Doors installation

Door installation is one of the most experience demanding task in the construction  of a new house or during a renovation project with new doors to install. It can be even more detail oriented task in the case of a project where the old doors will be install into the new openings created during the renovation. Though only in the case of extremely valuable doors, the option of keeping  the old doors would be a practical one. In most cases new doors are reasonable priced and they bring a good value to a renovated home.

I had installed slab doors and then decorate them with a custom trim design to match existing patterns in the architectural design in the home. The home owner loved it.

The door installation process starts at the time of designing in which directions are the doors gonna swing in every room or if a pocket door would be a more practical option for an specific room. Pocket doors require custom framing and need some hardware installation long before the walls are boarded up.

One important detail to keep in mind when framing the doors openings is to make sure there is enough space behind the hinge side of the opening to easily fit the casing and back band that will be install at the time of trimming the house. Lots of time this is a detail overlooked that leave no option that rip that side of the casing, taking the beauty away from it.

Framing the openings at least 3 ¾ inches bigger that the door will make sure that it will be enough room to fit the door jams, shims and still have enough room to properly level the door during the installation. Accurately installed doors should stand still at every angle of their opening without moving or swinging on their own.

The process of preparing the doors for installation consists in many cases of beveling both edges of the doors and routeing a cavities for the hinges in the door and in the jam. These are tasks that require not only experience but the proper tools to be able to perform a high quality job.

When the high of the door itself has to be adjusted, the doors are usually cut at the bottom and it is always recommended to seal that side of the door after the cut.

When hanging a door I use temporary hinges saving the real hinges for after all the finishing is done, that way the painting job can be done without having to worry about covering the hinges.

Door stops, hardware and casing will complete the process of installing a door. Replacing the casing around an important door with a custom design as columns or insert molding panels will add decor and turn that door into a focal point of an area or room.

Leaving the proper space between the door and the jams can help with the fact that the door can rub  against the jams in the future with the humidity changes inside the home.

Proper installation of a door calls for a maximum of 3/8 space between the bottom of the door and the floor.

Door installation is a task that often requires small adjustment at the time of the lock installation or after the floor is installed.