How to fit internal doors

How to fit internal doors in a simple step by step process. It doesn’t matter whether you are looking to create a modern feel with high-quality internal Timber Doors for your home, or if you’re going for a more traditional look with the use of pine panel 1930’s style internal doors. Fitting your new internal doors can be done with ease. Our informative guide is perfect for those of you who have never fitted an internal door before, or if you simply need to be reminded of the process.

STEP 1: Before you can fit a brand-new door, whether it is a contemporary panelled wooden door or white primed door, you must remove the existing door with minimal damage. For convenience, plan to keep the door stop in the same place on the basis that your new internal door is the same depth as the old. However, if your new internal door is thicker than the door it is replacing, the position of the doorstop will have to be changed in accordance to the size of the new door.

STEP 2: It is vital to ensure there is a 3mm gap between the hinged edge of the new internal door and the lining, best measured by a butt hinge and marked with pencil. A 3mm gap should also be left on the closing edge of the internal door, as well as on the top and bottom. If you need to reduce the size of your door by more than 6mm use a saw, instead of a plane, and sand the cut edges until smooth.

STEP 3: Once you have accurately measured 3mm gaps on all edges of your new internal door, re-position the newly planed internal door and measure across from the precise position of the old hinges onto the lining of the new door edge.

STEP 4: Next, lay the door down on its side, using the pencil marks you have just made to position the hinges correctly. For an accurate result, circle them and make a note of the hinge thickness on the front edge.

STEP 5: From here, use a chisel to create two cuts at both ends of the hinge position, allowing the chisel corner to cut further than the edge line to a slight extent. Then, using a retractable knife, carefully cut along the long side of the pencil line made earlier between the two chiselled cuts made in the previous step.

STEP 6: The remaining marked wood can then be removed with a chisel, by making small yet prominent cuts across the grain every 5mm to 10mm to avoid splitting the wood. Similarly, use the chisel blade to remove the wood by tapping it the entire length of the pencil line at the front edge of the door, ensuring it remains at the depth of the hinge. Once this wood has been removed successfully, position each hinge in place. Then, mark screw holes using a pencil and pilot drill before securing all hinges in place.

STEP 7: With the help of your partner or other helper, fit the remaining half of the hinge into the hinge position on the door lining and secure in place.

STEP 8: To fix a latch, measure the latch length and distance from the latch end to the spindle centre, and mark on the door using a pencil to allow for mistakes. Once you are happy with the spindle position, drive carefully into each door, taking time, care and effort to not split the wood.

STEP 9: Simply slide the latch into the hole located on the edge of the door and mark the position of the rectangular edge plate. Using a craft knife to avoid splitting the wood accidentally, gently score around the edge of the plate.

STEP 10: Next, remove the latch and cut a recess for the rectangular latch place to sit, using a mallet or chisel.

STEP 11: Once a slight recess has successfully been cut, refit the latch, ensuring the handle spindle is able to turn. If you need to, adjust the hole. If not, secure the latch plate into position and sand off the pencil marks you’ve made using a sheet of paper coated with abrasive material.

STEP 12: Before fixing the handle plates to each side of the door, close the door ensuring the latch is touching the door frame. If your strike plate requires adjusting, simply unscrew it and remove the amount of wood required to ensure that the latch catches correctly.

Now the worry about how to fit internal doors is out of the way, find out more about some of the best internal doors on the market, browse the Online Door Store range today!