Renovation 4th Edition

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Renovation 4th Edition Page 29

by Michael Litchfield


  misaligned, and leak.

  each end.

  meet perfectly in the middle and what to do

  about it.

  INStAllAtION: A QUICk SUMMARy

   Measure the RO to make sure it’s large

  enough to accommodate the prehung unit.

   Using a 6-ft. level, see if the bottom of the

  RO is level and the sides are plumb. Leveling

  the bottom is critical: French doors are wide

  and heavy and must rest solidly on a level

  opening. “Leveling a Doorsill” on p. 113 covers

  the process. But if the sill/threshold is made

  out of aluminum, it won’t have much inherent

  strength. To prevent flex, you’ll first need to

  create a level pad of shims spaced every 6 in. to

  8 in. and then set the sill on top of them. Or

  you might rip down a beveled piece of treated

  wood to attain a level surface. Whatever works.

   Also check the wall faces on both sides of

  the RO for plumb—so you’ll know what you’re

  dealing with if the wall isn’t plumb. The frame

  must stay square for the doors to operate

  correctly and to maintain a 1⁄8-in. reveal. But to

  fool the eye, you may have to tip the frame

  slightly in or out at the top or perhaps fudge

  the casing to reconcile a plumbed frame to a

  not-plumb wall.

   As with single-door installations, some

  carpenters prefer to remove the doors from

  the jambs. But if it’s a good-quality, factory-

  built unit, I suggest leaving the doors in the

  frame and getting a lot of help lifting the unit

  into the opening. Center the frame in the RO,

  Tilt French doors into

  margin the frame in the wall, and tack the

  place. Tack the cleats

  frame in the opening using one 10d finish nail

  to the upper corners

  at the top of each hinge jamb.

  of the frame to keep

  the unit from falling

   Double doors have two hinge jambs, of

  through the opening

  course, so it doesn’t really matter which one

  and to ensure that the

  you plumb first. An old-timer I know likes to

  jambs will be flush

  shim the top hinge on each side first, to

  with the sheathing.

  Doors, Windows, and Skylights

  119

  When jambs are bowed, a plumb bob

  When there’s too much of a gap where French doors meet If doors are not protected by an overhang, apply flexible,

  gives more accurate readings than a

  in the middle, use a flat bar to ease the jambs toward the

  self-adhesive flashing tape over the top flange of the

  spirit level. Hang the bob from a nail

  middle so you can slip shims behind them. Tweak and

  head casing after the doors are set and the casing is

  near the top of the frame. When the

  reshim the doors until they seat correctly and close evenly installed. This flashing overlaps the fiber-reinforced

  jamb is plumb, readings to the string

  in the center.

  flashing strips on each side. To facilitate painting, the

  will be equal along its length.

  manufacturer premasked door lights with plastic film.

  establish the correct 1⁄8-in. gap between the

  bows, the head jamb was probably milled too

  doors, high up. Then he plumbs and secures

  long and should be cut down. The gap between

  one side completely, then the other, keeping an

  the double doors should be 1⁄8 in. or whatever the

  eye on the gap as he goes. He adjusts shims

  manufacturer suggests.

  continually on both sides. When he’s done,

   Wider gap between doors near the top.

  there are five pairs of shims (and five pairs of

  Shim out behind a top hinge on one side.

  10d finish nails) on each jamb and five shim-

  P R O T I P

   Uneven door heights, binding in a corner.

  nail pairs across the head jamb. Lastly, he

  One corner of the frame is lower than the other.

  removes a middle screw from the top hinge on

  Before drilling, chiseling, or

  Try driving a shim under the jamb on the low

  each jamb and replaces it with a 3-in. screw

  routing a prehung door, insert

  side. But, given the importance of solid shim-

  that sinks deeply into the framing. Hanging

  wedges beneath it so it can’t

  ming under the length of the sill, you may want

  doors is a little like having a religion—it

  move. Alternatively, you can pull

  to remove the frame and reset all the shims.

  doesn’t matter what you believe, really, just

  the hinges, remove the door from

  A less likely explanation: One jamb is too long.

  that you believe in something.

  the frame, and support it in a

  In which case, use an oscillating multitool (see

  pair of homemade door bucks,

  p. 49) to cut the jamb in place, then pull the nails

  also called door-holding jigs.

  tacking the jamb to the RO so you can reposition

  FINe-tUNINg FReNCH DOORS

  the jamb.

