Simple Steps to Hang a Door

#1 rule don't pre-shim the hinge side! The method for hanging doors that I have taught to many finish carpenters and used myself for decades. It's easy and foolproof. Take a look and see what you think. thesmartwoodsh...

[@2manycardz]

On our door hanging projects we actually put the shims on the hinge side plumb them then hang the door

[@TheSmartWoodshop]

Shim first was how I was taught to hang doors back in the 80s. Air hanging was a method I came up with and taught my crews. Most of the carpenters I hired had to be retaught as they all shimmed first. Air hanging takes some practice, but after 20 or 30 doors it is the most efficient method.

[@robthewaywardwoodworker9956]

Always satisfying to hang a door well. That positive click of the latch. Mhmm. Nice process.

[@TheSmartWoodshop]

It sure is

[@thomasgilbert9347]

Thanks for all the information

[@TheSmartWoodshop]

You bet!

[@isaiahii6982]

Why do you not set your Festool C18 drill on a low setting so it doesn't overdrive it? I noticed a little bit of torque which caused you to twist as to not overdrive it. I use my C18 all the time because it has an extremely soft touch. I'm building cabinets for a kitchen right now and I'm using 1 3/4in screws to put the boxes together which I pre-drill with a counter sink bit and then a longer 3/32 bit and I set my C18 to number 8 on the dial and just pull the trigger and let the drill do its magic. It has yet to over torque one. No big deal, I'm not saying you don't know what you are doing, I'm just wondering why you aren't utilizing one of the main strengths of the Festool C18.

[@TheSmartWoodshop]

😎Lazy

[@jimdeverna]

Ron .... thanks for taking the time to make the door hanging video. AIR HANGING is a well chosen title. I would appreciate seeing more about the twisted jamb. Other than eye balling it what can you measure to help old guy with poor eyesight. Thank you!! Jim DeVerna

[@TheSmartWoodshop]

Thanks for the idea!

[@davesch1512]

Great video!! I like the idea of adding the longer screw in the hinges. I have always removed the door stop on the hinge side and put my screws under that. Your way is a lot faster do you use 2 1/2” screws?

[@TheSmartWoodshop]

2 ½" or 3"😎🤙

[@lymanreed3812]

Great video. You make it look easy. Nice tip on checking the leading edge for plumb and trimming one leg of the jam if necessary to get the head level.

[@TheSmartWoodshop]

Glad it was helpful!

[@ItsDaPlumber]

flip flops? Show our future tradesman the meaning of saftey please.

[@johnmontague69]

Its an interior door hes hanging not a king Kong door!

[@TheSmartWoodshop]

I don't think me wearing Birks is unsafe. If I wore closed toes shoes, I would go crazy, get angry and be irrational and possibly dangerous and that would be unsafe.😎

[@SkilledEddie]

Before I got into trucking I was in the trades but we see this in trucking too. Driving a truck with flipflops on is unprofessional and we call them steering wheel holders. We aren't at the beach we are at work.

[@orienyeckley269]

Sandals are Safe until you bump your speed square out of your vest onto your toes…

[@garybarchas4984]

I was taught in the 70's to plumb my shims on the hinge side and then hand nail with 10p finish. I invested in my first 15ga nailer and quickly learned a new method...air hanging. Almost doubled my productivity instantly. I had one call back in 25 years. The family's bull mastiff decided he didn't like being behind a closed door! Lol. Actually had a few calls for settling issues with homes built on Cape Cod in the 80's. Building on beach sand will sometimes ite you no matter how much you overbuild. Keep 'em coming brother!

[@TheSmartWoodshop]

I think setting hinge side shims was/is industry standard. I also found air hanging to be fast. It also allowed me to easily move the door side to side in the opening for exact centering which doesn't matter most of the time but in a tight opening it is nice to have the casing with the same reveal on both sides.

[@michaelmurray5413]

that how I was taught smart.

[@aRndBelgianGuy]

In my country, this is not so easy, the door-frame has to be cut to size and assembled separately 🙃

[@isaiahii6982]

I prefer building my door frames from scratch and do my own mortising. I've had so many bad experiences with pre-built door frames. I have a similar method as you when it comes to hanging doors. Good stuff.

[@TheSmartWoodshop]

Great tip!

