This video was filmed on site as our team installed and aligned a door in Ottawa. It shows the part of the job that decides whether a door lasts: setting the leaf plumb, square and true in the opening so it swings, latches and seals the way it should for years.
A door is only as good as the opening it hangs in. You can buy the best slab on the market, but if it isn't set plumb and square, it will drag, refuse to latch, swing open on its own or let cold air pour through the gaps. The video on this page shows the stage of installation that most homeowners never see — the careful fitting and alignment that turns a bare opening and a new door into something that closes with a quiet, solid click.
Every installation starts with the rough opening. We check that it is the right size, that the floor is level, and that the framing around it is solid enough to carry the door and its hardware. A frame that is racked, twisted or out of plumb is corrected before the door goes in, not papered over afterward. Once the opening is sound, the unit is set into place and held while we plumb the hinge side, level the head, and shim behind the hinges and strike so the frame stays true when it is fastened.
This is where alignment is won or lost. With the frame shimmed and fixed, we hang or confirm the leaf and watch how it moves through its full swing. The reveal — the gap between the door and the frame — should be even down both sides and across the top. The latch should meet the strike without lifting or dropping the door. The weatherstripping should make even contact all the way around so the door seals without having to be forced. Each of these is adjusted until the door behaves the same whether it's a mild day or a cold, windy one.
This work is the heart of our door installation Ottawa service. We install entry doors, interior doors, patio and specialty doors, setting each one to swing freely and seal tight. For homes, the most common project is a tired or damaged front door; our front door repair page explains when a front door is better repaired and when replacement is the smarter long-term fix.
Alignment and the frame go hand in hand. If the existing frame is damaged or out of square, the new door will never sit right until the opening is rebuilt, which is covered on our door frame repair page. And because this is Ottawa, sealing is not optional. A door that looks installed but leaks air wastes heat all winter; our weatherstripping service makes sure the door, threshold and seals close the gap against drafts, drifting snow and ice.
The hardware finishes the job. Hinges have to carry the weight without sagging, and the latch and strike have to line up cleanly so the door locks without a fight. Our hinge & hardware repair service covers the parts that take the daily load, whether we're installing new hardware or upgrading what's already there. Set the door right and good hardware lasts; rush the alignment and even premium hardware wears out fast.
It's also worth knowing when a door should be repaired rather than replaced. A solid door that's simply out of alignment, or one with a damaged frame, can often be brought back to life for far less than a new unit. We'll tell you honestly which way makes sense for your door and budget, instead of defaulting to the bigger job. When replacement is the right call — rot, structural damage, repeated failures, or an upgrade for security and energy efficiency — we size, order and fit the new door to the opening so it performs from day one. Either way, the alignment work in this video is the part that makes the result last.
We install and replace doors across Ottawa and the Ottawa Valley, including Kanata, Nepean, Barrhaven, Orleans, Stittsville and the surrounding communities. Exterior installs are scheduled and sealed with our climate in mind, so a door fitted in summer still closes cleanly through the first hard freeze.
Filming our installs on site keeps us honest and shows you what proper fitting looks like before you book. Every installation is quoted at a flat rate you approve up front, and the workmanship is backed in writing — if the door isn't swinging, latching and sealing the way it should, we come back and correct it.
To see completed installations and repairs from start to finish, visit our before & after gallery. When you're ready to talk about a new or replacement door, send a photo of your opening or give us a call.
Call for professional door installation and alignment across Ottawa and the Ottawa Valley — set plumb, hung true and sealed for our winters.
Common questions about this project and the service behind it.