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The short answer to this question is yes you can put a new door in an existing frame! But you’ll be pleased to know we’re going to give you a little more than that. In fact, today we’re going to take you through the whole process of how to hang doors on existing frames.
Putting a door in an existing frame is actually a great idea: it can save you a lot of time, money and effort as your door hardware (hinges, handles, locksets etc.) can be reused, your jambs and lintel are already assembled and in place, and your old door can even act as a template for your new one, saving you lots of measuring and adjustments.
Before we start, we just need to check that this is the right article for you. If you have purchased a prehung door, you will be installing the frame as well as the door, and unfortunately we will not be covering that installation here. In this article we’re focusing on the installation of a single door (sometimes called a leaf) by showing you how to hang an interior door that is not prehung.
It’s great to know you can replace an interior door without replacing the frame, but how exactly is it done? We’ll go through the process step by step in a moment, but essentially it will involve removing your old door, preparing the new one and then installing it in the existing space. It will take a little time and a little skill, but it is a very achievable home project.
Some people prefer to go down the prehung route when fitting a new internal door. This means you get a new frame as well, which can be helpful if your old frame is warped or damaged. It gives you a chance to realign your frame, and to install one that matches the design of your new door a little better. However, fitting a new door into an existing frame is cheaper, quicker and by selecting the right hardware, can arguably look just as good!
Tools Needed
Exact requirements for the job may vary slightly depending on the type of lockset and hardware you use, but this list should cover you for most steps:
Photo by John Beagle on Flickr
Whilst you may be able to get this kind of job done in an hour and a half, there’s nothing that invites mistakes more readily than a rush! So we’d recommend giving yourself 2.5 – 3 hours for this job, which should enable you to take your time, enjoy the process and fit in a tea break or two.
Step 1: The first thing you’ll need to do when hanging your door is to take out the old one. Thankfully, this is usually a very simple process and involves knocking out the hinge pin from your hinges and then lifting the old door out of the frame. You may need the help of a second person for this, and if the hinge pin is tight, gently knock it out using a hammer and a nail with a flattened tip.
Step 2: Lay your old door on the ground next to your new door, hinged edge to hinged edge, so that the hinges of your old door are pushed up against the hinge-edge of your new door. Just make sure that you have both doors the same way up: that the top of the old door is next to the top of the new door rather than the other way around. Otherwise you may end up hanging your door upside down!
Step 3: Mark the position of the hinges on the new door and mark any required top or bottom adjustments with the doors still lying next to each other. If you prefer, you can lay one door on top of the other to check the dimensions match but do ensure both doors are oriented identically, both top to bottom and front to back, before you mark your adjustments.
Step 4: Use a circular saw to trim your new door to size, and make any fine adjustments with a plane. Then position your new door in the frame to make sure you’re happy with the fit before making any final alterations.
Step 5: Now it’s time to fit the hinges. If you are reusing the hinges from the old door, remove them and hold them in place against the markings you made in step 2. Check your hinges and door are oriented correctly (yes I know we keep mentioning this, but it’s important!), draw around the hinges to create a template and then use a hammer and chisel to remove enough wood inside the marked area to seat your hinge. If you’re using a new set of hinges, the process is the same, but you’ll also need to check their fit against the existing hinge recesses in your door jamb and make any required adjustments there too.
Step 6: Okay, lets attach the hinges. With the hinge pins removed, screw one leaf of each hinge into the door frame, and the other into the freshly cut recesses in your door. Next, position the door onto its hinges (you may need some help again for this), and then reinsert the hinge pins to secure the hinges. Your door is up! Now close it and check that you’re happy with the fit, using the plane to remove any more wood, as required.
Step 7: The final stages involve installing the knob or handle and lockset. To do this, first line up your new door with the existing latch plate on the door jamb and mark the position of your new knob or handle on the door. You’ll need to refer to the instructions that came with your new hardware as procedures do vary, but it’ll likely involve drilling a 2 inch hole through the front of the door, and another through the edge before you fit the parts.
Step 8: With your new handle fitted, you’ll just need to chip out a recess to fit the latch plate on your new door and you’re done!
Hanging a new door in an existing door frame takes time and patience, but is a DIY project that can yield very pleasing results. Just keep an eye on the orientation of your door as you’re working on it. And why do we keep banging on about this? Because a friend of ours made that mistake and his living room door has been hanging upside down for about six years now!
