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The ins and outs of hanging doors

Doors are often considered to be a fairly straightforward job and in some rare cases this can be true. But often, people find that it's actually quite a difficult and involved task to take on. Many aspects of hanging doors can only be learned with a great deal of experience. For instance, the correct way to fit the hinges in itself is a demanding and extremely varied task. In fact it's true to say that no door is the same, although the actual method of fitting it is. Not to mention the tools required to carry out the job can be sometimes quite extensive, and the experience in actually using the tools is also often overlooked. Much the same as any other job or profession,  if you are looking for the best result possible, it's essential to hire someone skilled in doing the task. 

The golden rules of door hanging

Always store a door flat prior to hanging and leave the door unpacked in the room to be fitted for a couple of days or so to aclimatise

If it's a flush panel door, be sure it's the right way up. In some cases, its necessary to check on the top of the door to see which side the lock should be ffitted

The door should be cut / planned to fit the door lining with a 2 - 3mm gap all round

The top hinge should be fitted 6 inches from the top of the door to the top of the hinge. The bottom hinge should be fitted 9 inches from the bottom of the door to the bottom of the hinge. If using a 3rd hinge, this should be fitted center to the top and bottom.

Always plane a 'leading edge' on the door closing side. This is a slight angle to the edge of the door which prevents the door binding when being closed.