[@mwoody4560]

Ron if i could give multiple thumbs up I would. I have worked as a framer. I worked in a custom furniture and cabinet shop. I have never done any trim carpentry professionally. This was great. i’ve only hung one door previously and the experience sucked. This was prior to the internet and youtube. All I had were some friends who said they knew how to do it (I don’t think they did). I am planning on replacing doors in my home because they do not hang well. I think the previous owner hung them because they are twisted, misaligned, some have an 1 1/2” gap at the bottom. I’ve been putting it off because of my previous experience and I don’t want to pay a trim carpenter. You video has such good coverage that I’m confident I can do it myself. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

[@TheSmartWoodshop]

You are welcome

[@ernieforrest7218]

Actually you are installing doors that have been prehung. Very big difference than actually installing the jambs then hanging a door blank on the frame. Most carpenters can be taught to hang ( prehung ) door units in a very short period of time, not so when actually hanging one.

[@TheSmartWoodshop]

😎

[@deankohr826]

Great video - I wish that it had been available last year when I was remodeling my kitchen/laundry room as I had to hang a few doors. I did OK but your method is better than the one I used. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

[@TheSmartWoodshop]

😎🤙

[@cameronweir4110]

Interesting to see how things are done in different countries. I do doors very similarly but instead of nails I use screws and hide them behind the stops. Shim it the exact same way with folding wedges. Great video thanks for sharing 😄

[@TheSmartWoodshop]

Our jambs are double rabbeted so the stops are part of the jamb and not removable.

[@franklehman6229]

Thanks much for a great lesson! I have always had issues as a DIY carpenter, this should help my next install.

[@TheSmartWoodshop]

Glad it helped!

[@jcoul1sc]

Generally we use a 2p, 2 penny coin in the UK for door gap. Most buildings now in uk will use doors etc like this

[@TheSmartWoodshop]

Interesting

[@cmoorhead1]

Thanks Ron. I plan to replace my interior doors and I like what you are installing. Can you tell me the make, model and where you got them?

[@TheSmartWoodshop]

The doors are Jeld Wen- Monroe , Primed Smooth Solid Core Molded Composite MDF. We got them from the local lumber yard, but Home Depot carries Jeld Wen in Florida. www.homedepot.com/p/JELD-WEN-30-in-x-80-in-Monroe-Primed-Right-Hand-Smooth-Solid-Core-Molded-Composite-MDF-Single-Prehung-Interior-Door-THDJW137000907/300213534 😁

[@RoyatAvalonFarms]

Yes, I really like vids like this. I'd also like to see you install windows, cabinets, etc. Thank you for the work you do.

[@TheSmartWoodshop]

Will do!

[@billedis5482]

Will you have to spray the doors again, appears there are spray lines on the outside of that door. Might be the lighting too.

[@TheSmartWoodshop]

After I hung the doors, we took them out and rolled the flat panels again.

[@M30263]

Pro tip. Open the hinge up and countersink a long framing screw behind the hinge to keep the hinge side from moving. This way when the painters remove the door and put it back your hard work isn’t in vein.

[@MrGamepants]

Interesting way of setting a prehung I may have to try it. I've gotten away from fully pre-shimming for the primary reason of as you said getting your jambs square. A lot of openings I deal with are nowhere close to square or plumb. One thing I have found is that for your hinge side shims set the top shim below the hinge, center one below, and bottom one above. That allows you to make fine adjustments to your top and bottom corner reveals without having to force them or have them settle on you over time.

[@kylescott5245]

Thanks for the video! Do you nail through the stop?

[@TheSmartWoodshop]

The 6 nails for air hanging are through the stops. The rest are right and left though the shim stacks.

[@yannkitson116]

Great video, thanks.

[@TheSmartWoodshop]

You bet

[@jcoul1sc]

No folding wedges?

[@TheSmartWoodshop]

I am not familiar with folding wedges

[@joemoya9743]

Best door hanging tutorial I have seen.

[@ChrisPaulk]

Yeah, Ron has hung a lot of doors!

[@TheSmartWoodshop]

Thank you Joe

[@jcoul1sc]

Any fire doors?

[@TheSmartWoodshop]

Not on this house as the garage isn't attached.

[@jamalmunroe8586]

So u took 1/8 off the bottom jamb leg thats already lower or u took it off the higher side?

[@ralphspinardi6903]

I had the same question. Watched again and realized the floor to level line measurement indicates a 1/8 gap under the LONG measurement when the header is level.

[@johnmontague69]

Nice Job 👌

[@TheSmartWoodshop]

Thank you! 😊

[@svetlanagladkih4777]

thanks

[@TheSmartWoodshop]

Welcome

[@thesmallshop]

Is there a simple way to check that the jamb is square in the opening? Hinge binding always is a good indicator but how do you dial it in.

[@anthonyromano8565]

Hinge binding is usually just the 2x4 trimmer is twisted or slightly off square requireing shim adjustment. I some times bevel the hinge side of the door a 2 degrees to insure there is no issue and trouble free install.

