Interior and exterior door setting in Banner Elk, NC

The work starts with the rough opening, which Judson checks for plumb and level.

Both diagonals get measured, since a twisted frame will fight any door.

A bad opening is fixed before the door goes in.

On a pre-hung unit, shims go behind each hinge and at the latch. The hinge side is set plumb first.

A slab door is mortised for hinges and bored for the lockset.

The gap around the edge should read even, and the door should stay where it is left.

Hinge screws run long into the framing, not just the jamb.

Then the strike plate is set so the latch catches without a slam.

Wood swells in damp summer fog and shrinks in dry heated winters.

A door that fits in July can bind or gap by January.

Judson leaves an even reveal that allows for that movement.

Exterior doors take the weather, so the sill, flashing and sealant matter as much as the slab.

Wind-driven rain and snow on Beech Mountain and Sugar Mountain homes find any weak seam.

The sill is checked for slope so water runs out, not in.

In an empty second home, a quiet leak can rot the sill before anyone notices.

Weatherstripping is fitted after the door is set, so it seals against the finished gap.

Casing then covers the shims and hides the rough opening.