Yet when the door comes withouthinges, how do you plant the hinges?
Should you flush-mount the hinges and, if so, is it hard to do so?
The process of installing door hinges on door blanks and sinking them flush is called mortising.
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This allows the door toopen and close properly.
Mortising gives a tighter fit and more strength to the door and hinge.
Codes, Regulations, and Permits
Hinge placement affects the direction of the door swing.
The Spruce / Jason Donnelly
In some instances, the door must swing in the direction of egress.
Check with yourbuilding departmentfor door swing requirements.
Safety Considerations
Always wear eye protection when working with a hammer, chisel, and file.
The Spruce / Jason Donnelly
Chisels are sharp, so cut away from the direction of your body.
Place the door on its side, with the handle side of the door facing the floor.
For holding the door on its side, it helps to have an assistant hold the door.
The Spruce / Jason Donnelly
If the door frame is already mortised, follow that placement pattern for the door.
Unless the door is pre-hung on an attached doorframe, this is an essential step tohanging a door.
Lay a hinge down on the mark.
The Spruce / Jason Donnelly
The pin side should be on the side of the door swing.
The hinge must step back from the edge of the door.
Mark around the hinge with a pencil.
The Spruce / Jason Donnelly
Remove the screw and hinge once finished.
Sharpen the Chisel
Unless you have a new chisel, you will need to sharpen it.
Lay the chisel on a solid flat work surface.
The Spruce / Jason Donnelly
File the chisel to sharpen it or use a whetstone.
Work slowly and be patient.
see to it that the depth does not exceed the thickness of the hinge.
The Spruce / Jason Donnelly
Flatten out the mortise area by gently scraping by hand with the chisel.
Scrape in the direction of the wood grain.
Check the Hinge Depth
Place the hinge in the mortise.
The Spruce / Jason Donnelly
Run your finger across the top of the hinge to verify that it is flush with the door surface.
If the hinge is too high, work the mortise again with the chisel to remove more waste material.
Mortising hinges does not allow for second chances if you make a mistake.
Your door needs one hinge for every 30 linear inches.
This means that doors will need three hinges for hang and swing properly.
In most cases, you will need to mortise (or flush-mount) the hinges.
