LESLIE: Ted, what can we help you with?
TED: I have a question about hanging some interior doors in a master bathroom.
TOM: OK.
TED: My question is, for us people who don’t do this very often, I know you can buy a template to set this and you need a router. Is there a tool that you can put on your power drill or something or an easier way to indent those doors for the hinges?
LESLIE: Are there doors already hanging there now that are set appropriately?
TED: There are doors already there and I know the dimensions about where I need the indentations, but it’s a pretty good job on chipping that out. Is there an easier way?
TOM: Ted, have you thought about using a prehung door and not just replacing the physical door but also the door jambs?
TED: No, they’re not prehung.
TOM: Well, that’s my point. If you used a prehung door it would be fairly easy for this to be installed, but taking a door and making it custom fit is actually a fairly difficult carpentry project.
Now, if I didn’t have a router template, what I would do is I would be using a chisel. I would be laying it out very, very carefully and I would be using a very sharp wood chisel to set my hinges in flush with the jambs and to set them in flush with the edge of the door.
TED: OK, OK. I’ve also been told on resetting the holes that are in the hinge door on the outside that I can put a toothpick or some kind of piece of wood with some wood glue and it’ll set that. Would you recommend doing that?
TOM: Yes, that will absolutely work. Do it all the time.
TED: OK.
TOM: Little bit of Elmer’s and a sliver of wood is a good thing to do to fill in an old nail hole or if you have a screw that you’re putting in and the nail hole is a little too big and sort of stripping it, that’s an easy way to fix it.
TED: Well, I appreciate that very much. Thank you.
TOM: You’re welcome, Ted. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT.
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