Vault Door Installation Guidelines
Please read all instructions before beginning.
These instructions are suggestions, we recommend installation of vault doors be done by a licensed professional. If you choose self installation, be cautious and use good judgment. C&H Welding Inc., dba Sun Welding is not be liable for death, injury, or damage.
General Information:
Rough Opening: By selecting one of our four standard vault door rough opening sizes, listed, a 1/2" clearance on the height and 1/2" clearance on each side (1.0" total) of the width is standard. If you order a custom size vault door we reduce the vault door frame to meet your rough opening dimension with the previously mentioned clearance. This deduction allows the installer to shim the frame into place. When mounted, you will need a minimum of 1/4” - 1/2" of clearance from the bottom of the door to the floor. This is to determine if you need to create more of a threshold.
Suggested Items for Installation:
For standard size vault doors we recommend purchasing 12 concrete anchors that are 1/2" diameter and 3” to 4" in length. Custom size vault doors may require a different amount of anchors.
A hammer, mallet, pry bar, wrench and socket wrench may be needed to tighten the anchors. Other items that may be needed are ratchet, hammer drill with correct size bit, and a level.
General Mounting Information:
The door is hung like a pre-hung door.
STEP 1: Before removing the door from the shipping pallet, move the door as close as possible to it’s final location.
STEP 2: The bottom of the door should face the opening you are installing it into. Be sure the door is closed and the lock is locked. An unlocked door can swing open during the lifting process and cause serious damage or injury!
In-swing Doors can be lifted from the top and pushed directly into place.
Out-swing Doors will need to be lifted from the top and rotated 180˚, then pushed into place.
STEP 3: Place the door frame into your opening. This will require one person to be inside of the room. On heavier doors, tools such as pry bar may be required to move the door into the opening.
STEP 4: After the door and frame are in the opening use a pry bar, center the door side to side. Use tapered shims to keep it in place. With one person inside, the door will need to be closed and the top of the frame shimmed into place. The flange on the front of the frame must be pushed against the wall for a tight fit.
STEP 5: With caution open the door and check to see that the bottom of the door clears the floor in the area that it swings across. If it hits, you have the option of raising the door frame, or removing some material on the floor.
Once the bottom of the door swinging without hitting the floor, it is time to start bolting the door frame into your opening.
STEP 6: With the door open, start with the top hole on the hinge side of your vertical frame, be certain the flange is against the wall. Install one anchor in the hole, use the tapered shims so you do not flex the frame. Then move to the opposite side and install one anchor in the top hole, again using shims to keep the frame from flexing.
Now with caution, slowly open and close the door to to confirm the front flange is pushed against the wall, and the door clears the floor.
STEP 7: Check that the door will lock without binding. To do so pull the emergency release pin on the inside of the door so it can not be locked with the lock. Then close the door and turn the handle. The handle should turn freely. If the handle binds, you must adjust the frame so it is straight. To adjust the frame from the inside, close the door turn the handle to extend the bolts. If the handle stops and the bolts are not fully extended, wiggle each bolt to see which one/s are hitting the frame. Then you must adjust the frame so it is straight, before installing any more anchors.
STEP 8: After the door handle is free moving, install the bottom anchor bolts on each side, using the shims to support the frame. Check to see that the door handle is free moving. After you are sure the bolts do not hit the frame, you can install the remaining anchor bolts and shims.
