How to Hang a Door

Hanging a door is one of the most satisfying of all DIY jobs but it can be the most challenging. Here's how to get it right.

What do I need?

Basic carpentry tools, care and patience. Ready to go? Let's get started.

Step One

Unscrew your old door. Take out the screws from the bottom hinge before the top hinge. Make sure the door is well-supported when you take the last screw out.

Step Two

Hold the new door in the doorway to see if it needs adjusting. If the old one was a good fit, lay the new one on top of it and use it to mark where to plane or cut. Take equal amounts of wood from the top and bottom. Use a hand or plane saw to trim excess wood. Afterwards, sand it smooth.

Ideally, there should be a gap the thickness of a 2p piece between either side of the door and the top. Allow more at the bottom if you have a thick carpet.

Step Three

Check your new hinges against the old ones on the frame. If they don't fit, rest them on the bottom of the hinge recess and mark along the top of the new hinge.

Remove extra wood with a chisel and mallet. Check the new hinge sits flush to the frame. Screw both hinges to the door frame and open them. The edges of the hinges should stick out slightly from the frame edge.

Prop the door in the door frame, resting it on wedges to get the correct gap at the bottom. With a pencil, mark where the top and bottom of the hinges should sit on the door.

Step Four

Unscrew the hinges from the door frame. Place them on the edge of your door and draw around them. Make a series of chisel cuts to the right depth and then cut out the wood to the marked lines.

Use a bradawl smaller than the screw to make a starter hole. Fit the hinge in the recess and screw in place.

Step Five

With the door supported on wedges and at a right angle to the frame, fix the hinge flaps to the door frame. Use only one screw at first to allow you to make adjustments.

Check the door opens and closes easily. If it does, you're ready to fix the rest of the screws.

Congratulations! You're all done.





Bowater Doors design, manufacture and install a range of cutting edge composite doors, in a range of styles and colours with insulation and security built in.

Article Source: How to Hang a Door