I want to replace an interior door with the same exact type of door. My thinking is to take the new door and lay it on sawhorses. Then, take the existing door and lay it on top of this door as a template and scribe the length and hinge locations and door knob exactly. Then make my cuts on the new door. Does this make sense? Can something go wrong? What is the proper way to do this?
thanks,
Dimitri
Replies
Gary Gatz has a great book out called the door hangers book I highly recommend it
Are we talking about a 6'8" interior door or a cabinet door?
John
it's a 6'8" interior door.
Dimitri, Depending on how old your home is, and how well fitted the original door was installed, I would check the squareness of the jamb and header. (also the condition of the old hinges) Sometimes it will be nessesary to plane a slight slope to the door top first.
If you can 'dryfit' the new door in the opening and jack it up to the top with a nickel as a spacer,and it looks good to you, use a sharp knife blade to indent the exact top and bottoms of the hinge mortises on to the new door.
Using a square, incise the the hinge outlines into the new door with a knife NO PENCIL!. It is important to check the original hinge's spacing as to the 'reveal' (Usually about 1/4" - 5/16") and mark that accordingly. (This will prevent the new door from binding at the door stops) Do NOT attach any screws before drilling the pilot holes first.
Attach the two (Or three) hinges to the door (pin's head should be pointing up)
Separate the top hinge leaves and attach the loose leaf to the top jamb mortise. Now, stand the door roughly in place but slightly ajar, Use your thumb to lift the door by the top hinge leaf to it's partner and insert the hinge pin.
The door is safely supported now, so you can attach the remaining hinge/hinges to the frame.
Any tightness will have to be planed, so as not to rub the jambs and to allow clearence for paint.
Mark the position for the lockset directly centered to the original strike plate .
If the lock is the cylindrical type, you'll have to bore the through holes and latch bore just as in the original. Good luck Steinmetz.
Edited 9/8/2005 4:18 pm ET by Steinmetz
For all the fussing you would have to do to do it your way, it would be easier and faster, with less chance of errors, to hang it using the conventional methods.
John W.
Dimitri,
Your approach will work. Last year I replaced my entry hall door with a 15 light door. Clamp the two doors together, carefully observe gaps between original door and frame that might have developed over the years. Scribe hinges carefully. When trying the fit for the first time with the new door, leave the hinge screws slightly loose to improve your chances of getting the hinge leaves to meet. This takes time. My door was off and on the hinges perhaps 5 or 6 times before I achieved an acceptable fit.
Jonathan
I have made MANY doors in my life... All custom for old houses...
What you posted sounds SORT of reasonable...
BUT! I'd make it a tad taller and wider and let it sit awhile in the location it will be installed...
Hell of alot easier to plane some wood OFF than PUT SOME ON!
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