LOL this is why pre hung doors are your friend.
I feel your pain, heck I can even order you doors with trim already attached.
LOL this is why pre hung doors are your friend.
I feel your pain, heck I can even order you doors with trim already attached.
Make a story pole. Cut a piece of 1x2 the length of the jamb, place it flush to the header, mark your hinge pockets, and then mark an 1/8" down off the header. Lay the story pole down on the edge of the door, line up the 1/8" mark with the top of the door and transfer your hinge pocket marks. 90% of the time the hinge pockets will be the same distance on ever door from the header. The 1/8" mark will give you the proper reveal at the head.
Your biggest issue will be if the house has settled and the latch side is lower than the hinge, putting your header out of level. In which case you will have to saw cut the head of the door to match the angle of the jamb.
If you have any questions I would be happy to help. I have milled many doors and made many wood jambs to match doors and vise versa.
Your biggest issue will be if the house has settled and the latch side is lower than the hinge, putting your header out of level. In which case you will have to saw cut the head of the door to match the angle of the jamb.
If you have any questions I would be happy to help. I have milled many doors and made many wood jambs to match doors and vise versa.
I suspect you know this now, it is always best to hang and fit the doors, then paint them, unless you want to re-paint them...
The story pole is a great suggestion, also use a carpenters rule instead of a measuring tape, they can be off as much as a 1/16" or more at times, if you do use a tape use the same one. Use a sharp pencil and a combination square for your marks. Tack a 1/8" spacer at the top of the story pole, lets it grab the top of the door and give you the spacing. Some doors if they are tight need about a 5-10 degree bevel on the striker side as the diagonal measurement of the door can be larger than the frame. Also get a framing square and check the door jambs before you mortise so you know what you are dealing with.
The story pole is a great suggestion, also use a carpenters rule instead of a measuring tape, they can be off as much as a 1/16" or more at times, if you do use a tape use the same one. Use a sharp pencil and a combination square for your marks. Tack a 1/8" spacer at the top of the story pole, lets it grab the top of the door and give you the spacing. Some doors if they are tight need about a 5-10 degree bevel on the striker side as the diagonal measurement of the door can be larger than the frame. Also get a framing square and check the door jambs before you mortise so you know what you are dealing with.
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