The Process of Replacing an Interior Door

Knowing how to change interior doors is a useful skill for all homeowners. Fortunately, it is relatively simple as long as you take the time to plan and gather the right tools. Here are six steps for how to hang an interior door in Midland, MI:

• Measure your old door: Start by measuring the height and width of your old door. If you live in an older home and are replacing an original door, measure thickness too—nowadays, standard door thickness is set at 1 ⅜”. Bring the measurements with you when you pick out a new door or order a custom one. Usually, you buy a door blank that you can then cut down to fit your current door frame.
• Remove the old door: Stand on the hinge side of your door. Remove hinge pins, starting with the bottom hinge, so the door doesn’t fall and squish you. If the hinge does not dislodge easily, tap it with a hammer and flathead screwdriver. Ask another household member to hold up the door on the other side when you remove the pin from the top hinge. Place pins in the hinge leaves so you do not lose them. Remove the doorknob and hinges from the old door. If you are reusing the doorknob, take careful note of how the parts fit together.
• Mark dimensions on the new door: Place the new door on sawhorses and the old door on top of them. Trace around the old door with a carpenter’s pencil to mark size and show where the new door needs trimming. Understand doors require clearance of ⅛” on the sides and stop, and ⅝” on the button, so be sure to maintain these measurements. Create score lines with a utility knife and straight-edge to prevent wood splinters when you cut them.
• Cut the new door: Use a straightedge and circular saw to cut the new door to its needed dimensions. If you need to trim more than 1” off any side, divide it into half, so you take ½” off the bottom and another ½” off the top. Take this to the width of the door, too. If you only need to remove 3/16” or less, use a hand plane rather than any power tools.
• Prepare for hardware: Place the old door back on the new door and make sure all edges are flush. Use a combination square to line up the old door’s hinge marks and mark the spots on the new door. Chisel out for the hinges. Mark the spot for the strike plate and doorknob. Again, make sure the measurements and location match between the new door and the old door.
• Install hardware and hang: Install the doorknob and hinges where you marked. Once finish, line the hinges up with the hinge knuckles on your door frame. Ask another household member to help, especially when you replace the hinge pins. Test the door for smooth swinging and latching.

Now that you know how to hang an interior door, you can decide whether you want to finish this job yourself or make it part of a larger remodeling project. Tri City Remodeling offers interior and exterior remodeling in Midland, MI. Call us today if you wish to leave the process of how to change interior doors up to the professionals. We provide free estimates for most projects!

Categorised in: Home Remodeling

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