The days of the old-fashioned coil-spring screen-door closer are gone forever. And with good reason. Sure, those old springs were simple, and they kept the door closed. But they also gave rise to the perennial parental warning: ”Don’t let the screen door slam-” And they also transformed the simple act of entering or leaving the house with an armful of packages into a test of quickness and agility.
Most of the doors a do-it-yourselfer is likely to hang in his home are the pre-hung variety. They come complete with jambs (the frame inside which the door hangs) and hinges already mounted, ready to install as a unit in a door opening. Buying pre-hung doors like these takes almost all of the work out of installation, but it also limits your choices. Most pre-hung doors are plain and simple. If you want something out of the ordinary, chances are you’re going to have to hang it yourself.
If you lead a charmed life, you may never need to know anything at all about butt hinges. But since nearly every door in every room of your home rides on these little swingers, it can’t hurt to familiarize yourself with the basics. Then, when little emergencies – like a broken hinge or a door that rubs on a new carpet – bother you, you’ll be ready.
Do you have a door in your home that refuses to latch properly when you close it? If so, you are not alone. This is one of the most common door problems.
Any door in your home that can swing open a full 180 degrees is a potential battering ram. If it swings open too hard and too fast, its knob can bash a dent, or even a neat, round hole in the adjacent wall.