How To Remove The External Hinge Of A French Door?

This tutorial demonstrates how to replace the hinges on exterior French doors in seven simple steps. The process involves removing the hinge pins, starting from the door’s hinge back in the jamb where the mortise is cut. Mark the location of screws in the jamb and the hinge on the door using a pencil. Secure the door and locate the hinge pins using a hammer and screwdriver or thick nail. If needed, replace with new hinges that match the old ones.

To remove the old door, tap the hinge pins loose with a hammer and nail set. Swing the door open and lift it off, protecting the floor with a dropcloth. For wider gaps around the doors, tap in an extra shim behind the bottom hinge. To address the wider gap near the head jamb and too little at the bottom, tap in an extra shim behind the bottom hinge.

Remove the door from its hinges by placing a screwdriver under the top lip of the hinge pin and tapping with a hammer to drive the pin out. Remove the threshold and doorjamb, if the jamb proves difficult, use a reciprocating saw and metal-cutting blade to cut through the nails and pry the doorjamb off. Lube the hinge in place with LPS1 spray. French doors consist of hinges, a locking mechanism, stay arm, casement, and profile. Lift off the casement from the hinges and gently tap on the bottom of the hinge pin.