I'm in the process of building a shed, well so far I have 3/4 walls assembled. I can't start wall #4 because I'm still stuck on what to use for a door.

I want a nice set of double doors, but the only full-sized pre-hung doors I can find are the french glass door kind and are a little more than I want to spend on a shed.

So I want to build the whole thing from scratch. Here's what I have so far.

I'm going to use two 30" steel exterior doors. For an astragal I will use 1x2 pine (actually 3/4" x 1 3/4"), take two strips and shape them into a T that I can nail to the second door.

For my door jamb, instead of using the pre-fab ones, I will buy some nice straight 1x5" pine boards, and have the guy in the back of the store route some hinge holes on there.

Where I'm stuck is the "reveal". I've been doing a lot of research, according to some, the reveal is how much of the door jamb is left visible behind the door molding, and according to others, it is the amount of wiggle room the door has inside the door jamb so it doesn't get stuck.

What I need to know is how big does the inside of my door jamb need to be for the doors to fit properly. If I'm using two 30" doors, and the astragal adds another 3/4", do I make the opening exactly 60 3/4", or do I need to make it a little wider so the doors don't stick?

Also what is the ideal size for the rough opening? Should I give myself an extra 3/8" all around, or do I need a little more?

 

I am guessing you mean 3/8 between the doors? I'd think that was plenty if you have the shed on a stable base. Probably could go less. I leave 1/2 inch all the way around for the R.O. and shim the gap between R.O. and jamb to plumb the doors and adjust closure.
But, I am no expert. I build 2-3 of these things per year with students in my shop class but am book- and self-taught through trial and error. I am sure someone who does this for a living can be more specific.

 

***Add at least 2" to the 60 3/4" width of your doors and astragal to allow 3/4" for the jamb and 1/4" for shims on either side***

Exterior doors typically have a one piece jamb and stop that is rabbeted 1/2" deep.
This covers the gap necessary for the door(s) to open and close without binding.
A kerf at the root of this rabbet (rebate) will admit the tongue of a resilient foam or rubber weatherstrip.

I ordered a similar (6'0" X 6'8") pair of insulated steel doors with no glazing option for my shop a few years ago.
The millwork distributor had them delivered to my local lumberyard in 2 days for far less than I could have bought all the component parts for.

If your doors are free and you already have a sill, seals, hinges, slide bolts for the passive door and a lot of time on your hands than I would say go for it.

 

According to the door guy at the hardware store, I need to leave an extra 1/4" inside my door jamb for each door.

So if I have two 30" doors, a 3/4" astragal, then the inside of my door jamb should measure 61 1/4".

 

I understand now.
Yes. 1/8", 1/8", 1/8" should work if your doors are actually 30" and not intended for a 30" wide jamb, as they are if you get them from that Big Orange Box.
I've made that mistake before

Measure twice, cut once.

I'd suggest you purchase an aluminum astragal for your steel doors.

 

None of the stores around here sell an actual astragal. But the guy at Rona said a lot of the door/window guys use aluminum angle.
http://www.smallparts.com/image/B001DE28NY



I ended up getting 34" doors, and the actual measurement is 34 3/8". So if I understand correctly, I should leave 1/8" of space between the left door and the door jamb, 1/8" between the right door and the door jamb, and 1/8" between the two doors, for a total of 3/8" of play.

34 3/8 (left door)
34 3/8 (right door)
1/8 astragal
1/8 space between left door and door jamb
1/8 space between right door and door jamb
1/8 space between left door and right door
-------------------------------------------
70 1/4" inside measurement of door jamb

+
door jamb made of 3/4 pine x 2
3/8 for shims x 2
---------------------------

rough opening of 72 1/2"

 

Yes your math is correct.

Aluminum angle?
You can see sections of jambs, mullions and astragals here: http://www.thermatru.com/Downloads/A...me%20Parts.pdf

 

Maybe you could find a "T" extrusion?
It would look and seal better.

 

What is the best way to put all of this together?

Do I assemble the door jamb on the floor, then stand it up in my rough opening and shim it in place like I would a pre-hung door?

Or do I assemble the jamb right inside the rough opening?

 

I would assemble it on the floor first and then stand it into place.

Tack it into the rough opening and shim beneath the legs and behind the hinges until the doors close squarely together with a nice even gap all around.
Make sure to use a long enough screw in the top hinge leaf that it will reach through your shims and well into the jack stud of the rough opening.
This will help keep the doors from sagging over time.

Are the legs dadoed to lock the head into place?
Seal the end grain of the legs and ends of the sill (if any) before assembly.

 

No. Is it absolutely necessary to do that? I thought I could have the head resting across the top of the legs and fasten it with a little glue and finishing nails.


To assemble the door, what I had in mind was this.

Cut my door jamb pieces to length.
Route holes for hinges on the sides of the door jamb.
Line all four sides of the door jamb with door blocker trim.
Fasten hinge plates to jamb, removing the pins and keeping the other half of the hinge to fasten to the door after.
Assemble four sides of door jamb with glue and finishing nails.

Once my door jamb's assembled and the glue's drying, I can attach the remaining hinge plates to the doors. Then I just drop the doors into my door jamb so they lay flat on the door blocker trim, and put the hinge pins back.

Before standing the unit up, I would also start putting some shims between the doors and the door jamb, to make an even space all around, and tack some furring strips across the outside of the frame to keep the unit square while we position it into the rough opening.

 

It goes a long way toward locking the legs in place against the torque of the door pivoting on it's hinges.
You obviously have access to a router, what's an extra inch of pine?


Let me be clear on your terminology, because I don't want to misunderstand.
"door blocker trim" = Applied stop moulding?
"hinge plates" = leaves?

Yes, go ahead and insert some 1/8" shims between the doors and jamb (and each other) before you fit the unit to the rough opening.
Most important at the upper and lower corners. The hinges will more or less space themselves.
Find the higher side of the opening (if any) and plumb that leg taking care not to twist the jamb as you shim behind the hinges and secure that side.
Raise the other leg until the doors meet at the center of the head and shim that side so the gap between doors is equal from top to bottom.

This is my technique as best I can explain it.
I do not have the luxury of being able to brace the doors diagonally with furring, since I must move from one side to the other as I shim and check the gaps.

Sounds like you have it all planned out.
Good luck to you.

 

I'll buy a router tomorrow. My wife said to spare no expense.


I just finished nailing together the front wall. I only left myself 3/8" of room to shim between the top of the jamb and the rough opening.

It sounds like I'll need all of that 3/8" to make the legs long enough that I can route a good notch in there for the top of the jamb.


Yes. My apologies for the made up words.



So far so good. I'll post some pictures when I get a chance. I'm really obsessive compulsive when it comes to stuff like this. If I screw something up and it looks goofy, I'm the one who has to live with it for as long as we're in this house.

 

It doesn't need to be taller than the top of the head jamb.
By letting the head into the leg you gain glue surface and can nail both ways across the joint.

Just score across the top of the leg with a circular saw set to 1/2" depth and 3/4" from the end. Make a few more passes with the saw in the waste and clean up the ridges with a chisel.
I had thought you were getting someone with a router to mortise the hinge gains for you anyhow?...

There's no need to apologize. I just wanted to make sure I understood your terminology.

I have a squeaky front door. Every time I'm running to work It aggravates me.
I even have three nice ball bearing hinges set aside for it.

BUT, I only have time when it's such crappy weather i wouldn't want to have the door off for perhaps an hour to enlarge the gains (hinge mortises) for the new 4 1/2" hinges.