  Now it’s time for fine-tuning the installation or,

   Doors aren’t in plane. The frame, doors, or

  as the pros call it, working the frame. Here are a

  RO may be twisted. Use a level to see which ele-

  few problems you might run into and what to do

  ment is out of plumb, then sight along the

  about them:

  straight edge of the level to see if any surface is

   Doors hitting in the center. Ease off the

  bowed. If the RO is plumb, the jambs or the door

  shims behind the hinge jambs. If the problem is a may be warped. Contact your vendor to see about

  bowed jamb, use additional nails to pull it back

  getting a replacement.

  toward the outside of the RO or, as needed,

   The door won’t stay shut, or one hinge

  21⁄2-in. screws.

  binds while the others work fine. See if the

   Doors too far apart in the center. Shim out

  jamb is twisted. You may need to reset the shims

  from the RO more. If that doesn’t work or if you

  until the jamb is square to the door. Otherwise,

  must shim so much that the center of the jamb

  the hinge may be irregular. To correct it, use an

  120 Chapter 6

  adjustable wrench or locking pliers to bend the

  knuckles on one of the hinge leaves. Bend the leaf

  on the door, though, because you’ll probably split

  zzzzzz Bending a Hinge knuckle

  the jamb if you try to bend a leaf attached to it.

  If the door binds on the latch

  jamb yet the hinges are tight, a

  Instal ing Hardware

  hinge leaf may be bent. Use an

  Specifics vary, but most locksets come with paper

  adjustable wrench to bend a

  templates that locate the center of the holes

  hinge-leaf knuckle on the door.

  Door leaf

  drilled in the face of the door (face bores) for

  handle-spindles or cylinders, and holes drilled

  Jamb leaf

  into the edge of the door (
edge bores) for latch

  assemblies. A second paper template locates

  holes drilled in the latch jamb of the door frame.

  Although the directions given in this section are

  typical, always follow the directions supplied by

  your lock maker. Note: Measure the door thick-

  ness before buying locksets or key cylinders.

  Some mechanisms are adjustable, whereas oth-

  ers fit only specific door thicknesses.

  MORtISe lOCkSetS

  Mortise locksets house latch bolts and dead bolts

  in a single casing and can be operated with a sin-

  gle key turn. Mortising a lock case into the edge

  of the door takes some work, but the unit is very

  secure. The door stile must be solid wood for this

  type of lock.

  1. Using the template, mark the outline of the

  lock case on the edge of the door. Then mark a

  line in the exact center of the edge. Along this

  line, use a 7⁄8-in. spade bit to drill holes to the

  depth of the lock case. Overlap holes slightly.

  Whenever you need to drill and chisel

  2. Use a chisel to square up the edges of the

  a mortise lockset or route hinge leaves

  into a hinge stile, this homemade

  lock-case mortise. As you chisel, test-fit the lock

  door buck will keep the door steady—

  case periodically to avoid chiseling away any

  thanks to removable wedges. This is

  more wood than necessary. When the lock case

  far easier than trying to work on a

  fits all the way into the hole, trace the outline of

  door that’s hanging in a hallway!

  the main latch plate onto the edge of the door.

  Use a router to mortise the latch plate. If the door

  edge is beveled, adjust the tilt of the main latch

  P R O T I P

  plate to match the bevel beforehand.

  3.

  Because

  Remove the lock case. Using the template,

  manufacturers often

  create a general hardware tem-

  mark knob/spindle and key/cylinder holes on the

  plate for several different door

  face of the door stile. Use a hole saw to cut the

  styles, the template provided

  cylinder hole and a Forstner bit or spade bit to

  may be inaccurate. you may not

  cut the smaller spindle hole, holding drill bits

  need all the holes indicated, or

  perpendicular to the stile. Drill the holes until the

  you may need to reposition the

  point of the bit just starts through the other side.

  template to accommodate a door

  To prevent splintering of the stile face, back the

  edge bevel. So examine the door

  drill out and finish drilling from the other side.

  hardware and think things

  4. Reinsert the lock case, and screw it to the

  through before you mark or drill

  the door. If spindle holes don’t

  edge of the door. Then insert the spindles, slide

  line up perfectly after drilling,

  the escutcheons over the spindles, attach the

  gradually enlarge them with a

  handles or knobs to the spindles, and see if they

  rat-tail file until they do.

  turn freely. Once they do, screw on all the trim

  Doors, Windows, and Skylights

  121

  Thumb-turn

  zzzzzz Mortise lockset

  Main latch plate

  Dead

  Lock case

  bolt

  Knob spindle

  Key cylinder

  Knob

  Trim plate

  Thumb lever

  Finished

  latch plate

  Latch bolt

  Thumb-lever

  Handle

  shaft

  Door edge

  A. Use the paper template supplied with your lockset to

  center face bores on the door stile and edge bores on the

  door edge. The template gives the exact setback and hole

  sizes. Use an awl to mark the hole centers. Prehung doors

  often come with lock cases prebored.

  Mortise locksets combine security and convenience,

  because you can use a single key to operate both a

  latch bolt and a dead bolt.

