Double Doors and Astragals

[georgepag]

I am installing a set of double doors in my bedroom doorway. I've hung single doors before but not double and have some questions on what I need to do. These will be 6 panel pine doors that will open into the room. The active door will be the right-hand door (standing in the room) and that's the door that will receive the lockset. I'm also putting down a threshold.

My plan is to install the threshold, install a stop molding around the jamb (there isn't one there now), put the doors in place align them and mark the hinge locations. I'll then mortise the jamb and doors for the hinges and mortise the side of the inactive door for the top and bottom pins. Sound ok so far?

What do I need for an astragal? I've read that you use a "T" astragal but then also read that all you need is a piece of molding that mounts to the face of the active door to use as an astragal. Which is better? If it is a "T" astragal, then this has to go on before the door is mortised for the lockset, correct?

How big a gap should I leave between the doors? Anything else I need to be aware of?

George

[skeezics]

Either will work but the t astrigal will work better . a molding nailed on can come loose with use. if you use the nail on trim method it will mount to the outside of the inactive door. not the active door. the reason for this as far as i care is to allow the lock strike to lip over the inside. if you mount the astrigal to the active door you have to cut out a notch to allow for the lip strike. same with the t astrigal. putting the astrigal on the active door is not the prefered method IMHO. I have been hanging and hardwareing doors for the past 20 years. the astrigal will be notched for the stop bead at the top. you will also want slide bolts on the inactive door. some mount on the face of the door while others motise into the edge of the inactive door or astrigal. on interier doors you only need a slide bolt at the top. 2 is better but dealing with flooring such as carpet can be problematic. with a threashhold the bottom bolt gets easier.another trick is to add the stop bead after hanging the doors. allow 1/16" clearance between the door and stop.

skeez

[TaskMule]

With a T the tail would have to be let into the door. I usually just flat mount it to the fixed door, usually hardwood if the doors are softwood.

Here's a tip, don't mount the door stop until the doors are hung and your happy with the way the meet in the middle and the upper and lower sliding bolts are in. Same with single doors until the passage set is installed. Doorstop should really be the very last thing installed.

[georgepag]

Good point about the lip on the strike plate, didn't think of that.

"With a T the tail would have to be let into the door" I don't understand. I haven't actually seen a T astrigal yet but I assumed that the tail would be the full thickness of the door, 1-1/8" or whatever, and that it would simply be nailed into the side of the door....which, now that I think about it might look a little odd from the other side. Are you saying that the astrigal is less than the door thickness and I need to rabbet out the side of the door to accept it?

[georgepag]

What I meant to say was that I assumed the *length* of the tail would be the same as the thickness of the door and that any mortising - strike plate, slide bolts - would be mortised into or through the astrigal.

[TaskMule]

Oh, ok, that would work. You will end up with a seam on the opposite side though

[skeezics]

you are corect the T is 1 1/2 and protrudes a little. usualy rounded or detailed on the edge that protrudes for decorative purposes and to make it easier to install for the less than profesional installer. it will also add about 3/8 " to the inactive door. be sure to allow for this or you will have to plane the doors to fit.

skeez

[Mike]

We normally use a T. The T we use has a bevel on the side that goes toward the active door. The flat side of the T nails to the inactive door. If you use this style of T you will need to bevel the lock side of the active door if that is not already done. This will allow you to keep a close clearance between the doors. The T will also notch at the top where it hits the stop. If you use edge bolts on the inactive side, they will have to be mortised through the T. Be careful that you don't have nails at the positions of the bolts or the keeper for your lock. The T does not have to go on before the door is bored for the lockset. If your active side is already bored you can still install the T and just mortise the keeper to match the location of the bore in the active door. If your framing does not have room for the two doors plus the T you may have to make the doors smaller. If the active door is already bored you may need to remove the material from the inactive door only (assuming it is not bored). If you take too much off of the bored door, you will have problems with the lockset.

Mike O.