How to install and decorate the door hinges
2008-08-20

  Now we know door is a very important part of new home planning. With a great door you will want door hardware to set the door off. The right door knobs or door handles along with attractive door hinges will finish the project. Before leaving to pick out your door hardware we recommend that you walk around the house and note each door and what type of knob you will need for each. Common choices are entry door thumb or lever handles, closet door handles, bed and bath knobs, and security door knobs. The locking or opening mechanism on each of these door knobs will differ slightly as well as differ in price. Also make note of how many door stops you will need. Some door stops will go on the door hinge and some may go on the baseboard. Door hardware choices will usually be polished brass, brushed brass, antique brass, polished chrome, satin chrome, pewter, and black to name a few. Replacing a door? Proper hinge installation is one key step in the process. Typically butt hinges are installed in recesses cut into the door frame (jamb) and the edge of the door (stile). For proper functioning the hinges must be precisely located and set into their mortises so the faces are flush with the surfaces of the door and jamb. While professionals may prefer to use routers and expensive hinge templates, all you really need are a few inexpensive hand tools and basic skills.

 Materials List • Tape measure • Packet of wood shims • Pencil • Butt hinges with screws • Combination square • Self-centering punch or self-centering bit • Hammer • Drill/driver • Butt marker (gauge) • Screwdriver • Wide wood chisel • Matching 3-in. screws

1. Locate Hinges      Assuming that you are installing a new door in a new jamb, plan to install the hinges on the door first. Unless you are matching the location of hinges with other doors in your home, use the following standard: The top of the upper hinge should be 7 inches below the top of the door; the bottom of the lower hinge should be 11 inches above the bottom of the door; and the middle hinge should be centered between the top and bottom hinge. (If the hinge mortises are already cut in the jamb go to Step .

2. Mark Hinge Outline Use a butt marker to score the hinge location on the door and jamb. Available for standard hinge sizes, a butt marker assures that the size of the mortise is exact and that it is located at precisely the right distance in from the face of the door and the edge of the jamb. Locate the marking tool on the door or jamb, and strike it sharply with a hammer a couple times. Then mark the mortise depth on the side of the door (or edge of the jamb) by tracing the hinge thickness; or use a combination square to scribe your mark by setting the blade to extend a distance equal to the butt thickness. Refer to this depth mark when cutting the mortise.

3. Cut the Mortise       Use a chisel that is equal to the width of the mortise, if possible. Cut the top and bottom of the mortise first. (Hold the chisel perpendicular to the surface with the tip on the line scored by the butt marker and the beveled side facing toward the mortise. Strike firmly.) Then cut a V-channel across the mortise anywhere within the mortise. (Hold the chisel at a 45-degree angle with the bevel facing downward, making two cuts at opposite angles.) Next make a series of cuts, spaced about 1/8-in. apart, starting at the V-channel and working toward the outside edge of the mortise. Finally, use the chisel to scrape out the chips; smooth the bottom of the mortise; and clean up the perimeter with perpendicular strokes.

4. Attach the Hinge Leaf      Use a self-centering drill bit accessory or a self-centering punch to create a pilot hole that assures that the screw will be centered and on mark. An improperly placed screw can shift the hinge position slightly or force the screw to tilt so its head does not sit flush. Place the hinge leaf in the mortise and position the self-centering tool in the countersink recesses of the hinge. Drill or strike with a hammer, depending on which accessory you are using. When all pilot holes are done, install the screws.

 5. Locate the Mating Hinge Leaves      With the hinge leaves installed on the door (or in jamb, as they would be if you were replacing a door in an existing frame), position the door in the opening. Insert shims under the door until there is an even 1/8th-in. gap between the top of the door and the head jamb. Then very carefully mark (transfer) the hinge locations on the jamb directly opposite their location on the door (or onto the door if the jamb hinge leaves were installed first). Cut the mortises and install the hinges as previously described.

6. Install the Door       For a heavy door or any exterior door, it is wise to install at least one 3-in. screw to secure the top hinge to the jamb. This long screw will penetrate the jamb and anchor the hinge to the framing. The weight of a heavy door can make smaller screws work loose over time, causing the door to sag. That, in turn, may adversely affect a weather-stripping seal or cause the door to rub or stick in the opening. Longer screws at every hinge will make any exterior door more secure. Certainly if despite your best efforts a slight misalignment prevents mating hinge leaves from interlocking, make a note of which direction a hinge leaf would need to move so as to correct the problem. Then tap the leaf in that direction with a hammer and a block of wood. And, rather than trying to move one leaf the entire distance, split the difference by tapping the mating leaf in the opposite direction. Be careful - a couple of gentle taps usually is all you need to "persuade" the hinge.   

     But only install a door hinges is not enough. We should do some thing to decorate it. You can switch out your door hinges with relative ease. For the job to be as easy as possible, you need to find new hinges that are the same overall size as your existing ones. My guess is you will discover your existing hinges are 3.5 inches high. The thickness of the door hinge metal is also important, so try to take one of your existing hinges off the door and jamb so you can hold them up to the new hinges you are thinking about buying.

      Assuming that you find new 3.5 inch square-butt hinges that are the same thickness or just slightly thicker, the only challenge will be to remove the wood on the door and the door jamb to create the 90-degree corner where the rounded corners are currently located. The only tools you will need to accomplish this are a simple razor knife with a new blade and a one-half-inch-wide wood chisel. These are fairly inexpensive tools and they will come in handy for other projects if you do not currently own them. You will also need a screwdriver or two. The most accurate way to create the straight lines that will square up the existing hinge mortises is to temporarily screw one of the new hinges right on top of the existing mortised area for your current door hinges. The new hinge will lay up on top of the wood at each of the rounded-corner locations, but that is not a problem. You will do just one hinge at a time, and there is no reason to remove the door from the door jamb. The entire process can be done with the door in the full open position.

      Start the job by opening the door a minimum of 90 degrees. If you can open it even further, the job will go faster. Take some wood shims or a small block of wood and shove it under the lower corner that is below the door handle. This will prevent the door from dropping when you work on the top hinge. If you do not block the door and support the it's weight, it can create enormous stress on the other hinges once the top hinge is removed. Remove the top hinge from the door and the door jamb. Temporarily install the new hinge in its place. Use the razor knife to slowly and carefully cut the lines where the wood must be removed at each rounded-corner location. Glide the edge of the razor along the metal side of the hinge to create the perfect lines at the corner. Push hard enough so the tip of the razor cuts into the wood the thickness of the hinge metal. Once the lines have been created, remove the hinge and use the wood chisel to carefully carve away the wood. It will take minimal effort, if the wood chisel is sharp and held at a low angle. Once the wood has been removed, install the hinge and tighten all screws. Do the same process for each hinge. Use extreme caution when working with the razor knife and wood chisel. Both tools are very sharp, and can cause serious injuries if you use too much uncontrolled force. Always use multiple gentle cutting strokes. Do not try to cut full depth with one stroke of the razor knife. Cutting across the grain of wood is always harder than cutting parallel to the grain.

     If the old screw holes are too large to securely hold the new hinge, fill them with small pieces of wood and yellow carpenter's glue. Wooden matchsticks are great to use. Coat each matchstick with some glue, and force several at once into the screw hole. Let the glue set up for at least an hour before installing the new screw. If you need to work faster, purchase rapid-set carpenter's glue.

       Up is all the tips about you. I believe you can see something from it. Wish you have a good choose and pretty door.