Do you have an interior door that you don’t know how to hang? There are plenty of different types of doors, and while most look very similar to one another, others sport special features and capabilities that – while beneficial – can make the installation process more complicated. This can be daunting to those who aren’t used to installing their own door.

Because of this, we’ve put together this guide taking you through the key steps of hanging your door. We’ve broken each step down, allowing you to install your door in no time at all.

Remember, with door types varying between brands, following the supplied instructions is the ideal way to ensure your door is installed correctly and securely. Should the physical version of these instructions become lost, try checking the website of the manufacturer who produced your door. Should all else fail, we hope this guide serves as a useful alternative.

Most internal doors are simply standard doors, with the biggest variation being glazed panes or additional thicknesses that may alter the door’s weight. While you may need help lifting the door, the general method of installation remains the same. In order to effectively install your door, you will require a number of tools.

The products you will need include:

• Internal door
• Door hinges
• Screwdriver or drill with screwdriver bit
• Screws
• Wood shims
• Tape measure
• Pencil
• Chisel (if needed)
• Doorknob and hardware (if not pre-installed)

Once you have all of these products you can move onto the installation. Be sure to have each item on hand before you begin, as this will ensure the process runs smoothly.

To hang your standard door:

1. Ensure that the doorway in which you intend to hang your new door is plumb, level, and square. If it is not, you may need to adjust the door frame. If the frame and door don’t match, your new door is likely proportioned correctly, and it is your doorway that needs adjusting. It is therefore wiser to adhere to the levels of your door than the area in which it will be installed.
2. If you need to, adjust the frame accordingly.
3. Position the hinges by placing the door on its side, with the edge on which the hinges will be placed facing straight upwards. Typically, doors possess three hinges, with the top hinge positioned around 7-10 inches from the top of the door, and the bottom hinge about 7-10 inches from the bottom. The middle hinge is spaced evenly between them.
4. Use a chisel to make recesses for the hinges on the edge of the door. Measure carefully – you want the hinges to sit in the recesses comfortably, allowing them to be positioned flush with the surface of the door.
5. The next step is to attach the hinges – do this by aligning them with the marks you made and securing them to the door using screws. Once you have done this, attach the other side of the hinges to the doorway frame.
6. You will need to check for smooth movement by standing the door upright and ensuring that it swings freely without stalling or binding. If it doesn’t, you will need to go back a step or two to adjust the hinges or trim the door/frame slightly.
7. This next section may require closer inspection of manufacturer’s instructions – you will want to install the doorknob, latch, and any other hardware. This typically involves drilling holes for both the knob and the latch before using screws to attach them securely.
8. Test the door again by opening and closing several times to make sure it works.
9. Adjust for level and plumb if needed. Use wood shims to adjust the door if it is not level or plumb. Place shims behind the hinges or at the latch side.
10. Secure the Door by tightening the screws on the hinges.
11. If desired, paint or finish the door to your preference.
12. When hanging double internal doors, the process is much the same, but you will be mirroring everything done to one door when working on the other. You will also require double the number of hinges and handles, and if you’re applying a latch it will need to connect with the opposite door rather than a doorway.

One door where installation is different is the bi-fold door. These doors are unique in both appearance and operation, and as such, are installed using a separate method. If you’ve been thinking about purchasing a bi-fold door but are concerned about the installation process, read on to find out how it’s done.

Bi-fold doors operate very differently to standard doors, and they are installed differently too. The major exception is that these doors possess tracks and additional hinges that need to be correctly applied in order for the folding feature to operate properly. Bi-fold doors may also contain glazed panes or may be constructed from solid wood. Both of these features will affect the weight, so ensure your walls are strong enough to accommodate them.

The items you will need to install a bi-fold door include:

• Bi-fold door kit (includes track, pivots, and hardware)
• Screwdriver or drill with screwdriver bit
• Screws
• Level
• Pencil
• Measuring tape
• Anchors (if needed for wall mounting)

Once you have all of these products you can move onto the installation. Be sure to have each item on hand before you begin, as this will ensure the process runs more smoothly.

1. Measure the height of your door opening, marking out the midpoint at the top of this opening. This will be where you place the track of the door.
2. Attach the track to the top of the door frame using screws. You will need to make sure that it is level and centred on the opening.
3. You can now install pivots – attach the top pivot bracket to the top of the door, typically centred in the middle. Attach the bottom pivot bracket to the floor, aligned with the centre of the bottom end of the door.
4. At this point, you can hang the doors. Do so by lifting the doors onto the track. The pivots should fit nicely into the corresponding slots on the track.
5. You may have a bi-fold door with aligners – these help to keep the door in a steady position. They are usually attached to the top and bottom edges of the door, consult the manufacturer’s instructions to be certain.
6. Some bi-fold doors also have a guide pin that helps to keep the doors aligned when closed. Attach this to the floor in the centre of your doorway.
7. If needed, adjust the doors by using the adjustment screws on the pivot brackets in order to ensure the doors are level and properly aligned. This step may require some trial and error in order to get it right.
8. Test the doors by opening and closing them several times in order to make sure they operate smoothly and latch securely.
9. Many bi-fold doors require handles or pulls. These can now be attached to the leading edges of the doors.
10. If your door is on a track, it will need to be secured with screws and/or anchors to prevent movement.

And there you have it – how to hang both standard and bi-fold internal doors. You will hopefully now have a clearer idea of what is most important when it comes to door installation.

Alternatively – if you have any more questions about internal doors, feel free to get in touch with our excellent team, who will be more than willing to assist with any queries you may have on the subject. Whether it’s about the best door for your project, or the ideal accessories, we will do our best to help you out.