Guides4Homeowners Useful Information & Guides
Have you ever tried to hang a door by yourself? It can be a bit of an art form, although it sounds quite basic, it’s actually quite a tricky thing to do. We have put together a guide on how to hang a door by yourself so it, to quote one of my favourite actors / comedians, fits “like a glove”.
Quick Navigation
- What tools do I need?
- Which way round do I hang it?
- Step by step guide to hang a door
- Buy a door & get it fitted
What tools do I need?
There are a few tools you should have in your arsenal when attempting to hang a door. This includes:
- Pencil
- Tape measure
- Hammer
- Chisel
- Drill
- Workhorse / Table
- Saw
- Sandpaper
- Screwdriver
- Screws
You may need a few extra bits and pieces as well, it depends on the situation, so just use this list as an initial guide.
Which way round do I hang it?
It’s not always immediately obvious as to which way round you should hang the door, people often find they get it wrong!
If the door is a panelled door then you will find that the panels on the bottom half are generally larger than the ones at the top. The other thing to thing about is which was you want to door to swing, you need to keep in mind the position of the hinges when you are planning this out.
Step by step guide to hang a door
- Prepare the door
- Check it fits
- Place the hinges
- Make space to inset the hinges
- Mark the hinge screw positions & drill the holes
- Screw on the hinges
- Mark the hinge position on the frame & chisel recesses
- Fix the hinges to the frame
The first thing that you need to do is prepare the door itself. Most doors won’t just fit perfectly to the door frame, unless your lucky! Measure your door frame & mark the door with a pencil as to where you need to trim in order to make it fit. You should take an even amount off of each side, an a good tip or way to do this is by cutting two pieces of wood to the width and length of the frame so you can hold it against the door and adjust the markings as you see fit.
Once you’ve made the markings to the size that you require, then you need to start trimming it down. The best way to do this is to saw across the lines that you’ve made and sand the rough edges.
Now this seems an obvious one, but before you start putting the hinges on and attaching everything, make sure you’ve got your measurements right and that the door is going to fit in the frame.
Determine which was the door will open and place your hinges around 15cm from the top & bottom of the door itself. Open up the hinges and draw round them with a pencil so your ready for the next step.
Using a chisel you need to make a recess for the hinges to sit in. You want to ensure that the hinge when open sits flush with the rest of the door. Do this slowly & keep checking as not chiseling away enough of the wood is fine, however going too deep may mean that you have to get another door.
Now it’s time to make holes for the screws. Use a drill bit that is slightly smaller than the screws you are intending to use. Mark the holes on the hinges & drill.
This one is simple. Screw the hinges in the recesses you’ve made, you can use a screwdriver for this, it should be easy enough.
It’s the same step again, similar to what you did with the door itself you need to make a recess for the hinge in the frame. Line the door up with the frame & mark round the hinge position with a pencil, using your chisel again, slowly make the recess.
You may want to drill pilot holes again in the place of the hinges in order to make it easier to screw in, but that’s preference. Now it’s time to complete the job, line up the door and screw the hinges to the frame & that’s it, you’re done.
Buy a door & get it fitted
Are you struggling to hang the door yourself? Or do you just want someone to sort it for you? You can easily get a quote on a variety of different door related jobs around your home by using our selector below. Simply select what you require & fill in your details in order to get quotes from local tradesmen or companies.
