Fitting an External Door
If you have purchased a new external door for your home, this article will walk you through the steps to fit it into place. For starters, you need to position your new external door so it is against the frame. This will help determine the exact fit. Then with a pencil, mark any overlap if the door is larger and should require any cutting. To retain the pattern in the new external door, you want to cut from the top to the bottom, and then from each side when cutting. Keep in mind that this is so important for a panel door, helping to keep the panels central.
For your next step, the edges of the external door need to be smoothed out with a plane. For this, you need to work from the ends, moving toward the middle to help prevent splintering at the edges. If you find that a larger section of the external door needs to be cut off, we recommend you use a circular saw or panel saw. The goal is to get the door to fit the frame so you only have a gap of approximately 2mm all the way around. If you will be using a weather bar to fit to the frame's sill, then a power or router saw would be needed to cut a rebate along the bottom of the door. With this, the door would be able to clear the weather bar with no problem.
If you plan to use a hardwood external door, you want to go with brass fittings. If you are replacing a door, then chances are you might be able to use the existing hinges that recess into the doorframe. However, you would need to mark the positions. Then, position and support the external door in the opening at an angle, keeping it upright. Mark the door where the top and bottom of the hinges recess.
If you will be using new hinges for your external door, then you want to position them, marking on both the door and the frame. The external door should be hinged between 125.25 to 150mm from the top, and then 175 to 230mm from the bottom. Since external doors are much heavier than internal doors, you would likely want to add a third hinge, which is recommended. The placement of this hinge would be midway between the top and bottom hinges.
The next step is to chisel out the recess, fitting the hinges to the external door. Then, make small holes where the screws will go to help avoid splitting the wood. Just be sure the hinges fit flush, lying neatly into the proper position. Support the door in position, affixing the hinges and securing with screws. Prior to finishing the job of hanging your external door, check that the door opens and closes, as it should. If you find a problem, remove the screws and make any necessary adjustments. Again, put the door in place, testing its operation.
People replace external doors for a number of reasons. It might be that you want a newer style, perhaps your old door is in poor condition, or you might want a heavier door for added protection. The goal with most external doors is to have a solid fit that keeps hot and cold air from seeping into the house. The most important thing when it comes to hanging an external door is the measuring aspect. You need to make sure the doorframe is measures in a number of places. Then, external doors are typically broken up into categories from panel to moulded doors. Simply choose the type of external door that complements your home best.