How to Install Door Hinges?

How to Install Door Hinges?

door hinges

Installing tight and accurate door hinges have nothing to do with luck and practice. Instead, a couple of right woodworking techniques are all that you need to perfectly install custom door hinges to your interior and exterior doors. 

A door hinge combines two simple machines, the wheel and the axle. It has elements of the lever as well. And it is generally held to the door and door jamb via screws, although nails can also be used.

Here are a few steps you must follow to accurately meet your desired objective without paying a lot of bucks to carpenters or external help that you might need to call. 

Shim the Door in Position and Trace It in the Position

Initially, you need to match the door hinge to the door frame. Mark the hinge position with a Stanley knife. The exact marking allows proper hinge placement and a door attachment. 

Traditionally, hinges are 4 ½ inches from the top and 9 inches from the bottom, so they exactly match the top and bottom of the rails. You may vary the dimensions as per the sizes of the custom door hinges available. 

Cut the Mortise 

Cut the mortise as per the dimensions that have been marked with a Stanley knife. The shape of the hinge has to be exactly replicated on the jamb. This allows proper dimensions and calculations to be followed. It lets the hinge provide the best of all strength and appeal. 

Cut the mortise with a sharp chisel and hammer. Engage the chisel into the jamb and tap gently with the hammer. You must take great care about the angulation to cut the wood in a similar direction and dimension as per the mark. 

Don’t cut the mortise too deep because it might be one of the reasons for the door hinge loosening over a period of time. 

Also, ensure you don’t use a dull chisel to cut the mortise. Otherwise, you might need to exert a lot of pressure while making the cut. 

Mark the Location of the Screws 

Place the door hinge in the jamb at the space where you cut the mortise. Mark the location of the screws in the jamb and the door. 

Drill the Pilot Holes 

Drill the holes at the exact place you marked in point 3. Use a screw guide to fit the screws in an exact place. 

Install the Door Hinges 

Now put the door hinges into their designated space and tighten them up with the screws. 

Connect the Door to the Jamb 

Join the door and the jamb. Fit in the two-piece door hinges to assimilate it like a lock and key. Tighten it up. Move the door to check for its workability. 

And that’s it. 

Why are there 3 Hinges on a Door?

Three hinges are needed for support on heavier doors, and to control warping and to hold the door weather tight. In residential construction the third hinge is for warpage control as it doesn’t provide much extra support. 

Generally exterior doors have 3 hinges and lesser used interior doors or lighter interior doors have two. Some molded lightweight interior doors are fitted with three hinges for stability. 

These would be room entry doors, while a similiar door on a closet might have two hinges. 

Outswing doors , like a storm door need 3 hinges or in real windy areas or a really light door, a roton or continuous hinge is best. The third hinge helps control warping and holds the door weather tight.

What is the Strongest Type of Door Hinge? 

A door hinge connects the door to the frame and allow it to be opened and closed easily without any hindrance. 

A butt-tpe joining is the strongest type of door hinge available. They are made of two rectangular leaves with accompanying screw holes.

Here,  a metal rod or pin joins the leaves. If you withdraw the pin, the leaves separate, and this is handy for when you need to take down the door. One leaf is mortised into the edge of the door frame or jamb, and the other is recessed into the edge of the door. 

The leaves meet, or “butt together”, when the door is closed so only the pin is visible.

Conclusion

Let’s repeat all the steps, in a nutshell, to help you have a better understanding of how to install a door hinge. All you need to do is trace the door hinge on the door frame firsthand. 

Mark the depth simultaneously with proper detailing. Next comes the cutting phase. Cut the mortise as per the dimensions that have been traced previously. 

Then mark the screw positions and bore them. Lastly, fix the hinge and attach the door to the jamb. And that’s really it. You really don’t need to pay extra bucks to the carpenter for a little chore like this. You can learn more about the door hinges, their qualities and installation right at www.tdchinges.com. 

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