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How to Hang a Wood Door

Installing a solid wood door enhances the look of your home and helps with soundproofing.

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Carpenter's pencil Door Hammer Hinge profile cutter Hinge Pocket tape measure Router Screwdriver Screws Wood chisel

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How to Hang a Wood Door

computer-generated transcript - may not be 100% accurate

" There's nothing like a solid wooden door to enhance the look of a home. Here's how to install a solid wooden door. Measure the width and the height of the existing door. Purchase a door with the same dimensions as the door you are replacing. If that's not possible you can buy a slightly larger door and cut it to size. Use a nail set and a hammer to lift the pins up out of the hinges and removed them. Remove the door and set it aside. There are two methods of determining the location of the hinges on a new door. The first method is to measure the hinge locations on the old door from the top of the door down to the top of the hinge. Do the same on the bottom hinges. The second method is to measure the distance from the top of the doorjamb, down to the first hinge and subtract an eighth of an inch. This will account for an eighth of an inch clearance gap that you will need between the door and the doorjamb. Transfer the measurements of the hinges and mark the edges of the hinge locations on the new door with a pencil. You can use a hinge profile cutter tool to stamp the edges of the hinge plate area into the edge of the door, where the hinge will be located. You hammer the cutter to the depth of the hinge plate and then remove it. The cutter also has a depth guide that you can use to score against the side of the door to measure the depth of the mortise for the hinge. Using the stamped die cut as a guide, chisel out the wood to the depth of the hinge plate by cutting parallel lines into the hinge areas to the depth of the marks scored on the side of the door. Then, using a chisel, remove the wood until the surface is clear and smooth or you can use a router and guide to route out the mortise for the hinge plate. Either the chisel or the router will do the job. The router tends to make a cleaner job of the process. When the mortise is cut, drill pilot holes for the hinge screws and set the screws in place. With the hinge plates in place, hang the new door and check the alignment. There should be an eighth of an inch space called the reveal all the way around the edges. Adjust the hinges until the door fits."

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