How to Apply a Pivot Hinge to a Door

Lay the door across two sawhorses. Protect the finish of the door by laying towels on the sawhorses first, if desired.

Position the pivot hinge on the top edge of the side of the door that will be hinged. Ensure the front edge of the hinge is flush with the face of the door and that the pivot hole is facing outwards. Ensure the side of the hinge is flush with the edge of the door. Trace around the edge of the hinge on the top edge of the door with a pencil. Remove the hinge.

Cut a recess in the top edge of the door to a depth that is equal to the thickness of the hinge using a chisel and hammer. Ensure that you stay within the pencil lines.

Place the hinge onto the door in the recessed area you have cut out. Mark the top of the door through the hinge mounting holes with a pencil. Remove the hinge. Drill shallow pilot holes on the pencil marks with a 3/16-inch drill bit installed into a power drill.

Place the hinge back into the recessed cut-out on the door. Thread the hinge retaining screws though the mounting holes with a Phillips screwdriver or a power drill that has a Phillips bit installed.

Install the bottom pivot hinge to the bottom of the door in the same fashion.

Twist the locking rings in the top and bottom pivot hinges on the door with a hex key wrench until they are flush with the top of the hinge.

Hold the top pivot hinge acceptor bracket to the upper door frame where the door will be installed. Ensure the edges of the bracket are flush with the outer edge of the door frame. Mark the location of the mounting holes and remove the hinge. Drill pilot holes on the marks. Install the bracket with the retaining screws provided.

Measure the height of the door and add 1.5 inches. Use this measurement to determine the distance from the top pivot hinge acceptor bracket to the correct placement of the lower bracket on the lower part of the door frame. Attach the lower bracket in the same manner.

Lift the door from the sawhorses. Hold the door upright at an angle. Insert the pin in the bottom pivot hinge in the door into the hole in the acceptor bracket at the bottom of the door frame.

Rotate the door upwards. Push down on the spring loaded pin on the upper pivot hinge on the door. Slide the door over so that the pin is directly under the top acceptor bracket. Release the pin.

Tighten both locking rings on the door with a hex key wrench.