I have always struggled with hanging interior doors...and I'm going to replace all the apartment grade hollow core doors in my house with solid core doors. I've tried those hanger clips that are supposed to make it so easy and the only thing they really helped with was keeping the jamb flush with the drywall. Anyone have tips or tricks to share? Thanks in advance.
Hanging interior doors
- Thread starter 86Vette
- Start date
engineer2
Well-known member
Pre-hung or are you buying uncut door slabs?
Nowater
Well-known member
Fine Homebuilding magazine had an article years back about how a professional installed prehung doors. IMO it is worth looking up.
Pre-Hung
I guess my main problem is just keeping things square and even. Some people shim both sides keeping the jamb centered in the rough opening. Some people screw/nail the hinge side directly to the stud and shim the latch side as necessary. What do you think is better? These are HEAVY doors (60+ lbs) so I think attaching directly to the stud might be a good idea.
These are the clips I was speaking of - https://www.lowes.com/pd/EZ-HANG-Ac...MIjo6Qxe-h3gIVFLbACh3adQ5zEAQYASABEgKuXvD_BwE
60 pounds are not that heavy .... did you order them? I like to use three hinges ... some big box only 2.
Typically you have to shim the hinge side jam because that stud is not straight and plumb -- even if it is you may need some wiggle room if the opening is large .. the lock side will need many shims.
I learned to do it with nails and two cedar shims coming from both sides of the door at each shim spot -- so, that's how I still do it. Shimming out around the door gives you an idea that all is ok with the fit. Attach first above the upper hinge .. lower hinge and then work around. You can always use a long screw through one of the upper hinge jam screws if you want. Take out the short and get one that goes into the stud. The trim holds it all together. Go slow on the first couple and you will be an expert by the last
Typically you have to shim the hinge side jam because that stud is not straight and plumb -- even if it is you may need some wiggle room if the opening is large .. the lock side will need many shims.
I learned to do it with nails and two cedar shims coming from both sides of the door at each shim spot -- so, that's how I still do it. Shimming out around the door gives you an idea that all is ok with the fit. Attach first above the upper hinge .. lower hinge and then work around. You can always use a long screw through one of the upper hinge jam screws if you want. Take out the short and get one that goes into the stud. The trim holds it all together. Go slow on the first couple and you will be an expert by the last
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Yes they're special order from Menard's. They have 3 hinges. Might be closer to 80 pounds...not exactly sure. Thanks for the tips.
engineer2
Well-known member
You'll want to have a couple of levels handy. A 6 ft and a 24" are good.
A wedge might be handy if the door is heavy enough to distort the jamb. Usually Menards ships pre-hung with a plastic bracket in the latch hole to keep the door in place.
The first door might take you an hour, but you'll get faster.
Drive the large finishing nails half way in until you get the door level and plumb.
I like the idea of having the hinge side supported by the stud, but sometimes you have to center the door in the opening for aesthetic reasons. One example might be at the end of a hallway or to allow room for the trim when the door opening is close to a wall.
Tip: All the tops of the doors in the same room or hallway should end up at the same height. It'll look odd if they aren't.
A wedge might be handy if the door is heavy enough to distort the jamb. Usually Menards ships pre-hung with a plastic bracket in the latch hole to keep the door in place.
The first door might take you an hour, but you'll get faster.
Drive the large finishing nails half way in until you get the door level and plumb.
I like the idea of having the hinge side supported by the stud, but sometimes you have to center the door in the opening for aesthetic reasons. One example might be at the end of a hallway or to allow room for the trim when the door opening is close to a wall.
Tip: All the tops of the doors in the same room or hallway should end up at the same height. It'll look odd if they aren't.
I hang the hinge side first , keeping it close to the rough opening . after you have the hinge side all plumb then line up the latch side.
rlitman
Well-known member
Shim the hinge side first to position the frame where you want it, and get it straight and plumb. Then, screw through the shims into the stud.
Here, I'll point out some critical gotchas.
1) Always position the shims right under the hinges
2) ONLY screw the frame through the shims. Fasteners anywhere else distort the frame
3) NEVER try to plumb a door frame with a 4' level. You need a minimum 6' level, though a dedicated 78" level is better yet.
Here, I'll point out some critical gotchas.
1) Always position the shims right under the hinges
2) ONLY screw the frame through the shims. Fasteners anywhere else distort the frame
3) NEVER try to plumb a door frame with a 4' level. You need a minimum 6' level, though a dedicated 78" level is better yet.
K'ledgeBldr
Well-known member
Are these bare jamb or split jamb?
Split jambs are pretty straight forward- center, plumb, nail. Go to the open side and shim, nail, put in the other half, nail, done!
Bare jambs require abit of finesse- but I've seen carpenters do casing on one side a hang the door as if it was kinda a split jamb- then shim, nail, and install the other side casing.
Split jambs are pretty straight forward- center, plumb, nail. Go to the open side and shim, nail, put in the other half, nail, done!
Bare jambs require abit of finesse- but I've seen carpenters do casing on one side a hang the door as if it was kinda a split jamb- then shim, nail, and install the other side casing.
