Replacing a door alone - Spacing between door and jam

[New & Improved - N/F John]

I want to put a new exterior door from my hall to an unheated enclosed porch. I want to get a double pane glass, but I don't want to replace the jam with an opening width of exactly 30 inches. The door's width on the outside measures 29.75 inches and inside measures a little less than 30 inches. Thus, the door's edge is beveled. The existing door is 1 and 3/8's inches thick. A new door would be 1.75 inches.

The door has to be narrower than the jam width. Should I have the door's outside edge beveled like the old one or should I have the door trimmed on both sides about a quarter of an inch total?

[buffalobill]

[DanG]

Residential doors tend to be 1 3/8" thick, commercial doors tend to be 1 3/4". If the jamb has removable door stop, this can work out. If it is a rabetted jamb, as many exterior jambs are, this is a major set back.

Doors should be beveled on both the hinge and strike sides. 1 3/8 doors are more forgiving about bevel. An old carpenter adage sizes the gaps around the door as a dime on top and a nickel on the sides. The bevel and cut are easiest done with a Rockwell porta plane, but these are too expensive for one door. Making the hinge mortises line up with the jamb will be the hardest part. The mortises in the jamb will have to be set deeper if you go to the 1 3/4 door and the existing screw holes will need to be filled. The hinges may need to be replace with larger hinges or adding an additional hinge if the door weight is very different. The strike will have to be re-set also. If this is your first attempt, it will certainly be easier to replace the door and jamb with a prehung unit or stay with the same thickness door.

Hope this helps make some decisions.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ DanG A live Singing Valentine quartet, a sophisticated and elegant way to say I LOVE YOU! [e-mail] (local)

(national)

"New & Improved - N/F John" wrote in message news:vNSph.47$R76.31@trnddc05...

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Hanging doors is becoming a lost art with the pre-hung from the factory models made today. Finish carpenters would normally do the doors of a house and they would do the hinge layout, plane the edges to fit, etc.

Start here

[kitchens etc.]

actually exterior doors (residential or commercial) are 1 3/4" thick interior doors (residential or commercial) are 1 3/8"thick

| Doors should be beveled on both the hinge and strike sides. 1 3/8 | doors are more forgiving about bevel. An old carpenter adage | sizes the gaps around the door as a dime on top and a nickel on | the sides.

The bevel and cut are easiest done with a Rockwell | porta plane, but these are too expensive for one door.

wouldn't any brand planer work? or maybe order the door beveled already (instead of square).

Making the | hinge mortises line up with the jamb will be the hardest part. | The mortises in the jamb will have to be set deeper if you go to | the 1 3/4 door and the existing screw holes will need to be | filled. The hinges may need to be replace with larger hinges or | adding an additional hinge if the door weight is very different. | The strike will have to be re-set also. If this is your first | attempt, it will certainly be easier to replace the door and jamb | with a prehung unit or stay with the same thickness door. | | Hope this helps make some decisions. | | ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ | DanG | A live Singing Valentine quartet, | a sophisticated and elegant way to say I LOVE YOU! | [e-mail] (local) |

(national) | | | "New & Improved - N/F John" wrote in | message news:vNSph.47$R76.31@trnddc05... | >I want to put a new exterior door from my hall to an unheated | >enclosed | > porch. I want to get a double pane glass, but I don't want to | > replace the | > jam with an opening width of exactly 30 inches. The door's | > width on the | > outside measures 29.75 inches and inside measures a little less | > than 30 | > inches. Thus, the door's edge is beveled. The existing door is | > 1 and 3/8's | > inches thick. A new door would be 1.75 inches. | >

| > The door has to be narrower than the jam width. Should I have | > the door's | > outside edge beveled like the old one or should I have the door | > trimmed on | > both sides about a quarter of an inch total? | >

| >

| |

[DanG]

I would love to have you show me an 1 3/8 interior commercial door on a quality job - hospital, school, church, airport, high rise office, etc. I can, however, show you several 1 3/8 residential exterior doors.

I think the issue still has to do with what the OP was trying to do. My statements do not change. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ DanG A live Singing Valentine quartet, a sophisticated and elegant way to say I LOVE YOU! [e-mail] (local)

(national)