Doors & Door Hardware

Doors & Door Hardware

Quick Answer: A prehung door arrives as a door leaf hung in a jamb with hinges already set; a slab is the leaf alone. Size the rough opening larger than the unit, set the jamb plumb and square with shims, hold consistent clearances, confirm handing (swing), then install locksets, hinges, closers, and thresholds so the latch hits the strike cleanly.

Module 27208 (Doors) sits in the Interior and Exterior Finishing domain (about 20 items overall with trim, cabinets, ceilings, and exterior finish). Commercial Carpenter items expect you to choose the right door type for the opening, hang it so it swings free without binding, and specify hardware that matches residential or commercial duty.

Door Types You Must Recognize

Exterior prehung units often include weatherstripping, a sill/threshold, and thicker construction. Interior units are lighter and usually omit weather seals. Fire-rated doors and frames must match the opening rating—do not mix nonrated hardware or cut holes that void the label.

Rough Opening vs Door Unit

The rough opening (RO) is the framed hole in the wall. The door unit is the assembled jamb (and door). The RO is intentionally larger than the outside of the jamb so you can:

1. Center the unit (or align to a finished floor/plan note).
2. Shim at hinge and strike locations until the jamb is plumb (vertical) and the head is level.
3. Keep equal reveals between door edge and jamb stop/face.

A common teaching allowance is about 1/2 inch total extra width and height beyond the outside of the prehung jamb—always follow the manufacturer’s RO chart and the architectural schedule. If the RO is too small, do not force the unit; recut or reframe. If it is wildly oversized, add stud material or solid blocking so shims have a solid backer—foam alone is not structural.

Check before hanging: floor finish thickness (tile, carpet), wall finish thickness (drywall vs plaster), and whether the floor is level across the opening. Out-of-level floors force you to cut the bottom of the jamb legs or scribe—better planned than discovered after nailing.

Setting a Prehung Door (Field Sequence)

1. Dry-fit the unit; confirm swing direction and hinge side match the plan.
2. Set the unit in the RO on temporary shims or blocks so the bottom clearance matches floor finish.
3. Plumb the hinge-side jamb first—this is the structural reference. Shim behind each hinge location solidly so hinge screws can later bite into framing if long screws are specified.
4. Set the head level; shim as needed.
5. Plumb the strike-side (latch-side) jamb. Adjust so the door closes against the stop with even margin/reveal around the leaf.
6. Check that the door does not bind at the head or strike. Open and close several times.
7. Fasten through the jamb into framing at shim points (finish nails or screws per specs). Remove temporary wedges only after fasteners hold.
8. Install lockset and strike so the latch enters the strike without lifting or ramming the door.

Shimming rule of thumb: shims work in opposing pairs so the jamb face stays flat. Trim flush after fastening. Never leave a hollow gap behind a hinge leaf—screws will pull the jamb and throw the door out of plane.

Clearances and Reveals

Exam and field language often uses clearance (gap between door edge and jamb/floor) and reveal (visible margin when closed).

Typical interior wood-door teaching clearances (verify manufacturer and code for exteriors and rated doors):

Commercial hollow-metal frames may use different factory clearances and adjustable anchors—follow the frame instructions and the hardware schedule.

Handing and Swing Basics

Handing tells fabricators and installers which way the door swings. A widely taught method:

• Stand on the outside (or secure/key side for lockable doors).
• Note which side the hinges are on.
• Note whether the door swings toward you (inswing) or away from you (outswing).

That yields labels such as left-hand (LH), right-hand (RH), left-hand reverse (LHR), and right-hand reverse (RHR) in commercial hardware language. Residential carpenters often say “hinges on the left, swings in.” Mis-handing is expensive—prehung units and locksets ordered wrong delay the job. Always cross-check the floor plan swing arrows and the door schedule before ordering or hanging.

Door Hardware

Hinges

Hinges support the weight of the door. Interior residential doors often use 3-1/2 in or 4 in butt hinges; heavier or commercial doors may use ball-bearing hinges and more leaves. At least one longer screw into framing at the top hinge is a common best practice to prevent sag.

Locksets and Latches

• Passage sets: latch only, no lock (closets, halls).
• Privacy sets: lockable from inside (bath, bedroom).
• Entry sets: keyed outside, lockable inside.
• Deadbolts: separate throw bolt for security; bore and strike must align.

Bore locations (backset, often 2-3/8 in or 2-3/4 in) must match the door prep. The strike plate on the jamb must align with the latch; shim the strike side if the latch only half-enters.

Closers (Commercial)

Door closers control closing speed and latch force on commercial openings. They mount on the door and frame (or concealed). Carpenters coordinate closer arms with the head clearance and stop configuration; improper mounting can prevent full latching—a life-safety issue on fire doors.

Thresholds and Weatherstripping

Exterior units use thresholds (sills) and weatherstrip to seal against weather and pests. Set the sill level and sealed to the floor/substrate. Adjust the door bottom or sweep so it contacts the threshold without scraping.

Pocket and Bifold Notes

Pocket doors need a framed pocket free of pipes and wires in the slide path, a level header track, and careful drywall so the door does not rub. Hardware quality dominates performance.

Bifolds need a level track, plumb jambs, and correct pivot pin height. Too-tight openings cause the panels to pop out of the track.

Field Scenario

A 2-8 prehung interior door binds at the head after flooring is installed. The hinge jamb is plumb, but the bottom clearance is only 1/8 in over carpet pad. The fix is usually to undercut the door bottom for finish clearance—not to plane the latch edge first—unless the reveal shows the leaf is out of square. Always diagnose which edge is binding before removing material.

Exam Traps

• Confusing slab with prehung.
• Assuming RO equals door size (e.g., thinking a 30 in door needs a 30 in RO).
• Plumbing the latch jamb first instead of the hinge jamb.
• Ignoring floor finish when setting bottom clearance.
• Ordering the wrong hand from a plan swing arrow.
• Mounting commercial closers without checking the hardware schedule or fire-door labels.

Interior door work rewards patience with a level and shims more than speed with a nail gun. A unit that is plumb, free-swinging, and latched cleanly is the standard the assessment expects you to describe and protect.