Installation Guide | Single Doors with top window
Follow this step-by-step guide to ensure a smooth installation process. Use the Table of Contents below to jump directly to the section you need. Instructions must be followed for a valid warranty.
📑 Table of Contents
1. Receiving
- Inspect your door immediately after delivery.
- Report any damage to Pinky’s Iron Doors Customer Service within 3 days.
- Keep all original packaging for potential returns.
2. Storage & Handling
- Handle doors with at least 2 people.
- Store in a dry, covered area with fabric padding.
- Remove packaging immediately; do not store with shipping materials.
- Keep doors dry and wipe away moisture promptly.
- Never leave doors uncovered on an active job site before installation.
3. Rough Opening Requirements
- Rough opening should be 1–2 inch wider and taller than the frame.
- Ensure the opening is plumb, level, and square on every side.
- Maintain at least 1 inch clearance around the frame.
- Exterior doors require an overhang and drip edge installed above the frame for water to be diverted away from the top.
4. Frame Installation
Before you start installing your door frame, make sure your rough opening is plumb, level, and square. Use plastic shims at the leveling points.
- Use only a 12-inch level when installing. Laser levels, and long levels are not sufficient for a Pinkys product.
- Always use plastic shims; wood shims compress, causing the doors to come out of alignment overtime.
- If using spray foam, it must be low-expanding spray foam and applied by a professional.
5. Door Panel Installation
Each hinge on our doors comes with a single brass washer. These washers are not meant to be used as shims.
To fix a door that isn’t closing smoothly:
- Recheck the frame’s level at each point using a 12-inch level.
- Use plastic shims to adjust where needed.
Apply petroleum grease to the bullet hinges, carefully hang the door, cycle it a few times, then recheck all leveling points.
6. Hardware & Finishing
Adjust lock strike plates if needed, using filing for minor corrections. Check roller catch stiffness and adjust screws as necessary.
7. Care & Maintenance
- Vacuum away dust and debris after installation.
- Protect doors during construction with blue vinyl painter’s tape only.
- After construction, remove tape and apply PINKYS Spray for a protective finish.
- Only blue vinyl painter’s tape should be used on Pinkys doors or frames.
- Replace tape regularly if exposed to sunlight to prevent adhesive baking onto paint.
- If duct tape is needed, apply blue painter’s tape first, then cover with duct tape.
- Using any other tape directly can peel or bubble the paint.
8. Troubleshooting
1. Our doors are designed with real, solid metal craftsmanship. Because we apply high heat during welding, the metal shifts slightly during the cooling process and contracts, which means you might notice tiny subtle variations rather than straight lines. This is normal and part of the handcrafting character of our doors. We could force perfect straightness but it would require lots of filler and would compromise the honest metal design. So when you see slight, gentle curvature or variation, rest assured it’s intentional and built into the process.
2. Do not use a level or straight edge on the hinge to check door alignment. The hinge is not a measuring point for our doors. Hinges act as pivot points and are not designed to be perfectly straight. Because of this, placing a level or straight edge on the hinge will always give a false reading. To confirm proper alignment, check the frame is level using a 12 inch level and has the correct clearance gaps around the frame. Adjust shims as needed.
3. If the door rubs, or locks do not align, check frame leveling with a 12-inch level, shim points, and clearance gaps (1 inch). Adjust hardware and shims as needed.
