Interior doors

sgreen

We are going to hang our interior doors in our new house ourselves but we have never done it before. What are the steps we need to take to make sure they are installed properly?

Gary in WA

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Gary

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msaeger

Anyone ever try these things http://www.ezhangdoor.com/home

Ron6519

Looks to ease the door installation. It doesn't make any mention of shimming the side jambs to keep them in place.
Ron

msaeger

I didn't see anything about shimming either. I guess they are just using the brackets to hold the door in. I suppose you could use the brackets to get it in place then put in some shims with screws through the jambs too.

Ron6519

I use finish nails.
Ron

msaeger

Yeah that's true I just have screws on the brain from screwing down plywood all day

Wildie

As a former electrician, I'm not the best carpenter on the block. So I always use cabinet screws while shimming. Then, if I make a mistake, I can easily back the screw out and adjust the shims.

(on further consideration, maybe i am the best carpenter on the block)

Ron6519

Screws look tacky on a door frame. Since you set the hinge side first, you can swap out a hinge screw in each position and do your adjustment with those and not have big honk'in screw heads on the jamb face. Once the jamb is set, you can put back the other screw if you want. On exterior doors, I leave them in. It helps if they match the other screws for the ascetics.
Ron

iamrfixit

Use a long level, I use a 6 footer for doors, while you can get by with a shorter level you need the long length to assure the jams are straight. I would consider 4' a minimum length for hanging doors. When you shim always use 2 shims, one from each side of the jamb. If you are using a nailer to install pre-hung doors make sure it shoots a heavy enough nail, I use a 15 gauge finish nailer with 2 1/2 inch nails and it works well, even with heavy doors.

Shim behind the top hinge just enough to center the frame in the opening and drive one finish nail through the jamb, through the shim and into the framing. At this point I open the door 90 degrees out of the frame so I can get my level right over the hinges, on heavy doors I then shim the bottom of the door up off the floor out near the latch side to help hold the frame flush with the drywall on each side of the opening. Use your long level firmly against the frame and shim right behind the bottom hinge until perfectly plumb, then drive a nail through the jamb, through the shim and into the framing.

Then use your level to check the whole length of the hinge side jamb to see if it is straight, the jambs sometimes warp sitting around in the warehouse. Use shims and nails behind the center hinge and where needed to securely hold the entire length of the jamb straight. I sometimes use 4-6 pairs of shims to set the hinges and straighten out the jamb. When you have the hinge side plumb and secured, remove 1 screw from the top hinge and drive a long screw through the jamb and shims and into the framing. This will keep the door from sagging over time.

Close the door in the frame to shim the latch side. Shim and nail as needed to set an even gap between the door and jamb, making sure to center the strike hole to the latch, shim and nail right behind the strike too. Avoid shimming the top jamb, if the header sags even slightly over time it will push the jamb down, but if the top jamb is bowed badly then you may have no choice but to shim and nail it. When you are happy with the fit of the door go back and nail all the shims so you have at least 2 nails through every pair of shims.

Wildie

I use 'cabinet' screws, driven with a Robertson, green screw-driver! Their heads are only 3/16" in diameter and can easily be filled. And I put 2 screws under the door stop.

Gary in WA

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Gary

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