Hang a Door using Butt Hinges

Hanging a door can be a challenge for the do it yourselfer. However, it is not so difficult that it cannot be accomplished, it just takes a little patience. Most lightweight doors are hung using butt hinges and these hinges are probably the most common hinge on the market. They are available in both rigid (fixed pin) and loose pin types with loose pin being the most common. Loose pin butt hinges consist of two separate flat steel pieces called leafs with holes in each piece. The two pieces are held together by a hinge pin. The advantage of using this type hinge in that the hinge pin can be removed and the door taken down without unscrewing the hinges. Now that we are familiar with the hinges, lets get to work and hang that door in our house. For this illustration we will assume your jamb is already there and you are replacing a damaged door.

Butt hinges are commonly recessed into the door and the jamb on residential doors. The hinge is recessed to the thickness of the leaf. Measure where the hinges are to be located. If the jamb is present, you can place the door in the opening and transfer marks from the jamb to the door. Two hinges are normally enough for residential doors with the top hinge located 5" from the top of the door and the bottom hinge located 10" from the bottom of the door. The easiest way to mark the hinge is to place the hinge on the edge of the door in its proper location. Then score its outline with a utility knife.

Now that you have the hinges marked it's time to cut the recess.  Mark the outline of the hinge by tapping lightly with chisel.  After the outline is chiseled, make several cuts as deep as the hinge is thick inside the area you marked out for the hinge.

Using the chisel, remove the wood you have cut away and clean up the edges.  After you have done this for both hinges, now you are ready to mount the hinges.  Place the hinge on the door in the recess and using a center punch or nail set, mark the holes for the screws.  Drill pilot holes using the proper size drill bit.  If you have not already done so, remove the hinge pin, separate the leafs and attach the butt hinges to the door with the screws provided.

Now you can place the door in the opening and align the barrel on both leafs of each hinge.  Place the pin in the top hinge first, it will help hold the door in place while you place the pin in the bottom hinge.

When attaching the hinges to the door, make sure they are straight in the recess before marking the screw holes.  By following these steps, you should have a door that will operate smoothly for many years to come.