How to Attach Hinges to a New Exterior Door

Set the door on its front edge, so the back edge is facing up at you. Straddle the door so you can work on the edge while holding it still with your knees. Set a hinge set on the edge, 6 inches from the end of the door. Position it so one of the hinge plates is running along the edge and the other is hanging over the edge. Make sure the hinge pin is hanging over the side that will face into the room.

Trace a line around the hinge plate that's on the edge of the door and trace a line around the hinge plate. Remove the plate. Cut deeply around the pencil line with your razor knife, to a depth of about 1/8 inch.

Chisel down a layer of wood within the cutout area using your hammer and a 1-inch chisel. You should end up with an indented area 1/8 on down for the whole shape of the hinge plate.

Place the hinge plate back on the door, so it's sitting in the indented area. The surface of the plate should be sitting at the same level as the surrounding wood surface.

Shoot hinge screws into the plate, through the screw holes, and into the wood.

Inset the two remaining hinges the same way, putting one 6 inches from the other end and one in the middle between the two outer ones.

Set the door in the opening. Shim under it to get it in the position you want it to be, so it will open and close. Press the loose halves of the hinge plates against the door casing (the wood on the sides) and trace around them.

Take down the door. Chisel out the marked areas as you did before. Put the door back in the opening and secure the loose halves of the hinges in the casing, so it's inset as before.