I installed a prehung exterior door, I'm having a tough time with the 1/8 reveal around the door. I noticed the top hinge of the jamb is screwed in about 1/8" from the mortisse (not set in the mortisse all the way) the middle hinge is also not set in all the way but not as bad as the top. Is this why I'm having a hell of a time with this door? Also how do you check for a racked door? Bear with me this is my first install, this house is old and I installed a Reliabilt (Lowes) door. I rebuilt the threshold and is level, and the jambs are plumb and level.

 

You're having a tough time with the 1/8" reveal. Where? Across the top? Down the latch side? Did you run a long screw in through each hinge and into the stud?

To see if the door is racked, (legs not plumb with each other) bring the door closed (from inside) until it is 1/8" from hitting the strike plate, and examine the reveal to see if it is consistantly 1/8" all the way down. If the gap is wide at the top, the bottom on that side needs to go out, or the top on that side needs to come in. Conversely, the top opposite side would need to go out, while the bottom opposite side would need to go in.

I've found that no matter what the levels read, if the reveal isn't right, you need to adjust it, or else the door won't be sealing against the weatherstrip correctly. Good luck.

 

Yes, I did screw a long screw into each stud at the hinges. The reveal on the latch side is actually larger at the bottom of the door. Thanks.

 

Some companies put out quite a few rejects where the threshold is wider than the head... or where the hinges are mortised too deep, or not deep enough. Sometimes that's part of the problem.

Here are a few things you could check.

Before you pull your hair out, measure the jamb, and see if it is 1/8" wider at the bottom than it is at the top. If it is, there isn't anything you can do about the wider reveal.

If the jamb measures out okay, go to the next step. Put a 6' level against the door, along the side of the hinges while the door is shut. Are they plumb? And are they all lined up, or is there a small gap where the level goes across the middle hinge? If there is, the hinges are bowed, and it's likely that you need to put more shims behind the bottom hinge. You also don't usually need a long screw in the bottom hinge. Since the top is what sags, it usually needs the long screw. It could also be that you have the top shimmed too tightly behind the top hinge. Usually, when you tighten that long screw up, it will pull the door over, increasing the reveal on the top latch side. (possibly making it as wide as the bottom is.

See if that gets you anywhere.

 

Sounds like you need to shim out the bottom, latch side jam.Take some wedges between stud and jam on latch side and knock them in with a hammer to squeeze jamb closer to the door to make the reveal beter.Is there a wedge pad on the bottom jamb? It should be a tan sticky back piece. Lately Reliabilt is stapling them to the jams....(bad) i buy them from factory 100 at a time and use them all the time.Reliabilt can really throw out some sloppy fitting doors.I install for Lowes, so i speak from experience! They are a bear to fit sometimes. I go by reveal top and sides, before i use a level. If i'm builing up a threshold, i use the level for that, but the reveal will make it right most the time.If you open the door and take your hands off it and it doesnt move in any position, thats what ya want, you know its level and the reveal is right, i dont need a level for that.

 

Should I attempt to set the top hinge further into the mortisse or am I just asking for trouble. I notice that when the door is closed, if I push at the top part of the door there is some play against the weatherstrip, the bottom half part of the door is closed tight.

 

It sounds like you aren't reading / trying the suggestions already offered. Yes, mortising the hinge deeper is asking for trouble. Your further question regarding the play is answered in my suggestions regarding checking the door to see if it is racked.

 

"if I push at the top part of the door there is some play against the weatherstrip, the bottom half part of the door is closed tight"


that means the bottom of the door needs to be knocked in some, take screws(i use screws on installs) out or nails or whatever you secured frame with and take a rubber mallet and knock bottom of frame (at brickmold) in some towards the house, this will make door tight at the top

 

If it's already tight against the weatherstrip on the bottom latch side, knocking the bottom in further on that side would only make it worse. Also, you can rarely knock the brickmould tighter if it's already installed tight against the house. Perhaps you meant the jamb and brickmould need to be knocked AWAY from the house at the bottom, on the side where it is tight against the weatherstrip. That would bring the top of the door in.

 

The door is finally in, I pretty much used all your great tips. The reveal on the latch side is a little wider starting at the latch to the bottom. I did check the width of the jamb at the bottom compare to the top and it is a slight bit wider, a hair shy of 1/8". Oh well, I'm done tearing my hair out, the door opens-closes and seals. Now I just have to attach the exterior extension jambs and screen door, I hope that goes smoother. Thanks for the great advice.