How to install interior door?

[sunni]

Hi --

My once "perfect" son turned into a teenager. sigh. He put his fist through his bedroom door and the door not only has a hole in it (luckily seen only by those inside his bedroom) but also was pushed hard enough that it went through the wood door stops on the jambs and won't close properly.

The home is a 1980 manufactured home, single wide, Rex Cozy.

I've been trying to learn how to fix it myself. In the interim, the screws in the door hinges are no longer staying in their holes.

I did one temp repair to buy me some time. I put wood toothpicks in the door hinge holes on the jambs and used a product called "tighten" for screws.

But even with hours of patience and care, the job I did was not successful. The screws in the upper hinge holes on the jamb have enlarged. A better description is that they have horizontally widened.

Right now the door is propped in place. I removed upper screws and lower ones and reinserted more toothpicks.

I thought it might be better to put in a pre-hung door, such as those I saw at Home depot yesterday. But it doesn't seem like my door area has a frame to remove ?

So, I am wondering:

1)Which way to go, pre-hung or not?
2)Where can I get detailed instructions on how to hang a door? Lining up the hinges on the jamb is a whole lot trickier than it appears.

I'm also doing this alone.

Help?

[sunni]

-- moved topic --

[David Oxhandler]

Have you tried
the MH PARTS STORE?&#160 If you dont find what you need on the web site,
friendly & knowledgeable customer service representatives are available to answer your questions or take your special order. Call them at the toll free number you will find at the top of the Parts Store pages

[sunni]

Thanks Don.

I looked at the site you mentioned.

1. I cannot tell from the images what the door really looks like: color and texture. I don't want one door in the house to be different from all of the remaining doors.

2. The shipping cost for a $55 door is $235.

3. Does anybody know where I can locate online instructions that tell me, step-by-step, how to install a non-mortised door hinge? sf

[David Oxhandler]

Lifted from LOWES.COM


If the old door fit well, measure it down both sides and across the top and bottom. The door's corners should be close to square, but do not make that assumption. If for the old door does not fit well, measure the opening across the top and bottom and along both sides. Draw a sketch of the door or opening on a piece of paper and label each side with its corresponding measurement. Take this paper with you when you purchase your door so the salesperson can help you find a door that is the right size. It may be necessary to trim the new door to size. Also, if the door frame is out of square (if you get different values for corresponding measurements of the door or opening edges), it may be necessary to fine-tune the fit before installing the door. You will have to do this yourself at home. Wedge the door temporarily to check its fit in the frame.Remove the old door from the opening by unscrewing the hinges from the back edge of the door. Do not take them loose from the door jamb. Check the fit of the new door in its frame by temporarily putting it in place and supporting it on wedges. There should be a clearance at the top and sides of about 1/16". The clearance below the door should be about 1/4", or a little more for doors which must swing over carpeted floors. If the door scrubs against the jambs in a place or two, or if the top of the door is out of line with the top of the opening, fine-tune the fit by shaving the door edges in those areas with a sharp plane. Bear in mind that wood expands in high humidity. You do not want wooden doors so tight in the frame that it will catch on rainy days. Pencil a mark down each hinge where it meets the door face.After the door is properly fitted and temporarily wedged in place in the frame, use a 4d nail or a quarter to maintain the right gap at the top. transcribe the position of the hinges onto the door. Be careful, because the hinges must be placed exactly. From outside the door, while it is still in place and against the hinges, pencil a mark down each hinge where it meets the door face. By measuring the distance from this mark to the edge of the hinge leaf, you will determine the width of the hinge relief mortise for each hinge. Remove the door. Using the marks you placed to align the hinges and the measurements of the hinge leaf, mark the location of the hinge relief mortises on the door edge. Remove one of the hinge leaves from the doorway by pulling the hinge pin. If the pin is not removable, remove the entire hinge. Use your hinge or hinge leaf as a guide in the next several steps. Scribe the lines with a sharp knife.Scribe along these lines with a sharp knife, and carefully remove the waste wood with a chisel to the depth of the hinge leaf. The hinge should be able to fit into the mortise so that its leaf is flush with the edge of the door. Again using your hinge leaf as a guide, mark the location of the pilot holes for the attachment screws in each of the relief mortises. Drill a 1/8" pilot hole for only the center screws of the top and bottom hinges. Reinstall the hinge or hinge leaf on the door frame. Shim the door in place at a right angle to the door frame. You may need a helper to do it. The door should fit right up against the hinges with the hinges recessed inside the hinge relief mortises, just as if the door were actually attached and open. Install the center screw only for the top and bottom hinges. Check the door operation. It should open and close smoothly. If the door strains against the hinges when closed, insert thin cardboard shims under the hinges and try again. When the door operates smoothly, install the rest of the hinge screws. Install the doorknob. This will require that you accurately locate and bore holes for the placement of the knob and latch assemblies. For more about this subject, see Installing Locks and Deadbolts.