# Forum Home Renovation Doors, Windows, Architraves & Skirts  Installing a door frame before hanging a door

## Hybrid

A chippy recently cut a hole in my hallway wall to provide an internal access doorway to the garage. He has put studs in the wall for the door frame to be attached to, but has yet to install the door and frame. I have the door and frame sitting in my garage ready to be installed and am keen to have a go myself at installing it. 
I know the door is 820mm wide and that the frame has to be installed so to allow for this door width. I also realise that the frame has to be square. I have a vague idea about installing the frame (ie. pack between the door frame and the stud to get the frame level and into the correct position) but I wouldn't mind reading a step by step guide before I start. I have found a squillion references to hanging a door, but nothing regarding installing the door frame. Any advice would be appreciated.

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## Guy

Is the door fram a pre made or do you have to assemble it, 
if it is a build your self then the easy way is to hinge the door and one side of the frame. 
Secure this side of the frame to the stud making sure it is level.
Now mount door to side of frame using the hinges.
Mount other side of frame to lock side leaving about 3mm and secure to stud, if no stud then you will need to add one.
Cut header to suit opening.
now there is no need to cut door to fit the opening.
Patch wall and paint. 
If the frame is premade it should be reasonably square

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## mic-d

If you have a timber jamb kit this is what I do.  Install the header first (level), then the hinge jamb and make sure it is plumb by packing with timber wedges if necessary.  Fit the hinges to the door and stand it in place in an open postion supported on wedges to the correct height (make a mark for the position of the top hinge; eg 153mm from the header if the hinge is 150 mm from the top of the door.  Drive home one screw in to the jamb in each hinge (assuming its a light hollow core).  Test close the door and check for correct gap top and bottom.  Tack the other jamb in place with a couple of nails and close the door.  Eyeball the gap and even it up to the door by driving timber wedges in appropriate spots.  Finish nailing it off once you are happy.  Fit lockset, doorstops and arcs and you're done. Ahh if only they were all that easy ... 
Cheers
Michael

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## mic-d

Oh at some point itmight be worth putting the rest of the screws in the hinges... doh!

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## echnidna

Let the chppie do it he should take less than a couple of hours but a noob first time up can mess around all day. 
Otherwise follow Michael's instructions.

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## Carpenter

Guy...whilst I commend you're desire to have a go, there is many a slip twixt cup & lip when it comes to hanging doors. I'm not goint to write a step by step guide because it will take me all day, but here's a few tips.
*Make sure you understand which way the door will swing & how that relates to the door jamb in the opening.
* Fit the hinges to the door first, 200mm from the top & 250mm from the bottom.
* Place a level across the opening on the floor to see if its out of level, then swing the level around as if its pivoting on the same axis as the hinged door & you will see any high spots. You can then cut the jamb stiles to differing lengths to allow for this variation & you're door frame will be level when you stand it up in the opening. Cut the jamb stiles to length but be sure you've made allowances for clearance at the underside & 3mm at the top. The jamb length should be ; door length + 3mm clearance at the top + whatever clearance you need to allow for under the door.
* Its much quicker & easier to cut the hinge mortices in the jamb before you put the jamb together. Hold the hinge jamb against the edge of the door & transfer the positions for the hinges from the door to the door jamb, allowing the jamb to be 3mm past the top of the door ( thats the clearance at the top). BEWARE - DONT SET THE HINGES TOO CLOSE TO THE REBATE IN THE JAMB, OTHERWISE IT WILL BIND WHEN IT CLOSES!
* If the opening is a lot bigger than the finished door frame, centre the frame in the opening. Keep in mind how an architrave will finish to  a corner if there is one, you can position the jamb so you won't have to cut down the architrave to make it fit.
* fix packing to the wall frame on the hinge side so its dead plumb, you will fix this side of the door jamb first.
* Fix the jamb to the plumbed side, making sure its flush with the wall lining. You can screw it if its a paint finish, much easier.
* Hang the door, then use it to accuratly position the fixing of the other stile. Use packing to adjust the spacing off the wall.
         I hope this helps mate, there's more but I think if you can understand my garble you'll avoid the pitfalls. Good luck. Check twice, cut once.

