homemaintenance
Fit a new door
GATHER YOUR SUPPLIES
■ New door, to suit opening
■ Latch set (including striker)
■ Primer/sealer/undercoat
■ Finish coat
■ Oil or spray lubricant
HERE’S HOW
STEP 1
Remove old door.
Usually, you can unscrew hinges
and the door will come away.
However, if a shower hob or
large hot-water service is
installed
behind
door,
it
may not open fully. In this case,
the only way to remove the
door is to take out pins from the
hinge. Lubricate hinge with light
oil or spray lubricant, then,
starting with bottom hinge, use
a nail punch and hammer to tap
up pins. When they’re almost
out, place a wedge under the
door so it does not drop, then
pull out pins with claw of a
hammer. Remove door and
hinges from jambs.
STEP 2
If your old door was
a good fit, remove hinges and
handle, then place old door
on new door to use as a
template. Place an outside
door face to an inside door
face so, if there are any
irregularities, they will be in the
right place. Draw around old
door with a pencil.
STEP 3
Cut along lines with a
power saw, making sure you
cut a fraction on waste side of
line. Otherwise, the door will
be too small.
STEP 4
Set door in a door
block. This is a homemade
600mm-wide block of wood
with a 60mm-wide slot cut into
it. A wedge jams the door in
place, holding it upright so you
can work on edges.
STEP 5
Plane door edges
down to marked lines on the
2 sides. If planing the bottom,
plane from each side towards
the middle to help prevent
timber from splintering.
STEP 6
Check fit of door in
frame. With wedge from door
clamp handy at bottom, feed
door into top of frame and
wedge it up to correct height.
There should be about a 3mm
gap at sides and top. Mark
any tight spots and plane
them until the fit is perfect.
With door in place, mark hinge
positions. If you’re using old
hinges, push one of them into
its housing on the jamb. Use
a straightedge or square to
mark position on door.
STEP 7
Set door back in block.
Transfer hinge marks to door
edge. Square lines across edge
and use square as a butt gauge
to mark back hinge edge.
STEP 8
Using a sharp 25mm
chisel, mark around the hinge
with bevel facing into the
waste area.
Tip:
When you're
chiselling, start about half a
millimetre inside the line. When
you tap the chisel, the bevel will
force it back onto the line.
STEP 9
Make a series of
parallel slice cuts to loosen the
waste to thickness of hinge,
then chisel out housing. Finish
by hand so hinge fits flush
with door edge.
STEP 10
Predrill screw holes,
then screw hinge in place with
new long thread screws.
Repeat for other hinge.
STEP 11
Paint bottom edge
of door with a primer/sealer/
undercoat to help protect it
from moisture.
STEP 12
Place door back on
hinges starting with top.
Push top pin in a little way so
it just holds door, then bottom
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BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS, APRIL 2011 bhg.com.au
