5 Mistakes You Might be Making Installing a Door


we’ve been there too.

Our pick of the top 5 most common door installation mistakes


Below are 5 of the most common problems seen when it comes to installing a door. Take a look below to see if you’ve ever struggled with any of these!

1.  Hanging the door parallel to the wall, even if it is out of level 

If the wall is out of plumb, it’s hard to install a door correctly and it may tend to swing open or closed. If the wall is plumb but the door frame is not, the door frame may need to be adjusted to ensure an even reveal on each side of the door. If the walls on either side are not parallel, extra time may be needed during shimming to ensure the best results.

Don’t Expect Good Results if you Don’t Start Right.

2.  Using the wrong hinge screws or over-tightening them

The right screws, or 3 ½” screws, keep the door stable over time. Too small of screws can allow the door to migrate over time, which can cause it to rub or scrape on the floor or not shut at all. When the screws have been tightened improperly, the door will experience uneven tension and will eventually warp.

Go Slow and Steady.

3. Placing shims improperly or backwards

When installing a door, thick end of the shim should face the door’s hinge pin. This helps it swing shut properly. If the shims have been installed backwards, the door will begin to resist before it is completely shut. Putting door shims in backwards can also be a large contributing factor to a door that swings open or shut on it’s own. Read more about proper shimming techniques here: The Ups and Downs of a Door Shim.

Proper Shimming is Important.

4. Failing to check the reveals

As the industries top cause of warped doors, uneven reveals can cause significant long-term problems with a door. The reveals must be parallel to ensure proper operation and a long life for the door. If the reveals are uneven, the door will build up pressure over time and warp as the moisture level changes. If a door is hanging with even tension across all three hinges, it will operate properly for years to come.

EnergySTAR Ratings can be Voided by Improper Reveals.

5. Not starting with a level sill

As seen in the picture below, by starting without a level sill, it’s practically impossible to end up with a good result to your door installation.  The sill is the door’s foundation, if it is out of level; the problems compound over the height of the door and become much more difficult to troubleshoot. Read more about proper level sill here: How Important is a Level Sill?

Installing a door with a level sill is like building a house on a level foundation, start right to end right.

picture-correct-door-sill-vs-an-incorrect-door-sill

 

DID YOU LIKE THIS ARTICLE?

DID YOU LIKE THIS ARTICLE?

Here are some more you might be interested in! We’ve taken everything we’ve learned about door installation and wrote it down for your use

Read more

5 mistakes you might be making installing a door, 5 steps how you might plumb a wall frame, check door frame for plumb, checking to see if door frame is racked, common door installation problems and fixes, common errors made during installing a door, diy installing doors uneven, do i have to shim a prehung door, does top of door need shims, door, door errors, door frame not level will the door have issues shutting, door hanging mistakes, door hinge improper installation, door hinges on backwards, door installation, door installation not going right, door installation on a crooked wall, door installation problems, door problems, door shim, doors, doors not installed plumb, fixing out of plumb door, hanging a door can get it level but can get it plumb, hanging a door frame, hanging a door it's crooked, hanging a door on a crooked wall, hanging a door on eneven floor, hanging door wall out of plumb, hanging doors in a crooked wall, hinge screws look too small, hinges on backwards, how do i check if a door is hung correctly, how do you hang an inward swing door with uneven floor, how to check if a door is plumb, how to check if newly-hung door is plumb, how to check if your door is plumb, how to determine if a french door is plumb, how to fix a door that is not plumb, how to fix a door that was installed wrong, how to frame an uneven door, how to get a door plumb, how to hang a door in a crooked frame, how to hang a door in a crooked opening, how to hang a door on a crooked wall, how to hang a prehung interior door with shims, how to install a door, how to install a prehung door, how to install door on a warped floor, how to install prehung door uneven wall, how to level a commercial door, how to level a door, how to level a door jamb, how to level a door while installing, how to make door reveal, how to make sure both door jambs are parallel, how to plumb a door, how to shim a door, how would you know if a door is plumb, hung door under tension, improperly installed door on house, install door with uneven frame, installing a door, installing a door on uneven floor, installing an out of plumb door, installing door and its not straight, installing door in crooked frame, installing entry door mistakes, interior door improperly installed, interior door not plumb, making a door plumb, middle hinge door reveal, mistakes when hanging doors, new doors not plumb, new interior doors uneven, out of plumb door frame, out of plumb walls are a problem?, poorly installed door, poorly shimmed door, pre hung door installation problems, prehung door has tilted backward, prehung door not plumb, pressure on top door hinge, reveal crooked door, RO, shimming a door, shimming a improperly installed door, should exterior doors alway be installed plumb, slab door installation is crooked, trouble shooting replacing a door, troubleshooting hanging a door, troubleshooting prehung door installation, what does make sure door is plumb mean, what if a door is installed unevenly, what is a plumb door, what is door reveal and its uses, what is the correct way to install hinges, what is the rough opening, what to do if a prehung door is not straight, when a door is not plumb, when framing in a new door how do you leave a reveal, where to start leveling a door jamb new install, why are three door hinges not even


JENTRA

One thing has stood out clearly to us in our combined 15 years of experience in both the sales and installation of residential/commercial doors…. the lack of accurate door installation happening in the field. This installation process has been virtually the same since pre-hanging started in the 1960’s and yet it’s not uncommon to find a poorly installed door on most jobsites. It’s time to take a new look at this.

SHIMPAD™ DOOR SPACERS

SHIMPAD™ DOOR SPACERS

As low as $.59 each

Learn More

PRO-TECT™ DOOR PLUG

PRO-TECT™ DOOR PLUG

Starting at $.89 each

Learn More

THE ORANGE™ DOOR PLUG

THE ORANGE™ DOOR PLUG

As low as $.36 each

Learn More

PRO-LEVEL™ SYSTEM

PRO-LEVEL™ SYSTEM

Starting at $7.95 each

Learn More

JENTRA™

794 32nd Ave NW
Backus, MN 56435
(855) 947-4300
sales@jentratools.com

Mon-Sat: 8am - 5pm

Sign up to Our Newsletter
and Never Miss a Deal


Copyright 2021 JENTRA™. All Rights Reserved.  Tools are sold under US Patents 8,677,636 and 9,482,016.