jambs to the head jamb and sill with 10d casing nails.
Then nail the casings to the front edges of the jambs with
10d casing nails spaced 16 inches OC.
Exterior doors are 1 3/4 inches thick and not less
than 6 feet 8 inches high. The main entrance door is 3
feet wide, and the side or rear service door is 2 feet 8
inches wide. A hardwood or metal threshold (fig. 4- 19)
covers the joint between the sill and the finished floor,
The bottom of an exterior door may be equipped
with a length of hooked metal that engages with a
specially shaped threshold to provide a weatherproof
seal. Wood and metal thresholds are available with
flexible synthetic rubber tubes that press tightly
against the bottom of the door to seal out water and
cold or hot air. These applications are shown in
figure 4-20. Manufacturers furnish detailed instruction
for installation.
DOOR SWINGS
Of the various types of doors, the swinging door is
the most common (fig. 4-21 ). The doors are classed as
either right hand or left hand, depending on which side
is hinged. Stand outside the dear. If the hinges are on
your left-hand side, it is a left-hand door. If the hinges
are on your right, it is a right-hand door. For a door to
swing freely in an opening, the vertical edge opposite
the hinges must be beveled slightly. On a left-hand door
that swings away from the viewer, a left-hand regular
bevel is used; if the door opens toward the viewer, it has
a left-hand reverse bevel. Similarly, if the hinges are on
the right and the door swings toward the viewer, it has
a right-hand reverse bevel.
A door that swings both ways through an opening
is called a double-acting door. Two doors that are hinged
on opposite sides of a doorway and open from the center
are referred to as “double doors”; such doors are
frequently double acting. One leaf of a double door may
be equipped with an astragal— an extended lip that fits
over the crack between the two doors. A Dutch door is
one that is cut and hinged so that top and bottom portions
open and close independently.
INSTALLING THE EXTERIOR
DOORFRAME
Before installing the exterior doorframe, prepare
the rough opening to receive the frame. The opening
should be approximately 3 inches wider and 2 inches
higher than the size of the door. The sill should rest
firmly on the floor framing, which normally must be
notched to accommodate the sill. The subfloor, floor
joists, and stringer or header joist must be cut to a depth
Figure 4-21.-Determining door swings.
that places the top of the sill flush with the finished floor
surface.
Line the rough opening with a strip of 15-pound
asphalt felt paper, 10 or 12 inches wide. In some
structures, it may be necessary to install flashing over
the bottom of the opening. The assembled frame is then
set into the opening. Set the sill of the assembled
doorframe on the trimmed-out area in the floor framing,
tip the frame into place, center it horizontaly, and then
secure it with temporary braces.
Using blocking and wedges, you should level the
sill and bring it to the correct height (even with the
finished floor). Be sure the sill is level and well
supported. For masonry wall and slab floors, the sill is
usually placed on a bed of mortar.
4-15
