How to hang an internal door

Based on a clear UK how-to guide. This walk-through draws on the popular "How to hang a door" video from B&Q, which covers measuring, trimming, chiselling recesses, and hanging the door step by step. The section on marking hinge positions accurately is worth watching twice before you pick up a chisel.

1. Measure the door opening carefully

Measure the width and height of the opening at several points — openings are rarely perfectly square, particularly in older Kent properties. Note the narrowest width and the shortest height. Your door needs to clear those dimensions, with a gap of around 2 mm each side and 2 mm at the top once hung.

If the opening is wildly out of square, you will need to decide whether to true up the frame first or cut the door to match. For a difference of more than 5 mm corner to corner, fixing the frame is the right answer.

2. Select and prepare the door

New internal doors are sold slightly oversized — normally around 1981 mm tall by 762 mm or 838 mm wide. Check the door's specification for how much can be trimmed. Most internal doors can lose up to 10 mm from each edge safely without compromising the solid section inside.

Mark the cut lines clearly with a pencil and straight edge. Use a sharp saw — a circular saw with a fine-tooth blade gives the cleanest cut. Score the face side of the door with a knife before cutting to prevent the veneer splitting.

3. Offer the door up dry

Before fitting a single hinge, stand the door in the opening and check the fit. Use wedges or offcuts of timber to hold it at the right height above the floor. You want a 2 mm gap each side, 2 mm at the top, and enough clearance at the bottom to clear the carpet or floor covering once the door swings.

Make any additional trimming now. It is much easier to take a thin sliver off the door on a pair of trestles than it is to persuade a partly-hung door through the opening.

4. Mark the hinge positions

For a standard internal door, two hinges are usual — one positioned 150 mm from the top and one 225 mm from the bottom. A third hinge midway between helps heavier doors stay true over time. Mark the hinge positions on the door edge with a pencil, then transfer those marks to the frame.

Hold a hinge flat against the door edge and score around it with a sharp marking knife. This line tells you exactly where to chisel. Do not guess. The marking knife is the most important tool in this step.

5. Chisel the hinge recesses

Working within your marked lines, use a sharp chisel to cut across the grain at the edges of the recess first, then pare away the waste working with the grain. Go to the depth of the hinge leaf only — the hinge should sit perfectly flush with the surface when laid in the recess.

A hinge that sits proud will cause the door to bind at the frame. A recess cut too deep will cause the door to spring open rather than close flush. Test each hinge in its recess before moving on. Patience here saves serious adjustment later.

6. Fix the hinges to the door first

Screw one leaf of each hinge into its recess on the door. Use the correct screws — the ones supplied with the hinge, or similar. Screws that are too long will protrude through the edge of the door; too short and they will pull out under load.

Drive them in straight. A screw that goes in at an angle will draw the hinge leaf slightly off position, and that error multiplies once the door is hung. If in doubt, drill a pilot hole first.

7. Hang the door and fit the latch

With a helper holding the door in position, align the free hinge leaves with their recesses in the frame and insert a single screw in each to hold the door. Check the gaps are even all round, then drive the remaining screws home. Open and close the door a few times. It should move freely and sit without rubbing.

Mark the latch position by closing the door gently against the frame and marking where the latch bolt meets the latch plate. Chisel the recess for the strike plate, fit it, and check the latch engages cleanly. If it does not, adjust the strike plate position rather than re-chiselling.

8. Adjust for a clean, even gap

Minor adjustments are normal. If the door binds on the hinge side, the hinge recesses may be slightly too deep — pack them with cardboard shims until the door hangs flush. If the door swings freely on its own, the recesses on the latch side may need deepening slightly to tilt the hang.

A door that closes firmly against the stop and latches without rattling is the goal. Get there in small increments — each screw adjustment or thin packing piece affects the whole hang. Do not be tempted to force it.

When to call a handyman

Call Richard if the opening needs re-framing, if the floor or threshold is an awkward shape, or if the door simply will not hang true no matter what you try. Doors in older properties can be a proper puzzle — out-of-square openings, uneven floors, and frames that have moved over the decades all add up.