Installing
and Hanging Doors
by Gary Katz
Softcover
205 x 255mm
215pp
Published by The Taunton Press, Connecticut, USA.
R.R.P.$29.90
ISBN 1-56158-635-8
As reviewed in House & HOME Issue 68
Fitting doors requires knowledge and experience to achieve a precise fit for jambs, even gaps and near perfect levels. In Installing and Hanging Doors, Gary Katz offers the benefits of his joinery skills to describe methods that make hanging doors less daunting for the beginner and problem-free for the more experienced carpenter.
The sequence of chapters is intended to simulate the steps and challenges to hanging interior and exterior doors. They range from the choice of doors and hardware, through to Door Jambs and Prefit Doors, how to hang a door, uncommon doors, installations and weatherproofing.
Katz categorises doors into groups, including hollow-core, hardboard (Masonite) paint-grade and stain-grade hollow core, moulded panel, solid-core hardboard, custom, stile and rail and composite doors - with benefits such as low cost, durability, aesthetic appeal and a long life span.
Once the door has been selected, choosing the right hinges, latches, deadlocks, locksets and astragals (for pairs of doors) is the next step. The information supplied assists you in making an informed decision on the hardware to use such as ball-bearing hinges for solid wood doors, and the correct type of latch or lockset to suit the particular installation.
Where Katz's knowledge and experience shine through is in the details of installing door jambs, hanging doors and weatherproofing exterior doors. Handy tips like cross-stringing a jamb to ensure it is plumb, straight and cross-sighted help make the preparation work in hanging the door easier and quicker.
While hanging prefit doors is relatively simple, hanging a single door can also be made easier by following the series of steps recommended. Advanced techniques cover hanging pairs of doors and how to install a mortise lock. If faced with an uncommon installation such as bifold doors, the instructions supported by photos and drawings will provide an excellent guide.
For advice on how to hang a door correctly, Installing and Hanging Doors is a reference text that will serve your needs for many years. Both beginners and the more experienced can benefit from the depth of knowledge, historical facts on how and why particular methods are used, and the handy tips Gary Katz has to offer.
Photos: Black & White
Units of Measurement: Imperial
Contents
Introduction
Choosing
a Door
Hollow-Core Doors
Solid-Core Hardboard Doors
Special-Order
Doors
Stile-and-Rail Doors
Composite Doors
Choosing
Hardware
Hinges
Latches
Dead Bolts and Locksets
Astragals
for Pairs of Doors
Door
Jambs
Interior Jambs
Exterior Jambs
Prefit
Doors
Prehung Doors
Prefit Bifold Doors
Prefit Bipass Doors
Mirror Bipass Doors
Hanging
Doors
Scribing a Door
Cutting
the Top and Bottom
Preparing the Hinge Stile
Preparing the Lock Stile
Hanging the Door
Advanced
Door Hanging
Hanging a Pair of Doors
Installing Mortise Locks
Uncommon
Doors & Unusual Hardware
Sidelights and Latches
Arched Doors
Dutch Doors
Double-Acting Doors
Invisible Hinges
Site-Built Bifold Doors
Pocket
Doors
Weather-Proofing
for Exterior Doors
Sill Covers
Thresholds
Door Shoes
Permanent
Installation
Weatherstripping the Jamb
Index