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## Hybrid

Thanks for all the informative replies. There are many points that have been raised that I hadn't considered.  
The door kit isn't premade, and yes I do have to assemble it. I opted for a solid core door so I have three hinges to take the extra weight. Might be overkill, but for the extra $100 I think it not a huge price to pay to "upgrade". 
What do you typically use for packing the jambs? Any old offcuts trimmed to the correct size?  
While we are on the topic of doors ..... I want to install both a conventional door handle incorporated lock as well as a deadlock (going to have quite a few dollars worth of equipment stored in the garage). I would also like to change the other deadlocks on the other doors so they are all keyed the same.  
What are the best style of deadlock and how can I go about geting the deadlocks and normal locks all keyed the same? Is going to a locksmith my only option?

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## ROB NZ

Dare I  add to the good advice already given.....! 
Building supply firms in NZ (including Bunnings) have excellent giveaway pamphlets on all sorts of common (and not so simple) procedures like hanging doors etc. The pictures are worth a thousand words. I recommend you look for them on your side of the ditch. 
Cheers
Rob

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## scooter

Locksets - buy them all at the same time from the same place, check the packaging for a small sticker with a particular code, there are usually a number of sets in the same box keyed alike for the reason you need 'em. Otherwise, the locksmith to rekey is the go, much cheaper to take the locks to him than be charged a large callout fee to do on site. 
Packing the jamb - cut timber wedges from offcuts and put 2 in opposed to each other, tap in to adjust. Can also get plastic wedges from hardware store, "Wedgies" or somesuch, different colours for different thicknesses, they have small teeth that interlock to hold a position. Timber or plastic, when jamb is plumb drive nail through jamb and wedges into stud to fix. 
When mounting hinges to jamb, have heard of putting one longer screw in each hinge that goes right through jamb into stud, particularly for hanging heavy doors on MDF jambs. Others may care to comment, whether overkill or good idea.  
Good luck mate..............cheers................Sean

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## TommyC

Thanks Carpenter, I used your guide as a reference yesterday, as i made up a timber frame and hung double doors into an opening to create a big storage cupboard for my new shed. All steps were clear and IT FITS!! Nice one.

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## erockybalboa

Today I'm going to show you how to readjust a cabinet door that is out of whack, as we call it, that won't close or maybe it just hangs down a little bit, or something to that effect. And I'm going to show you how to do it on one that has been painted over eight or nine times.  
 So the first thing we're going to show you is how to remove all the old paint. And what you want to do is, if you take a razor knife- and remember not to cut towards yourself- and you just want to cut around the hinge, you're just going to cut the paint with this. Go on all the sides, just go all the way around the hinge- except on the side that's inside the door. And then cut down in between the hinge of the door itself. And then you want to take a flat-headed screwdriver and a little hammer, and you're just going to- you should be able to pop the paint off. And then you're going to get the screw out. You want to make sure to- if it's a Philips head, just put the screwdriver there and hit it on the end until it locks. And if it doesn't lock in the beginning, you just want to clean it out some more.  
 And that would be how you clean out all the paint so that you can remove the hing

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## AlexJ66

Mitre10 also have DIY plans on their web site  http://www.mitre10.com.au/mitrePlans/, including one for "Hanging a Timber Door". 
Alex

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## Markw

Someone ought to show Mr Wallace how to use a hammer. You hit things with the funny round part - not the side of the hammer.  :Shock:

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## luvr29

Here's another one with great info on DIY stuff. http://www.essortment.com/in/HowTo.General/index.htm