[@TheSmartWoodshop]

If you this method and air hang the door then carefully shim up to the jamb making sure the shims just make contact with the jamb and trim stud you will not be rotating the jamb. The problem occurs when shims are installed on the trim stud and then the door is pushed tight to it. If the trim stud is not square to the opening, then door jamb will not be square to the opening.

[@nickdrummer1992]

Didn't know Owen Wilson was a carpenter. And a bloody good one too!! Excellent video

[@TheSmartWoodshop]

I want to be in the movies😎🤙

[@RoyatAvalonFarms]

I would also like to see you build a set of cabinets from scratch, if that is something you do. It might even require a series of videos to design, cut, assemble and install a set of cabinets and cupboards. But that would be very cool to see with the SMART bench and station.

[@TheSmartWoodshop]

Maybe one day!

[@tedmcdonald3377]

😎🛠️😎🛠️😎

[@TheSmartWoodshop]

😎🤙

[@michaelmurray5413]

Perfect same way I do for 36 yrs great good.

[@TheSmartWoodshop]

Great 👍

[@straight_to_finish]

I love seeing different methods to hanging doors. Ideally the rough opening is plumb, level and square, and the studs aren’t all twisted. The last job I was on I had to rehang 70% of the doors from a previous contractor in a three unit apartment-that’s 15 doors. The previous contractors finish crew struggled with them since the openings were neither plumb, level or square-the two sides weren’t even parallel to each other. Maybe do a video on overcoming obstacles such as this? I had to shim out the sheetrock and install tapered extension jambs to make it work. Also, I had to rabbet out the casing and adjust the stops to overcome these obstacles. It was a nightmare scenario for hanging doors. Another method I use to keep the jambs square to the framing is cut a piece of wood that fully spans the jamb from side to side (the same width of the head jamb) and check the install every foot or so from the bottom up. Also, you certainly can shim behind hinges-just pop one of the hinges off to fasten (and hide the fastener). The last resort is to pull out the knuckle bender! 😁

[@TheSmartWoodshop]

There is always a way😎

[@rogermathews3035]

I use a similar method with spray foam instead of shims. I go to every R.O to start and shim hinge side top and bottom to be plumb, tack the door, set reveals. I put plastic shims between door and jamb the size of gap I want and foam a few spots around the door. Time to set is about same as you, roughly 15 minutes a door or so and I foam at the end of the day and let cure overnight.

[@TheSmartWoodshop]

Interesting

[@daveathisdesk]

The house is coming together quite nicely

[@TheSmartWoodshop]

Thanks, we really like it.

[@AdamWeil]

Awesome video. Please do more like this! Do you treat exterior doors differently then interior doors?

[@TheSmartWoodshop]

Exterior doors are a unit so no cutting the jamb legs. I have two exterior doors sitting here to be installed so video coming soon.

[@AdamWeil]

@@TheSmartWoodshop I know you don't trim the bottom of the jambs on exteriors bc of the thresholds. Mostly asking about installing process.

[@BigmoRivera]

Great Job 😉👍🏽📐🪚🔨

[@TheSmartWoodshop]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@rickculpepper709]

Yes sir make more

[@TheSmartWoodshop]

Maybe🤔

[@vitaliyg3516]

Thanks

[@TheSmartWoodshop]

Welcome

[@orienyeckley269]

Good video,my method is pretty similar….good to see you wearing your steel toed flip flops,and curious how often your speed square gets bumped out of your vest…😉

[@adamanderson8838]

Hey Ron. I love your content &!think very highly of you. I haven’t even watched the video but did read the thumbnail. Doors are east & I considered myself a pro when it comes to anything door related. Hardware, steel vs wood ect. That said, there are lots of tricks to getting the best out of the complete install & I’m sure you’ll do the best job in this video making it look easy, but I have to say I have been that guy to many times fixing & finishing out doors that someone who watched a video who made it look easy & assured everyone that it is easy do a half assed job. It’s good to give lesson’s & confidence per say to the masses, but man I see more fix it jobs in my future if people outside of descent construction skills & knowledge get their DIY on after watching your videos🤔😆 I never complain about work, but I hear many complain about how everyone makes it look so easy & end up doing a disservice to their home regarding home improvements. My current job proves my case. Home owner hates HGTV now because she thought she could do all kinds of stuff herself after watching, only to really end up devaluing her home with her efforts & belief that it’s easy. It’s easy for us brother but not your average noob trying to save money. Lol. I’m not going to watch this video brother but I sure will give you a thumbs because I greatly appreciate your content. Keep them coming & someday I’ll share a video of my work bench thanks to you. 🙏👍🏼😎

[@peenpuff]

Eww stop crying