How to Hang a Door

Step 1
To remove the old door, put wooden wedges underneath for support and unscrew the hinges. Chip away thick paint with an old screwdriver or craft knife. Loosen rusted screws by giving the screwdriver a sharp tap with a mallet. Remove screws from the top hinge first, then all but one from the bottom hinge. With the door supported , take out the last screw. If you want to reduce the height or width of the new door by more than 6mm, use a panel saw to cut off the waste wood and sand or plane the edge smooth. For smaller amounts, it's easier to just use a hand or power plane.

Step2
Put the new door in the frame to check the fit. Ideally there should be a 2mm gap all around the sides and top of the door. If there's thick carpet in the room, you will need a larger 5-10mm gap at the bottom. Plane or saw some off the door if it's too large or the frame isn't exactly square.

Step3
Once the door is the correct size, fit the hinges to the frame. If the new hinges don't fit the old frame recesses exactly, rest them on the bottom of each recess and mark around the top edges. Cut out the waste wood inside the line with a chisel and mallet.

Step 4
Screw each hinge to the door frame with a single screw and fold open. The hinge pivots should protrude from the frame edge. Prop the door in the frame, resting on wedges so that there's the correct gap at the bottom. Mark the top and bottom of each hinge on the face of the door.

Step 6
Tap around the outline of the hinge shapes with a chisel. Make sure the bevel of the chisel is facing towards the waste wood. Make a series of cuts across the wood at 5mm intervals - try to make the cuts the same depth as the thickness of the flap. Chisel along the line on the face of the door to remove the chips of waste wood. Check the hinges fit flush with the edge and fix with one screw per hinge, so that you can make adjustments easily. Use a drill bit slightly smaller in diameter than the screw to make a starter hole.

Step 7
Hold the door on wedges, at right angles to the frame, and fix the hinge flaps to the door frame, again with only one screw. Check the door opens and closes easily, then fit the rest of the screws.

Tips & Advice
- If the old was a good fit, use it as a template but always take off an equal amount of wood from each side of the new door.
- Brass screws are soft and can easily snap. Screw a steel screw the same size into each hinge hole to make threads in the wood.
- If the carpet is very thick and you don't want to make too large a gap under the floor, fit rising butt hinges which will lift the door upwards as it opens.