Doors and Windows - door to attached garage
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JeffMcDonald
10-03-09, 11:58 AM
Hi, I just installed a 32" door for my attached garage. I made the frame and bought a fire door as that is the code now for the attached garage. My problem is that the fire door is actually 31 13/16" wide and now I have a 3/16" gap on the door handle side of the door. My frame is precisely 32" wide. What did I do wrong? What can I do to reduce the gap between the door and frame on the handle side? A think strip? Is there something else I'm missing from the installation? Thanks in advance, Jeff
lefty
10-03-09, 12:20 PM
JeffMcDonald,
Welcome to the forums.
3/16" is a little wide, especially if the gap on the hinge side is less. With the dimensions that you have given, you have NO gap on the hinge side. Put a 1/8" spacer behind each of the hinges. It sounds as though you set them too deep in the jamb leg, or too deep in the door.
Welcome to the forums.
3/16" is a little wide, especially if the gap on the hinge side is less. With the dimensions that you have given, you have NO gap on the hinge side. Put a 1/8" spacer behind each of the hinges. It sounds as though you set them too deep in the jamb leg, or too deep in the door.
Gunguy45
10-03-09, 12:28 PM
What about the stop? It should be about 3/8" thick at least. If the interior measurement hinge side to latch side is exactly 32", then you should have about 3/32" clearance on both sides....thats actually pretty much perfect I think.
If the frame was made out of 2X stock, and the stop notch is integral..then the door OPENING should be 32". If it was made from 1X or 5/4 stock and the stop was added after, the interior of the frame should be 32" and the interior of the stop would be about 31 7/16".
If the frame was made out of 2X stock, and the stop notch is integral..then the door OPENING should be 32". If it was made from 1X or 5/4 stock and the stop was added after, the interior of the frame should be 32" and the interior of the stop would be about 31 7/16".
lefty
10-03-09, 12:56 PM
Another possibility.
When you look at the door's hinge side, is there a gap between the jamb and the edge of the door? If so, how wide is it? (The dimensions that you gave in your post suggest that there is NO gap.)
Hinges are set so that they are flush with the door jamb and flush with the edge of the door. They should automatically give you a 3/32" to 1/8" gap on the hinge side. You should have the same (or extremely close to it -- within about 1/32" of being the same) gap on the latch side.
You made the jamb. You installed a slab door (not pre-hung). If you have a 1/8" gap on the hinge side and 3/16" on the latch side, use a speed square or tri-square to check the latch side for being square. SOME slab doors come with the latch side slightly beveled. If you measure the interior face and the exterior face of one with a beveled edge, you will find about 1/16" difference in the width of the two faces. The narrower of those two faces goes in the jamb against the stop.
When you look at the door's hinge side, is there a gap between the jamb and the edge of the door? If so, how wide is it? (The dimensions that you gave in your post suggest that there is NO gap.)
Hinges are set so that they are flush with the door jamb and flush with the edge of the door. They should automatically give you a 3/32" to 1/8" gap on the hinge side. You should have the same (or extremely close to it -- within about 1/32" of being the same) gap on the latch side.
You made the jamb. You installed a slab door (not pre-hung). If you have a 1/8" gap on the hinge side and 3/16" on the latch side, use a speed square or tri-square to check the latch side for being square. SOME slab doors come with the latch side slightly beveled. If you measure the interior face and the exterior face of one with a beveled edge, you will find about 1/16" difference in the width of the two faces. The narrower of those two faces goes in the jamb against the stop.
Gunguy45
10-03-09, 12:59 PM
Ahh lefty...good call on the bevel...forgot about that..not common on steel, but saw them on wood doors all the time.
lefty
10-03-09, 01:15 PM
We'll wait and see what Jeff has to say.
JeffMcDonald
10-03-09, 07:08 PM
Hi,
Thanks for all the advice. I was off on the door by 1/16", the door is actually 31 3/4" wide. The gap between the frame and door on the hing side is 1/16". The hinges were quite heavy duty (the fire door is heavy). The hinge mounting plates were 1/8" thick which is the depth that I routed the slots out to be---it also matches the same depth as was mortised out of the door--from the factory.
The frame is made of 4.5" wide x 3/4" white pine. At first, I wasted 1/2 of a day with the 'door frame kit' from home depot. What a piece of garbage.
The door stops are from 3" x 3/4" white pine.
I checked the door as Lefty mentioned. I didn't notice any bevel.
Is it possible to build up the latch side with a thin strip? If I add 1/8" to the hinges, the hinges will be flush with the door frame.
The door is 1/4" less than 32" wide. If I have 3/32" on both sides, that is 3/16" total gap. Sounds like I need to make up 1/16" somewhere...
Jeff
Thanks for all the advice. I was off on the door by 1/16", the door is actually 31 3/4" wide. The gap between the frame and door on the hing side is 1/16". The hinges were quite heavy duty (the fire door is heavy). The hinge mounting plates were 1/8" thick which is the depth that I routed the slots out to be---it also matches the same depth as was mortised out of the door--from the factory.
The frame is made of 4.5" wide x 3/4" white pine. At first, I wasted 1/2 of a day with the 'door frame kit' from home depot. What a piece of garbage.
The door stops are from 3" x 3/4" white pine.
I checked the door as Lefty mentioned. I didn't notice any bevel.
Is it possible to build up the latch side with a thin strip? If I add 1/8" to the hinges, the hinges will be flush with the door frame.
The door is 1/4" less than 32" wide. If I have 3/32" on both sides, that is 3/16" total gap. Sounds like I need to make up 1/16" somewhere...
Jeff
lefty
10-03-09, 07:43 PM
Jeff, let's get on the same page here. The door is 31-3/4" wide. That would allow it to fit into a 32" wide opening with a 1/8" gap between the door and the jamb on each side.
Now, the gap on the hinge side is 1/16", and the gap on the latch side is 3/16". A 1/16" shim under the hinges (a piece of sheet metal cut to fit!!) will cure the problem. Even if you get a small roll of some pretty thin sheet metal and have to use several layers to build it up to something around 1/16" thick, you're fine. If you get the gaps on each side to within 1/32" or less, nobody will ever notice. The 3/16" on one side and the 1/16" on the other, as it is right now, sticks out like a sore thumb.
This is all about visual from the hinge side. As far as the door meeting the fire code, given the door stops, it does that right now.
But yes, shim the hinges and center the door in the jamb -- or as close to center as you can get it.
Now, the gap on the hinge side is 1/16", and the gap on the latch side is 3/16". A 1/16" shim under the hinges (a piece of sheet metal cut to fit!!) will cure the problem. Even if you get a small roll of some pretty thin sheet metal and have to use several layers to build it up to something around 1/16" thick, you're fine. If you get the gaps on each side to within 1/32" or less, nobody will ever notice. The 3/16" on one side and the 1/16" on the other, as it is right now, sticks out like a sore thumb.
This is all about visual from the hinge side. As far as the door meeting the fire code, given the door stops, it does that right now.
But yes, shim the hinges and center the door in the jamb -- or as close to center as you can get it.
Gunguy45
10-04-09, 08:09 AM
You can also use plastic coated playing cards as shims, they've worked well for me. Or the large laminate samples from the Big Box store, though those are a bit harder to trim to fit.
Just wondering..what kind of problems did you have with the frame kit? I've only used a couple, but don't remember any huge issues......
Just wondering..what kind of problems did you have with the frame kit? I've only used a couple, but don't remember any huge issues......