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## Marc

On the topic of hanging doors....how many times do you have a perfect jamb, mark the hinge in the perfect position only to realise after you put one screw in each hinge that the door is too high, too low, to out or too in? And how much fun is it to put the first screws in yourself right? :Doh:  
I discovered this little trick that allows me to correct the postion of the door without actualy taking it down. 
Assuming you have only used one screw in each hinge, things are easy. Suppose the door is meant to go a bit further in ( or out).  
All you do is loosen the one screw of the corner of the door that needs repositioning 2 or 3 turns, enough for the head to relase the hinge allowing it to slide under it. Next you push the door in the new position and whack a second screw to hold it in place. Take the first screw out, plug the hole with a shish kebab stick and a bit of glue and the rest is history. 
If the few millimeters the screw allows the door to moove are not enough you can place the second screw in the side of the hinge hole rather than in the middle but this time screw it in only half way. Take the other screw out and tighten the new in. You can use this trick to move the door in its jamb from a couple of mm to 5 or 6 and never need to pull the door down. If you need to move it up or down you will have to do this simultaneously on the top and bottom hinge. 
If you screwd up again, you still have another go with the third hinge hole or the forth if you have four. After that if you still don't have it in position, take an axe to the door or call a carpenter. :2thumbsup:   
PS if I have re-invented the wheel, I don't care, It is still my invention  :Roll Eyes (Sarcastic):

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## pawnhead

> PS if this is like re-inventing the wheel for some, I don't care, It is still my invention

  Well you're just inviting me to say something now aren't you? There's a million little tricks of the trade like this 'invention' of yours, but they're usually second nature to a pro.
But then again, if he calls himself a real pro then he won't need to adjust them in the first place. He'll have made his own adjustable jig that fits almost any door height or hinge size, works on both the door and the jamb, and with the aid of a nail gun and all the proper tools, he should be able to knock up the jambs, install them, and swing the doors on them perfectly first go.
If he's good at it, then he should be able to do just that on a house load of about twenty doors, and he'd be able to knock off early that day. Or he could hang around for the afternoon and install all the latches and door handles as well.  :Wink:

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## joe greiner

> When mounting hinges to jamb, have heard of putting one longer screw in each hinge that goes right through jamb into stud, particularly for hanging heavy doors on MDF jambs. Others may care to comment, whether overkill or good idea.

  Most definitely a good idea, but principally effective for top hinge. The little hinge screws do little more than position the hinge in the jamb. On my older house with sagging front door, I replaced all the little hinge screws with longer screws into the jamb. No more sagging, and no more wear on the meeting edge of the door. 
Joe

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## Marc

> Well you're just inviting me to say something now aren't you?

   :Confused:  
Did I? Why?   

> There's a million little tricks of the trade like this 'invention' of yours, but they're usually second nature to a pro.

  Who is a professional? I'm not. :Cool:     

> But then again, if he calls himself a real pro then he won't need to adjust them in the first place...etc.

  Ha ha, I'm not a pro but have hired hundreds of pro who would probably benefit from this and as many other tricks you could throw at them. Judging from the way doors have been hung 40 years ago in my own place, it does not seem to be something to do with "this days" either.   :No:

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## pawnhead

> Did I? Why?

  For claiming it as your own invention, but on deeper contemplation you're right. It is your invention because you thought of it. But so did I without being taught it by anyone so it's my invention too. It was probably first thought up by someone in the dark ages though.  

> Who is a professional? I'm not.

  Well I don't mean to sound brash, but I've hung probably thousands of doors, but that doesn't mean that there's not a thousand chippies out there who could show me a trick or two. You never stop learning.   

> Ha ha, I'm not a pro but have hired hundreds of pro who would probably benefit from this and as many other tricks you could throw at them. Judging from the way doors have been hung 40 years ago in my own place, it does not seem to be something to do with "this days" either.

  You're exactly right there and at the moment I'm contemplating, and jotting down all the little tricks I know about fix  outs. Perhaps someone will gain something, and perhaps I'll gain something from the input of others. 
Your invention will be included and I'll credit you for it.  :Wink:

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