How to Install Hinges on Doorways

Lie the door down on a flat surface with the handle hole facing right. Mark a spot with a pencil 7 inches from the top of the door and 1/4 inch from the back on the inside edge opposite the handle. In other words, the edge that will hold the hinges. Repeat the process 11 inches from the bottom of the door. Mark a third spot halfway between the two for a middle hinge if necessary.

Screw the hinges into the door using the marks as the guide. The barrel of the hinge rests along the inside edge of the door. Draw an outline of the hinges on the door with the pencil, but leave them in place.

Hold the door up in the doorway with the hinges attached. Mark the door jamb along the top edge of all the hinges. The jamb is the inside section of the doorway. Lie the door down and remove the hinges.

Line up the correct flap of the hinge with the pencil mark. The barrel of the hinge goes along the inside edge. Screw the hinge in place with a screwdriver to secure it temporarily.

Outline the hinge on the door jamb with a utility knife. Do not press down too hard with the knife; you only need to etch the shape of the hinge into the frame. Unscrew the hinge once you outline it and remove it from the doorway.

Carve out an area on the door jamb for the hinge using the chisel. Place the end of the chisel at a 45-degree angle within the etched edges. Hit the handle with a rubber mallet to remove chunks of the wood. Make the carving about the same depth as the hinge, approximately 1/8 inch. Repeat the process for the other hinges.

Chisel the door to make a place for the hinges using the same technique. Once you have carved out the spots on the door, install the hinges by screwing them in place.

Hold the door up to the doorway and screw the hinges into the carved areas on the frame.