STEP 1 - Make sure the Door fits securely against the stop and swings freely on the hinges

• If you are replacing an older door that was damaged it is likely that the jamb is not perfectly square. Cutting your new, properly square door to fit the existing, nonstandard opening will be the first and most important step. If the previous door fit well within the jamb, simply remove it, set it on top of the new door and trace out the appropriate new dimensions.
• If the old door was a poor fit or is not available, shim the new door into its final position within the jamb and mark off the lines to cut. If the jamb itself is damaged you can either replace the jamb and door, making sure to shim the jamb square or, more simply, use a pre-hung door and jamb.

STEP 2 - Install the hinges

• Attach one side of the hinges to the doorjamb. Use wooden shims to elevate the door and adjust it side to side until it is wedged in position. Using a pencil, mark off on the door the top and bottom of both of the hinges and then remove the door. Also, remove the hinge pin and the door halves of the hinges.
• With the door positioned where it can be worked on, lay the door half of the hinges between the lines you've marked for them and trace the outline using either a pencil or a utility knife. If you are fortunate enough to have a butt marker in the same size as your hinges it will make this a very simple step. Just place it between your marks and pound it in place to create a perfect outline for your hinges.
• Using a knife or a chisel, carve out the wood in the area of the hinge to the full depth of the mortise so that the hinge will sit flush with the face of the door.
• Set the door half of the hinge in the mortised opening to make sure it fits and is flush. Then use a hammer and a punch to mark the holes to drill out for the screws. Be careful to drill your pilot holes directly down so that your screws will go straight and be flush with the face of the hinge. Screw the hinges in place. Lift the door and put it in position. Hang it by lining up the hinge sections and reinserting the pins.

STEP 3 - Install the lockset and bolts

• In most doors, the backset, handing, and bore are already cut out and all that is necessary is to install the hardware, but on some doors it is required that these cuts be done on site.
• Your lockset faceplate and strike plate will come with a cardboard template for you to use to mark the proper area to cut. If there is an existing strike plate use that to line up the new lockset to avoid a second mortise in the frame. Tape the template in place and then pierce it with a spade bit or awl to mark the centers of the holes on the edge and face respectively.
• Using a hole saw, drill first through the face of the door until the tip of the bit protrudes through the other side. Then reposition to the opposite side of the door, line up the bit with the hole you've just made and complete the cut. This two step process for cutting the opening reduces the possibility of splintering the surface or damaging the finish. Using a spade bit, drill through the edge of the door until you reach the hole you've cut in the face (be sure to drill parallel to the face and perpendicular to the edge). Certain locksets will require a deeper bore than this and will specify that on the package.
• Insert the bolt into the hole in the edge and trace around it to mark the area it will set into. Using a chisel mortise the area in the same way you did the hinges.
• When installing the hardware simply drill the holes and screw the mechanism in place according to the manufacturer's directions. Be sure to test the action once it is installed as you may need to widen the hole to allow for free motion of the bolt.