Upgrade Door Hinges

Step 1

Remove the Door

The first step for me is taking down the old doors. A buddy right here really does come in handy! Having a set of sawhorses setup in the driveway ready to go, let's get these doors down! Using your screwdriver or drill take out each screw and remove the door.

Tip: Have your buddy hold the door while unscrewing the hinges, this will keep the door from falling on your foot or damaging your floor!

Step 2

Unscrew

We have the door frame free of the hinges, now with the door on the sawhorse, lets unscrew the hinges from the door itself. You can discard all the old hardware, National Hardware gives you everything you need to install the new hardware!

Step 3

Trace

Now it is time to get your new hinges out of the package, don’t lose any screws. We went with a little different shape, so the next few steps you may not have to do if you get the same hinges that are installed on your door. Using a sharp pencil, trace out where the new hinge will go, use the existing mounting holes as a guide! Take your time here to make the next steps easy.

Step 4

Remove Material

Now it is time to remove material on the door to allow for the new hinge to fit. Like I stated in the previous step you may be able to skip the next couple of steps. Two options that I have done in the past is using wood chisels or a dremel tool. Either one can accomplish this task extremely well. For this project I chose to use the dremel. Using my line as a guide, with my dremel on a medium speed I gently carve out material working to the line, not starting on it. I would occasionally stop to see if my hinge was fitting to make sure I am not eliminating too much material. If you will take your time on this step you will have a snug and perfect fitting hinge. Repeat this step for the other hinges on the door.

Step 5

Line Up

Let's move back inside to prepare the door frame for the new hinges. Take the new hinge, line up the screw holes, and trace around it with a pencil. Remember you may not have to do this step if you are replacing the existing hinges with the same shape! That same patience you used on the door hinges will be just as important when you trim the frame. If you take your time here you will get a better product! Using a dremel or wood chisels trim the extra material to allow for the new hinge to work. I like using my dremel at medium speed and working up to the line. Stopping several times checking my progress with the new hinge.

Step 6

Complete

After you have trial fitting every spot to insure fit, now it is time for the fun part, installation! I first install the hinges on the door itself. Make sure you install the hinges the correct way, do not install upside down like I did the first time. Then with a buddy, line the door hinges up with the notches on the door frame, start installing the screws. Take your time so you do not scratch your new hinges.

That wraps it up my friends. It is a really easy way to upgrade your hinges to be squeak free and to give a more modern look. If you take your time, you will really upgrade your doors and have an amazing hinge that can last a lifetime.

Upgrade Door Hinges

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