don't use it much but when I need it it does come in handy. Along with a lot of other fastcap tools. But a normal crescent wrench will work also.
tcianci
Well-known member
The guy in the video also mentioned pulling the hinge in with long screws matching the finish of the existing screws. I have found that removing the screws on the jamb side hinge leaf and simply installing any color screws through the jamb and into the framing where the visible screws aren't will pull the jamb and then you simply install the existing screws into the moved jamb. A couple of advantages to this method are that you don't need to have any special screws and you can place the long screws inboard of the edge of the jamb... look at your hinges and note that screws placed near the edge of the jamb lie directly over the edge of the sheetrock, not the jack stud, so longer screws in these positions are not helpful.