Hanging door - frame not square

[Prawn_Cracker]

Hi All

I'm in need of some door hanging advice, I hope I am not making a meal of this, I'll do my best to describe.

At present the existing door is a rank aluminium, single glazed condensation attracting wonder. It hangs in an aluminium frame that has been recessesed inside the house, inside the frame tight to the stops. It has been shimmed to account for the wooden door frame it sits in being out (not plumb) by about half an inch from top to bottom. So this door currently hangs plumb in its frame and the original wooden door frame (constructed around 1870) hasn't, as far as I can seen been altered.

The replacement door is a soft wood, four panel (glazing in top two panels) that I intend to install to replace the above. However both sides of the frame are not plumb as I've checked this with a spirit level against the stops. Also the stop on the header is pretty wonky too dipping to the right, looking out the door, again by about half an inch overall. So I imagine the frame at the top does the same; again I can't really check because of the aluminium frame currently in place. I'm lead to believe, by neighbours, that a number of houses on the street have experienced subsidence following a WW2 bomb that landed a few doors up.

Anyway to the questions and some much needed advice:

1. Do I just shoot the door in so that it is scribed to the wonky frame and hang as normal?
2. As an now owner of a plunge saw I was going to cut the horns and trim top and bottom but with my 1.4m rail would anyone advise using it for the sides or is a power plane (which is what I have used in the past) a better option?
3. Any general/top tips and past experience of dealing with hanging doors in really wonky door frames

The other thing I need to consider is whether the frame has distorted and not be 90 on the frame and stop. I'll find this out when the aluminium door comes out.

Hope that makes sense but correct me where needed or let me know if I've missed out any vital information.

Thanks in advance

Cheers

Andy

 

[Max Power]

Make a new frame. You'll end up with a much better result

 

[Prawn_Cracker]

Cheers, MaxPower that is certainly an option, the only issue is that the door frame incorporates a skylight above holding some period glazing. I'm just a little bit worried about removing this safely. Would I be asking for trouble if I cut out the frame and stops below this leaving the frame and stop on the header intact (supporting the glazing) and then just install new frame sides and stops only? In this way I would only have to deal with the wonky top, which makes life a lot easier.

Andy

 

[RobinBHM]

Its often easier to replace a frame than shoot a door in to fit an existing.

If you have the tools to cut out the door section leaving the fanlight intact I would go for that.

the tricky bit is that without a head it wont be easy to make the door frame jambs sit in the correct place. You could form a temporary complete frame by screwing some temporary battens or ply to the face of the jambs to create a full 4 sided frame. Wedge in place and screw in, making sure you dont bow the frame with your fixings screws. Once in remove the temp battens and bung your door in!

 

[deema]

The only way to have a successful result is to make a new frame. If you contact someone who does stained glass windows they will be able to remove the fan light without incident / have glass to repair if all goes wrong. I suspect it's puttied in which is not easy to remove unless your used to it.

 

[endgrain]

Scribe a piece of 12mm mdf into it then transfer it onto the door

 

[topchippyles]

30 years a carpenter ive hung 1000:s of doors all spot on/hang the into existing frame to save expence.i would use power plane on light setting not to take off to much,also make a template out of 9mm mdf first if your not very confident if so just place door to opening and mark around frame to show shape of opening and take off sides equal to keep strength in door,just check you do not take to much off where lock/handles fit best of luck