OK guys I’m trusting in you. I just spent big bucks for solid oak to build a door jam (love the irregular sizes of these 1928 walls!) Now I’m panicing. Got the wood cut to fit, the dado, the mortice for the hinges, no problem. The wood is starting to bow slightly-been in the house couple of days now – and i want to get it nailed in quick. Something in the back of my head from all those articles is saying to finish BOTH sides of the jam before i install it to keep it from warping. Are these fumes getting to me or just install and finish once its all nailed in??
Please help, for some reason my wife thinks we need a bathroom door !!! Thanks
Replies
Keith, If you are gonna paint, prime all sides and edges of the jamb at the same time.
That will arrest any tendency to warp. If stain, and varnish or shellac finish, shellac the back and stain and wipe the front THEN, shellac the front
It's been my experience that three hinges on a door ,(Especially a bathroom door) will be more of a plus than extra labor and expense of the third hinge.
Most doors pull loose from the top hinge A center hinge supports the upper area of the door.
Also, due to changing humidity and temperature, a door with only two hinges will 'bow' And rub and pinch the door stop (Molding) Another good thing that most people neglect is to seal the raw wood on the top AND bottom. G' Luck. Stein.
THanks stein,
Not sure how you knew but I was only planning on using 2 hinges, makes great sense what you said about the hinges. I plan on using minwax stain and poly - just an amature here. So just assemble, coat all pieces front, back, top,and bottom and then secure to wall ?
Keith, when you hang the door on the jamb,straightcut and add the top length of doorstop across the top janb and touching the door on the lock side only, tack one nail at that point
The end on the hinge side should be spaced the thickness of a four penny nail away from the door. (To avoid rubbing and pinching). Tack this end.
The lock should be engaged into the strikeplate during these procedures.
Next,Cope the top of the lock side's doorstop to fit the top mold.(Mitering is a no no.) then tack tht stop with a few nails Try the door and lock. (should have a bit of 'play' but not 'slop')
Re adjust if nessessary
Finally, cope the hinge side's stop and nail to fit, BUT, dont let it hit the door, so allow for clearance (thickness of 4 penny nail.)
G' Luck, Stein.
Out here in California, we have a method for hanging doors which I will share with you. We use screws. The screw makes contact with the rough sill and one can bring the jamb in or out with a single screwdriver. The screw head is hidden by the doorstop.
Gary Katz wrote an excellent book on the subject by the way.
Regards,
Boris
"Sir, I may be drunk, but you're crazy, and I'll be sober tomorrow" -- WC Fields, "Its a Gift" 1934
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