Quick question...

I'm making a new front door. The existing door is 1/4" less than the width
between the jambs. That seems a bit much. Is it?

On 4/28/2016 3:51 PM, dadiOH wrote:
Quick question...

I'm making a new front door. The existing door is 1/4" less than the width
between the jambs. That seems a bit much. Is it?



Some doors have brass WS, on the jam, that the door pinches against the
door jam. You need clearance for that.

If the door swells, it gets wider. Many doors are back beveled on the
latch side so that the door will close.

I would say if the door works with that dimension to stick with that
dimension.

Push come to shove you can always build it wider and remove excess if
there are problems in the future.

What Leon said. And...

Having hung a few hundred slab doors into existing jambs or site built jambs, 1/4" is correct. First, if you are starting with a slab door blank of any quality, it will have a bevel side and a hinge side. The hinge side will be square and the bevel side (lock side) will have a 5 degree angle cut across its thickness. The bevel allows the door to close even after some movement as the "square edge" is gone.

Measure the width of the door from the square side to the wide side (which it sounds like you have) and that side should be 1/4" smaller than the jamb, the other side about 3/32" less than that.

When the butts are mortised perfectly flush, not high, not low, then they hinges will space out 1/8" from the jamb, so 1/2 of your 1/4" allowance. The remaining 1/8" will allow the same 1/8" reveal on the lock side, so your 1/4" gives you a perfect 1/8" reveal all the way up and down the sides.

Robert

wrote:
What Leon said. And...

Having hung a few hundred slab doors into existing jambs or site
built jambs, 1/4" is correct. First, if you are starting with a slab
door blank of any quality, it will have a bevel side and a hinge
side. The hinge side will be square and the bevel side (lock side)
will have a 5 degree angle cut across its thickness. The bevel
allows the door to close even after some movement as the "square
edge" is gone.

Measure the width of the door from the square side to the wide side
(which it sounds like you have) and that side should be 1/4" smaller
than the jamb, the other side about 3/32" less than that.

When the butts are mortised perfectly flush, not high, not low, then
they hinges will space out 1/8" from the jamb, so 1/2 of your 1/4"
allowance. The remaining 1/8" will allow the same 1/8" reveal on the
lock side, so your 1/4" gives you a perfect 1/8" reveal all the way
up and down the sides.

Robert

Perfect!

Thanks both