Installation Troubleshooting Guide for Standard Steel Doors and Frames
SDI 122-21
Table of Contents
- Foreword
- Purpose
- Improper Door/Frame Clearance
- Door Bind Against Rabbet
- Hinge Bind Against Stops
- Twisted Door
- Twisted Door Adjustments
- Twisted Frame
- Frame Set out of Square
- Frame with Rabbets Toed In or Out
- Silencers
- Lock Fits Loose on Strike
- Lock Fits Too Tight in Strike
- Lockset Off Location on Door Strike Off Location in Frame in Wall
- Miter Not Closed on Frame
- Clearance at Bottom of Door Too Small
- Frame and Door Hinge Misalignment
- Frame Loose on Drywall
- Glazed Window Units
- Label Missing from Fire-Rated Frame
- Label Missing from Fire-Rated Door
- Paint Problems
- Water Stain Damage
- Thermal Bow
Foreword
Purpose
Modifications made to fire-rated-labeled doors and frames shall be made in compliance with NFPA 80.
IMPROPER DOOR / FRAME CLEARANCE
Standard-weight to heavy-weight hinge modifications
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Is the door binding?
Frames which are out of plumb will likely cause improper operation of locksets and binding of bolts in the strike. Check carefully the installation of the frame prior to making hardware adjustments.
DOOR BIND, AGAINST RABBET
HINGE BIND, AGAINST STOPS
Adjustment of Clearance Between the Door and the Frame May be Accomplished by the Following:
- Using Shim “A” only, door will be relocated in direction of Arrow “X”.
- Using Shim “B” only, will move both door and centerline of hinge barrel in direction of Arrow “X”.
- Using both Shims “A” and “B” will relocate the door in direction of Arrow “X” by a greater amount than by using Shim “B” alone.
- Using Shim “C” only, door will be relocated in direction of Arrow “Y”.
- Using Shim “D” only, both door and centerline of hinge barrel will move in direction of Arrow “Y”.
- Using both Shims “C” and “D” will relocate the door in direction of Arrow “Y” by a greater amount than by using either “C” or “D” alone. The centerline of hinge barrel will be relocated the same as by using Shim “D” alone.
TWISTED DOOR
TWISTED DOOR ADJUSTMENTS
TWISTED FRAME
The options available to correct this problem depend, to a large extent, on the wall construction.
FRAME SET OUT OF SQUARE
PROPERLY SET FRAME |
The following examples illustrate how a frame can be set out of square.
FRAME WITH RABBETS TOED IN OR OUT
This condition can be corrected as outlined for the other “toe out” or “toe in” examples.
SILENCERS
LOCK FITS LOOSE ON STRIKE
This condition cannot be caused by an improperly set door and/or frame. If the lockset on the door was not properly aligned with the strike on the frame, interference would occur or the latch bolt would bind in the strike. Since this is not the case; the cause is something other than improper installation. The following should be checked:
PROPER STRIKE
Is the proper strike plate attached to the frame?
LOCK FITS TOO TIGHT IN STRIKE
IMPROPER CLEARANCE/DOOR SAG
For various conditions, click here.
HINGE BIND
For various conditions of hinge bind, click here.
TWISTED DOOR
For various conditions of twisted doors, click here.
TWISTED FRAMES
For various conditions of twisted frames, click here.
FRAME SET OUT OF SQUARE
For various conditions of frames set out of square, click here.
PROPER STRIKE
Is the proper strike plate attached to the frame?
LOCKSET OFF LOCATION ON DOOR OR STRIKE OFF LOCATION IN FRAME IN WALL
MITER NOT CLOSED ON FRAME
CLEARANCE AT BOTTOM OF DOOR TOO SMALL
Before any alterations are made the door height dimensions should be checked.
The door height is determined by taking a measurement represented by dimension “A” in the figure. If the door height is “oversize” the clearance at the bottom will be too small.
FRAME AND DOOR HINGE MISALIGNMENT
FRAME LOOSE ON DRYWALL
Frames installed in drywall walls can use two different anchoring methods:
WELDED/SNAP-IN STEEL OR WOOD STUD ANCHORS
DRYWALL FRAMES WITH COMPRESSION ANCHORS
GLAZED WINDOW UNITS
LABEL MISSING FROM FIRE-RATED FRAME
If the label or embossment is not present, the frame distributor should be contacted.
LABEL MISSING FROM FIRE-RATED DOOR
If the label is not present, the door distributor should be contacted.
PAINT PROBLEMS
Two conditions exist that must be considered when evaluating paint peeling to bare metal.
2. PRIME PAINT AND TOP (FINISH) COAT
WATER STAIN DAMAGE
- Initially, the water stain appears as a discoloration or variance in sheen or gloss in the primer. Damaged areas will look and possibly feel different from the rest of the product.
- If the water stain has existed for a considerable length of time and was caused by • large amounts of water, rust will start to appear through the discolored areas.
To correct water stain damage, use the following guidelines:
- For products that are prime painted only, the affected areas should be adequately • sanded. If necessary, the area should be sanded to bare metal. The entire door/frame surface should then be lightly sanded and “feathered” into any heavily sanded areas. The entire surface should then be re-prime painted.
- For products that are finish painted, the affected areas should be adequately sanded. • If necessary the area should be sanded to bare metal. The entire remaining finish-painted area should then be lightly sanded and “feathered” into any heavily sanded areas. If bare metal is showing, these areas should be re-prime painted and lightly sanded to “feather” into the lightly sanded finish-painted areas. The product should then be re-finish painted.
- When the door is being prepared for top or finish coat painting, the surface should first be cleaned. Use the same solvent that will be used to thin the topcoat paint and thoroughly clean all surfaces to be painted.