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What is considered a standard size door for you to manufacture?

All of our doors are manufactured in heights of 6/8 (80''), 7/0 (84''), and 8/0 (96'') with widths starting at 1/4 (16'') increasing in 2'' increments up to 3/6 (42''). By offering this wide range of sizes as standard, we are able to give the majority of our customers the quality doors they want in the sizes that they need without them having to pay for custom sized doors.

What is considered a custom size door?

Our method of construction allows the door height to be trimmed down no more than 1'' from the bottom rail and ½'' from the top rail for a total cut down allowance of no more than 1 ½''. The door width can be trimmed ¼'' on each side for a total of no more than ½''. Calculate the door size that you will need, use a standard size and if need be subtract our trim allowances, any height or width that is not within these specifications is considered a custom size. Click on our custom sizing link for examples and pricing information.

What is a rough opening?

A rough opening is a framed opening in a wall used for the purpose of installing a window or door unit, before the jamb is added.

How do I determine what size my rough opening needs to be?

The rough opening must be larger than the size of the door unit to allow room to shim the unit square. To determine the rough opening for a standard prehung door we recommend that you add 2 ½'' to the door height and a minimum of 2'' to the door width.

What exactly does door handing mean?

Door handing is the term used to describe which way the door is hung on the jamb (frame) determining which direction the door swings. Click on our door handing chart for visual instruction in determining the handing of your doors.

Are the doors stained, painted or prefinished in any way?

We do not paint, stain, or finish our doors in any way. The doors are machine sanded, then finished off with a 120 grit hand sanding and shipped to you. The reason we don't finish our doors is due to our customers need to match their door finish to other wood products in their home or office. Another concern is time delay in shipping finish samples back and forth.

What are the minimum and maximum door sizes that you will market?

When building a door our minimum width allowance is 16'' (1/4) and the minimum height is 60'' (5/0). Shorter heights can be manufactured, but the door components will not be of standard sizes. We manufacture bifold style doors in a minimum width of 12'' (1/0). The maximum width for a standard door is 42'' (3/6) and the maximum height is 96'' (8/0).

At what measurements does a 1 ¾'' thick door become required?

Any width over 36'' (3/0) , or height over 90'' (7/6), will need to be 1 ¾'' thick to maintain the structural integrity of the door.

What door width will accommodate a wheel chair?

The Americans with Disabilities Act states that all doorways shall have a minimum clear opening of 32'' , with the door open 90 degrees, measured between the face of the door and the opposite door stop. With this law in mind you must consider the width of the hinges and the door stop when calculating the opening width. To achieve a 32'' clearance you will need to be able to have a 34'' door all of the way open (180 degrees) for the hinges to clear. We recommend that you use at least a 36'' wide door for wheel chair passage whenever possible.

What is a dutch door?

A dutch door is essentially two horizontal door halves, with the top and bottom halves operating independently from each other. You can close the bottom for some privacy, while leaving the top open, allowing fresh air into the room and enabling you to have a conversation with someone on the other side of the door. Dutch doors also make a great baby gate, and are often used for a nursery or play room door. When the top and bottom are locked together, the two sections work as one, like a standard door. The dutch door originated in the Netherlands in the early 1600's.

Can I cut one of your doors in half to make a dutch door?

No, the way that we manufacture our doors will not allow for them to be cut in half. Attempting this will cause the door to fall apart.

Can I trim a door down? If so how much?

Yes, our construction method allows the door height to be trimmed down no more than 1'' from the bottom rail and ½'' from the top rail for a total cut down allowance of no more than 1 ½''. The door width can be trimmed ¼'' on each side for a total of no more than ½''.

How thick are the door panels?

In our raised panel doors the 1 3/8'' thick doors have a panel thickness of 13/16'', the 1 ¾'' thick doors have a panel thickness of 1 1/8''. All of our flat panel doors have a panel thickness of ½''.

Do you manufacture hollow core doors?

No, we only manufacture high quality solid hardwood raised panel, flat panel and glass (french) doors.

How thick and wide are the door stiles?

The thickness of the stiles will be either 1 3/8'' or 1 ¾'', depending on the door thickness that you order, as the stiles are the thickest part of a door. The width of the stiles on raised panel doors is 4 ½'' with an additional ½'' ogee (trim). The stiles will be 5'' wide on all flat panel doors.

Do your doors come with hinges and door knobs?

If you get a door prehung on a jamb (frame), your choice of ten hinge finishes is included. Door knobs are not included and will need to be purchased separately.

What is the height of the top and bottom rails on your doors?

The height of the bottom rail on a raised panel door is 8 ½'' with an additional ½'' ogee (trim). A flat panel door has a bottom rail measuring 9''. The top rail on a raised panel door is 4 ½'' plus a ½'' ogee. A flat panel door has a 5'' top rail.

What is a cafe door?

A cafe door is a double door unit consisting of two short doors, that when hung on the appropriate hinges will swing freely in both directions, just like the saloon doors of the old west. Cafe doors are available in heights of 36'' and 42''.

Can you substitute glass panels for the wood panels?

Yes, in many of our door styles we can substitute tempered glass panels for wooden panels. Please confer with our salespeople about which style doors this can be done in.

Do you manufacture beveled glass doors?

Yes, we manufacture several different styles. Depending on your door width, five, ten, and fifteen lite tempered beveled glass doors are available.

How much does shipping cost?

