There are some household jobs that anyone can do without calling in the handyman, such as fitting a new door. Here are a few tips to help you along. The first thing you need to do is decide what type of door you need to fit - internal or external is the most obvious decision. Then you can decide between flush, smooth wood or a paneled door, as well as if a lightweight one will do the job or if a sturdier door is what you're after.
You obviously need to make sure your chosen door is going to fit into the existing frame. The most common door sizes are readily available from DIY shops so you might not have to worry, but it's worth checking your door against the frame to see if you need to alter it at all. Mark the frame measurements onto your new door allowing for floor clearance and fluctuations in the wood - 5mm at the bottom and 3mm on the other sides.
If you only need to trim off a small amount from your door (less than 5mm), then you could use an electric or hand planer to do the job. Otherwise, use a circular saw to cut your new door down to size. Don't cut off more than 15mm from any edge as this weakens the joints - try and buy a different sized door instead. You should also make sure to trim off equal amounts from top and bottom or the sides to keep things even.
Next, use sandpaper to smooth off any rough edges and then check the fit of your new door. Do this by slotting it into the frame and wedging it at the bottom. Once you're sure it fits, lie the door back down. If you've bought new hinges, this is the time to fit them to the hinge recesses in the door frame. Then place the door in the frame and support it with two timber wedges.
While the door is wedged, pencil the hinge positions onto the door edge. Then move the door so you can chisel out the waste wood so that, when you put the door back into the frame, the hinges are flush with the edge of the door. Make holes in the door with a 3mm wood bit so you can screw in the hinges, hold the door in the frame and screw in a couple of the hinges. Check the door opens and closes, then screw in the rest.
You obviously need to make sure your chosen door is going to fit into the existing frame. The most common door sizes are readily available from DIY shops so you might not have to worry, but it's worth checking your door against the frame to see if you need to alter it at all. Mark the frame measurements onto your new door allowing for floor clearance and fluctuations in the wood - 5mm at the bottom and 3mm on the other sides.
If you only need to trim off a small amount from your door (less than 5mm), then you could use an electric or hand planer to do the job. Otherwise, use a circular saw to cut your new door down to size. Don't cut off more than 15mm from any edge as this weakens the joints - try and buy a different sized door instead. You should also make sure to trim off equal amounts from top and bottom or the sides to keep things even.
Next, use sandpaper to smooth off any rough edges and then check the fit of your new door. Do this by slotting it into the frame and wedging it at the bottom. Once you're sure it fits, lie the door back down. If you've bought new hinges, this is the time to fit them to the hinge recesses in the door frame. Then place the door in the frame and support it with two timber wedges.
While the door is wedged, pencil the hinge positions onto the door edge. Then move the door so you can chisel out the waste wood so that, when you put the door back into the frame, the hinges are flush with the edge of the door. Make holes in the door with a 3mm wood bit so you can screw in the hinges, hold the door in the frame and screw in a couple of the hinges. Check the door opens and closes, then screw in the rest.
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