[MI-Roger]

I will be installing three ~54 inch tall doors in the next few days. These will be used as closet doors to access closets previously constructed by others in the eave space on the second floor of a bungalow. Each door will have two hinges.

My Dad instructed me decades ago about the 7 & 11 rule to be used when installing a pair of hinges on a door. Using these dimensions, and doubling the 3-1/2 inch height of each hinge, means that there will only be ~29 inches between the hinges. Seems short when compared to the 11 inches between the bottom hinge plate and the floor, and might look out of place.

I am contemplating using a 7 & 7 rule for hinge spacing on these short doors but wonder if there is a common standard that I haven't learned yet.

Comments please.

 

[mako1]

7 & 7 will be fine.

 

[carpdad]

The traditional hinge spacing is based on where the stress on the door is - when the doors were built with solid wood and heavier. With interior hollow core and such, it really doesn't matter. I think those short doors can be treated as cabinet doors or you may want to keep the ratio than keeping actual numbers.

 

[MI-Roger]

The traditional hinge spacing is based on where the stress on the door is - when the doors were built with solid wood and heavier. With interior hollow core and such, it really doesn't matter. I think those short doors can be treated as cabinet doors or you may want to keep the ratio than keeping actual numbers.

Actually, these are custom made French doors. Aspen frames, 1-3/8 thick, and each with 6 lights of 9x12 approximate size. Light weight is not one of their characteristics.

 

[MI-Roger]

Before and After Photos

The home is a post WW-II bungalow with the Master Bedroom in the second floor attic. At one time this room was fully paneled with knotty pine, including knotty pine doors to access closets built into the eave space.

A previous owner had covered the paneling with drywall, and covered the knotty pine doors with slabs of plain plywood. My son wanted the plain slab doors replaced with French Doors to match the door leading up to the Master Bedroom from the main floor hallway.

Before:

After:

He, my wife, and I demo'ed the old doors, re-framed the openings to be the same size, constructed & installed new jamb sets, and hung the new doors over the past three days. I know a Pro would have been faster but my tool set uses hammers and chisels rather than routers and pneumatic nail drivers. I proportioned the old standard 7 & 11 hinge spacing to match the reduced door height.

Doors are 27-1/4 x 52-1/4 and were custom built by Beacon Hill Supply near Cleveland at a very reasonable price! They modified their standard divided light Casement Window product with flat bottom edges and 1-3/8 thickness. Whereas multiple custom door companies wanted $1500+ for each door, Beacon Hill provided all three doors for less than half the amount others wanted for a single door.