The variance in weight and size of the crate(s), plus the delivery distance all factor into the shipping cost. It would be difficult to say that every door order will cost x amount of dollars per pound to ship, due to those variables. When discussing your door order, our salespeople will gladly provide you with the shipping cost for your particular order.

What is tempered glass?

Tempered glass is a type of glass that is manufactured by reheating it to just below the melting point and then suddenly cooling it. Tempered glass is stronger and safer than standard glass and if it breaks it will shatter into small pieces, like pebbles, without having sharp edges. Tempered is the only type of glass that we use in our doors. The tempered glass panels can not be recut after they have been tempered.

Is your beveled glass beveled on both sides?

The beveled glass that we use in our door manufacturing process is made to industry standards and is beveled on one side only.

How much do your doors weigh?

Some species of wood are more dense than others, causing a variance in the weight between the different wood types. The following weight table is based on a low end starting point of 18'' wide doors and the high end finishing at 36'' wide doors. The weights will not be exact, but they will be close estimates. Remember the weights are for the door only (slab).

Door Thickness

1 3/8'' 1 ¾''

18'' 36'' Width 18'' 36'' Width

How does a double door unit stay closed?

If you don't need to lock your double door unit you can have pressure operated ball catches installed in the top of each door. Combining ball catches with a dummy knob or lever makes for easy access between rooms. If you have a need for security though, an astragal and flush or cremone bolts must be installed, along with your locking mechanism.

Do you manufacture flush doors?

No, we only manufacture high quality solid hardwood raised panel, flat panel, and glass (french) doors.

What is meant by prehanging a door?

At Designer Doors the term prehang is referring to the attaching of a door to its jamb (frame), by means of hinges, drilling the hole for your door knob (bore backset), and beveling the doors edge. This creates a single unit that can be placed in your rough opening and easily installed (Providing that your opening is plumb and square).

What size hinges and how many do you recommend for prehanging?

The hinge size and number of hinges needed will depend on the size of your door. If you have a 1 3/8'' thick door at a 6/8 (80'') or 7/0 (84'') height, we recommend that you use three, full mortise hinges, 3 ½'' x 3 ½'' x ¼'' radius. The 1 ¾'' thick doors in the 80'' and 84'' heights will require three hinges also, but they should be full mortise 4'' x 4'' x ¼'' radius hinges. When prehanging an 8/0 (96'') door we recommend the use of four full mortise hinges measuring 4'' x 4'' x ¼'' radius. When the weight of the door exceeds 110 pounds, ball bearing hinges should be used.

Can bifold style doors be prehung the same as a regular door?

Yes, if you have a narrow opening that requires either a single or double prehung door, and a standard size door will not fit, often times a bifold style door prehung on a door jamb (frame) will prove to be the solution you are looking for. Just because the word bifold style is used, do not confuse this door term with folding type doors. Give us a call and our salespeople will be glad to explain our bifold style prehung door application.

What is a corner section?

A corner section is a 12'' x 12'' multi purpose cross section sample of our door products. When viewing a corner section you are able to examine how our doors are constructed. A corner section also provides you with the opportunity to see the grain pattern and coloration of your wood choice. Many of our customers keep their corner sections for testing, to aid them in determining how different stains and finishes appear when applied to the wood.

What sizes do your glass pantry and laundry doors come in?

The glass pantry and laundry doors are only available in 24'', 30'', and 36'' width doors, in either 80'' (6/8) or 96'' (8/0) heights.

Is there a standard size of door frame (jamb)?

No, there is no standard size of door frame. The door jamb that you need is directly related to the width of the wall where you will be installing the jamb. Measure the width of the stud plus the drywall on both sides of the opening to determine what size jamb you need. Since 2 x 4 studs actually measure 1 ½'' x 3 ½'' , add two times your drywall thickness plus 3 ½''.

Door Installation Overview

When properly installed, a door should easily engage with the latch, clear the jamb, and swing easily on it's hinges. The framing in the wall often has some shortcomings that will need to be overcome through careful adjustment of the door and jambs to ensure the door hangs well.

Inspecting the rough opening

Use a four foot level to inspect the floor of the doorway. If the latch side is lower, then no shims are needed. If the hinge side is lower than the latch side, then use shims to make the bubble level and tack the shims using a finishing nail.

Check the walls and trimmer studs for plumb using a level or plumb bob. Check the timmers' faces with a framing square to if they are square with the wall.

Lastly, measure the distance between the top. bottom, and middle of the trimmers to make sure they are parallel.

Adjusting the trimmers

On the hinge jamb, measure from the bottom of the jamb to the center of each hinge. Mark the hinge locations on the hinge-side trimmer by measuring up from the floor (or top of the shims).

Tack the plumb bob to the top of the hinge-side trimmer, and measure the gap between the string and the trimmer at each hinge location. Where the gap is the smallest, place overlapping shims.

Adjust the shims to 1/8 inch thick, and tack them with a finish nail. Measure the gap between the shims and the plumb bob string.

Place overlapping pairs of shims at the other two hinge locations. Adjust each pair's thickness until the gap between shims and string equals the gap at the first pair.

Nail each pair to the trimmer and cut off the ends with a utility knife so they don't protrude past the drywall.

Fitting the door

Adjusting the horizontal gap

Anchoring the jamb

Replacing the hinge screw

Attaching the split jamb

Mounting the latch hardware