Level the head by cutting high side jamb leg as needed. Center in opening with shims and tack hinge side jamb at top hinge. Using 6 foot level plumb up the jamb leg making sure it is straight using shims and tack. Set the head and strike side jamb leg for proper margin against the door with shims as needed and tack. When you are happy with everything nail it all home but continually check for straightness on hinge side and margin on strike side. Sometimes things move around a little and may require minor adjustment of shims. For solid core doors replace one hinge screw at each hinge with a screw long enough to secure into framing. Heavy doors will move over time if just relying on finish nails to hold it. Cut off protruding shims and install door casing and lock set. Apply alcohol internally. 
ssdave
Banned
You can make it as complex as you want, but I was taught basics, and I go with that.
First find out if the floor is level. If it is not, make sure that you shim up the hinge side of the jamb so that the bottom of it is about 1/16" to 1/8" higher than the strike side.
Shim the hinge jamb out slightly from the stud, with a tapered shim from each side. The tapers counteract each other, so you end up with a flat shim, of adjustable thickness. If the stud isn't straight or isn't plumb, shim out 1/8" or so at the furthest out point. Put a finish nail in at that point, to hold the shims. Pound in the nail only enough to hold the shims and jamb, so you can remove if necessary.
Check the face of the jamb for fit to the wall face. Use a 6 foot level to make it plumb. Adjust as necessary (reason for only temporary nailing the first nail).
When you have it aligned with the wall faces as best to fit, then start to plumb the jamb. Add shims at each hinge point, and adjust thickness to make the jamb both straight and plumb. Temp nail each shim stack as you did the first stack.
When the jamb is both straight and plumb, nail in the nails almost flush with the surface. Don't set them yet. As side note on nail placement, I put them about 1/4" from the stop surface so that they're least visible and near the midpoint of the door.
Now, I use a carpenters square to square the header jamb to the hinge jamb. Shim under the strike jamb as needed to get it to the right elevation. I put in one shim set on the top, and temp nail it to hold the top jamb.
Now, I hang the door back on the hinges. Open and close it, and see if it swings open or closed by itself. If it does, and you don't want that to happen, you'll have to pull your nails and slant the jamb slightly to get it to swing and stand how you want. I prefer neutral, but some doors I want to hold open, and some to swing shut by themselves. It doesn't take much off of plumb to make that happen.
Once the swing is how you want it, close it and see how the header jamb fits it. You should have a consistent gap between the door and the jamb. If not, adjust your shimming to make it consistent.
Then, with the door closed, shim the strike jamb to a consistent gap. Move it laterally so that the stop touches the door consistently. If necessary, move the top jamb laterally also to consistently hit the stop. Compare it to the wall surfaces and see if it's acceptable. If not, you'll have to move it to some compromise position. Occasionally, I have had to move the stops, as it all wouldn't align. Depends on how straight and plumb your walls are. Once you have everything aligned as well as possible, put finish nails into your jamb shims to just shy of flush with the surface.
Open and close the door and make sure it all works. Then, set the finish nails. At this time, I usually remove one screw per hinge, and put in a long, high strength structural screw to replace it, through the jamb and into the stud. This makes the door more stable.
Hope this adds some clarity, it's easier to do than to describe.
First find out if the floor is level. If it is not, make sure that you shim up the hinge side of the jamb so that the bottom of it is about 1/16" to 1/8" higher than the strike side.
Shim the hinge jamb out slightly from the stud, with a tapered shim from each side. The tapers counteract each other, so you end up with a flat shim, of adjustable thickness. If the stud isn't straight or isn't plumb, shim out 1/8" or so at the furthest out point. Put a finish nail in at that point, to hold the shims. Pound in the nail only enough to hold the shims and jamb, so you can remove if necessary.
Check the face of the jamb for fit to the wall face. Use a 6 foot level to make it plumb. Adjust as necessary (reason for only temporary nailing the first nail).
When you have it aligned with the wall faces as best to fit, then start to plumb the jamb. Add shims at each hinge point, and adjust thickness to make the jamb both straight and plumb. Temp nail each shim stack as you did the first stack.
When the jamb is both straight and plumb, nail in the nails almost flush with the surface. Don't set them yet. As side note on nail placement, I put them about 1/4" from the stop surface so that they're least visible and near the midpoint of the door.
Now, I use a carpenters square to square the header jamb to the hinge jamb. Shim under the strike jamb as needed to get it to the right elevation. I put in one shim set on the top, and temp nail it to hold the top jamb.
Now, I hang the door back on the hinges. Open and close it, and see if it swings open or closed by itself. If it does, and you don't want that to happen, you'll have to pull your nails and slant the jamb slightly to get it to swing and stand how you want. I prefer neutral, but some doors I want to hold open, and some to swing shut by themselves. It doesn't take much off of plumb to make that happen.
Once the swing is how you want it, close it and see how the header jamb fits it. You should have a consistent gap between the door and the jamb. If not, adjust your shimming to make it consistent.
Then, with the door closed, shim the strike jamb to a consistent gap. Move it laterally so that the stop touches the door consistently. If necessary, move the top jamb laterally also to consistently hit the stop. Compare it to the wall surfaces and see if it's acceptable. If not, you'll have to move it to some compromise position. Occasionally, I have had to move the stops, as it all wouldn't align. Depends on how straight and plumb your walls are. Once you have everything aligned as well as possible, put finish nails into your jamb shims to just shy of flush with the surface.
Open and close the door and make sure it all works. Then, set the finish nails. At this time, I usually remove one screw per hinge, and put in a long, high strength structural screw to replace it, through the jamb and into the stud. This makes the door more stable.
Hope this adds some clarity, it's easier to do than to describe.