  E. Use a chisel

  to square up the

  rounded corners

  of the latch-

  plate mortise.

  B. Drill the face bores, which are

  positioned with a paper template. Use

  a hole saw for the larger, key/cylinder

  hole and a Forstner bit for the spindle

  or thumb-lever hole. The small, round

  level taped to the top of the drill

  helps the installer drill perpendicular

  to the door face.

  C. Once you’ve mortised the lock case into the edge of

  F. Strike plates

  the door, use a router and a template to mortise the latch

  are closely

  plate into the edge.

  matched to the

  locksets they’re

  supplied with.

  Typically, the

  larger opening

  receives the dead

  D. Holes in the lock case should

  bolt. For added

  align with the holes drilled into the

  strength and

  door face. If they don’t, use a rat-tail

  security, use

  file to enlarge the face bores

  3-in. screws that

  gradually.

  will reach

  framing.

  122 Chapter 6

  hardware. Typically, door handles or thumb

  levers are 34 in. to 38 in. high.

  5. You also will find a strike-plate template.

  zzzzzz Reinforced Strike-Plate Assembly

  Depending upon the depth of the strike-plate

  Mortise in

  assembly, use a router or a combination of drill

  latch jamb

  and chisel to mortise the plate into the jamb. To

  3-in. screws

  more accurately position the leading edge of the

  Security insert

  strike plate, rub pencil lead on the latch edge;

  when the latch is released against the jamb, it

  will leave a pencil mark. For greater security, buy

  Strike plate

  a unit with a strike-plate reinforcer and 3-in.

  mounting screws.

  CylINDeR lOCkSetS

  Dead-bolt hole

  Cylinder locksets (also called tubular or key-in-

  knob locks) are popular because they’re inexpen-

  sive and easy to install. Better models have a

  Latch-bolt hole

  spring-loaded dead latch that prevents the bolt

  Dust bucket

  from being retracted by slipping a plastic credit

  card between the door edge and the frame. But

  no cylinder lock is secure because all can be

  Because 3-in. screws anchor this assembly to framing behind the door

  snapped off with a pry bar or a swift kick. To be

  frame, this strike plate can’t be dislodged by a kick.

  safe, install a dead bolt, too.

  1. Using the template supplied by the manu-

  facturer, mark the centers of holes to be drilled

  into the face of the door (face bore) and the edge

  (edge bore). Use a 21⁄8-in. hole saw to drill the

  face bore. But after the tip of the hole-saw bit


  emerges on the other side, prevent splitting by

  backing the bit out and finishing the hole by

  zzzzzz Cylinder lockset

  23/8-in.

  drilling from the other face.

  backset

  2. Use a 7⁄8-in. spade bit to drill the edge bore,

  keeping the bit perpendicular to the edge. Insert

  the latch/bolt assembly into the hole, and use a

  1-in.

  utility knife to trace around the latch plate. Rout

  edge bore

  the inscribed area so that the plate is flush to the

  edge of the door.

  3. Screw down the latch plate and insert the

  Latch plate

  lock mechanism through the latch assembly. Try

  the handle; it should turn freely. Next, position

  Latch bolt

  the strike plate on the jamb. To locate the strike

  plate exactly, rub a pencil on the end of the latch

  bolt, shut the door, and release the bolt against

  the jamb.

  4. Using a 7⁄8-in. spade bit, drill a latch hole

  1⁄2 in. deep into the jamb. Center the strike plate

  21

  Spring-loaded

  /8-in.

  over the hole, and trace around it with a utility

  Handle trim

  face bore

  plunger

  knife. Use a router to mortise the strike plate.

  Latch assembly

  When the door is shut, the latch bolt should

  Latch-plate

  mortise

  descend into the strike-plate hole; the small

  spring-loaded plunger next to the latch bolt

  should not. The plunger should be stopped short

  by a lip on the strike plate.

  Cylinder locks are relatively inexpensive and easy to install.

  5.

  Many interior doors come with the large face bore predrilled.

  For greater security, install a unit with a

  strike-plate reinforcer and 3-in. mounting screws.

  Doors, Windows, and Skylights

  123

  weatherstripping should be your first priority.

  DeaD Bolts

  The single most crucial piece of weatherstripping

  is a tight-fitting door threshold.

  exterior doors should have a dead bolt with a minimum 1-in. throw (extension)

  and a reinforced strike plate that screws into the framing. single-cylinder dead bolts

  WeAtHeRStRIPPINg jAMBS

  have a thumb-turn on the interior that is easy to open in the event of a fire.

  Today, there are three main types of weather-

  Unfortunately, thumb-turns can easily be turned by a burglar breaking a glass side-

  stripping: tubular, metal-leaf, and kerf-in. Most

  light. double-cylinder models, which require a key, are more secure but may be

  are easy to install and require few special tools.

 

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