How to Install Hinges on a Door

When looking at how to install hinges on a door, the process is quite simple as long as you measure correctly and have the proper tools for the job. Installing hinges on an exterior door is not very different from installing hinges on an interior door - the principles are the same. 

In this article we’re going to walk you through the steps of how to install hinges on a door.

The tools that you’ll need for installing hinges on a door are:

• A tape measure
• A ½” chisel
• A screw gun/drill
• A utility knife
• A pencil
• One-inch screws
• A hammer

Place the Hinges in the Right Position and Trace Them

The first thing you need to know when installing hinges on a door is where they’re supposed to go. For the purpose of this tutorial we’re assuming that you’re working with a new jamb and a new door and that no hinges have been previously installed.

The top of the top hinge should be 7 inches from the top of the door, and the bottom of the bottom hinge should be 11 inches from the bottom of the door. So, when installing hinges on a door, either interior or exterior, lay the door flat and use your measuring tape and pencil to identify where the hinges need to be. 

When you’ve got the hinge in the right place, mark the outline with the pencil. 

If there is a third hinge, which is most common on exterior doors, but can be used on interior doors often as well, measure between the two hinges you’ve just outlined and mark a centerline. Using this, you can know where the third hinge is to go. Then simply trace that hinge on, just as you would any other.

Cut the Mortise

The next thing that you need to do, and the part which might be most intimidating to an unpracticed woodworker, is to cut the mortise. But this really doesn’t need to be a hard thing, and it’s a skill that can be learned quickly.

What’s a Mortise and How Do You Cut a Mortise?

A mortise is the shallow indentation in the door edge where the hinge is going to lay flush. If there was no mortise, the hinge would make it so that the door could not fit into the jamb. 

To cut a mortise, get your chisel and hammer, and position your chisel at the edge of your pencil mark. You don’t want to cut straight down but on an angle, making gentle taps with the hammer to carefully and slowly remove wood from the edge of the door. You only want this mortise to be as shallow as the hinge, so you’re really just taking away a few layers. 

Having a sharp chisel makes this much easier, so either sharpen your chisel or use a new one. 

Cutting the mortise is by far the most skilled part of how to install a door, but you’ll find that it isn’t as hard as you might think. And, if you ever slip and cut too deep of a gouge out of your mortise, you can clean this up with wood putty in the gap. 

Typically, you only need to cut mortises into the door itself and not the door jamb. 

Place the Hinges and Mark the Places for Screws

Once you have cut your mortises and are ready to install the door, you place your hinges into the recently cut mortises to make sure that the hinge fits perfectly. If it doesn’t you can return to chiseling, but if it does you can move on.

Drill Pilot Holes

The next thing that you do, once the hinge is in place, is drill pilot holes through the screw holes in the hinge. This will make putting the screws in much easier. 

You should do the same thing with the door jamb: hold the hinge in place (it is easier if you have someone to help you), and then drill pilot holes for the jamb as well.

Install the Hinges - in Two Pieces - On the Door and on the Jamb

Once all the pilot holes are drilled, put the hinges in place and begin screwing the hinges securely down. Repeat this on all of the hinges on both the door and on the door jamb.

Note: this should be done with the hinges in two pieces: do not attempt to hang a door in place while screwing it to the jamb. Instead, keep the hinges separate and you’ll have a much easier time screwing them all down.

Connect the Door to the Jamb

Finally you can hang the door. With someone’s help, lift the door into position so that the hinges match up, and then slot the pins of the hinges into place. If you’ve measured everything correctly this will only take a moment to get everything aligned and the pins should fit snugly but firmly.

And that’s all there is to it! You have successfully installed a door! This works for interior door as well as installing exterior doors. In fact, with the skills you’ve learned here you can even install cabinet doors.

Check out our Commercial Door Hinges or Decorative Residential Hinges today!