How to Install Wooden Door Hinges

Lay the door slab across two sawhorses with the interior side facing up. Measure 7 inches down from the door's top edge and 11 inches up from the door's bottom edge. Place a pencil mark at each of these locations. Measure the distance between the two marks and divide this number by half. Place a mark on the door's edge at this location.

Place one of the hinge's upper edges against the top pencil mark. Position the hinge so the knuckles extend past the exterior side's surface. Secure the hinge to the door edge with the provided screws. Line up another hinge's bottom edge with the bottom mark and secure it in place. Center the third hinge over the middle mark and secure it in place.

Trace around each door hinge with a razor knife. Tilt the blade slightly away from the hinge to create the closest tracing possible. Go over the tracings a few times until the tracing is about as deep as the hinge is thick. Back out the screws securing the hinges to the door edge and set them aside.

Drive a 1 1/2-inch chisel through the wood inside one of the tracings. Hit the chisel's handle with a hammer to put it through the wood. Remove a small amount of wood at a time. Lay the hinge over the area occasionally to check that you have not chiseled out too much. Stop chiseling when the hinge rests flush in the door edge. Repeat for the two remaining hinges.

Set the hinges into the mortised areas and secure them in place with the provided screws.