Library builder

Cylinder locksets (also called tubular or key-in­knob locks) are popular because they’re cheap and easy to install. Better models have a spring — loaded dead latch that prevents the bolt from DEAD B

Specifics vary, but most locksets come with paper templates that locate the center of the holes drilled in the face of the door (face bores) for handle spindles or cylinders and holes drilled into the edge of the door (edge bores) for latch assemblies. A second paper template locates holes drilled in the latch jamb […]

Now it’s time for fine-tuning the installation or, as the pros call it, working the frame. Here are a few things you might see and what to do about each: ► Doors hitting in the center. Ease off the shims behind the jambs. If the problem is a bowed jamb, use additional nails to pull […]

Installing double doors requires more plumb and level readings, shim adjustments, and—above all—more patience than hanging a single door, but the procedure is much the same. So we’ll zip through the steps covered earlier to get to the heart of the matter. figuring out why the doors don’t meet perfectly in the middle and what […]

There are several ways to level an exterior doorsill. After you’ve installed a floor pan, place a spirit level across the bottom of the rough opening (RO) and insert pressure — treated wood shims under the tool till it reads level. Tack shims to plywood subfloor­ing to keep them from drifting, and then install the […]

To replace an exterior door, first remove the interior and exterior casing to expose the door frame and the rough opening. Proceed carefully, minimizing damage to the siding and finish surfaces whenever possible. Exposing the rough opening enables you to measure it exactly and inspect for water damage or rot, which must be repaired before […]

Plumb the hinge jamb first, using a 6-ft. level for accuracy. Or you can hang a plumb bob from a nail in the top of the jamb, as shown in the left photo on p. 102, and measure from the plumb line. When the jamb is plumb, all measurements from the jamb to the line […]

There are many ways to hang a door. Thus, the installation sequences that follow occasionally offer alternative methods. ASSESSING AND PREPPING THE OPENING Prehung doors usually come preassembled with the door hung on hinges in the jamb and held tight by a screw through the latch jamb into the door. Or the door may be […]

Today, most doors, windows, and skylights are preassembled in factories and delivered preframed, which makes installation much easier. Basically, you screw or nail the unit’s squared frame to a rough opening (RO). If the opening is in an exterior wall, weatherproof it first-wrap, flash, and caulk. Rough openings are typically Уг in. to 1 in. […]

Doors, windows, to do a lot. They must be solidly attached yet mov­able, let light in while keeping rain out, admit guests but deny drafts. Because these units are so complex, it’s impossible to shoehorn everything one might say about them into one chapter. You’ll find more about flashing in Chapters 5 and 7; more […]