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Question about hanging an inside door?


kingtermite
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Anybody have experience hanging an inside door?

 

As we're leaving this rental house, we've kinda messed up one of the inside room doors. I was going to try to replace it before leaving. I've looked at the doors at the big box home improvement stores. It seems the closest standard measure is 30" x 80". However, when I measure the actual door it's actually about 29.75" x 79.25". If I got a 30x80, am I going to have a problem? There isn't much clearance top/bottom, so I'm a bit worried that won't work. And I think these interior doors are hallow, so you can't just chop 3/4" off the top.

 

Also...if it will work, how hard is it to hang the door? Is it difficult to get just right if you have no experience, or is it pretty easy?

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Most cheap doors have very little wood around the edges, so you get in trouble in a big hurry if you try to cut them down.

 

Is hanging a door easy?  Hard to say - what tools do you have, is the door frame square, is the frame chewed up, etc. etc.

 

I've found if the door isn't beaten completely into sawdust it's often possible to salvage it enough to get past the moving-out inspection.

 

For example - if the hinge screws are loose/stripped in the door, then put some toothpicks coated with Elmer's glue into the existing screw holes and tighten the screws back in the original holes.  Not too many toothpicks or the wood will split when you drive the screw in.  Same fix will work for screw holes in the door frame.

 

If the door is cracked, then fill the crack with wood putty/Plastic Wood, and paint the it.

 

Post a picture, if you wouldn't mind, and I'd be happy to offer some free advice that could very likely be worth what you pay for it.

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All you need is a hammer and screwdriver. Pop out the pins and take the door off the henges'. Place up new door on henges and replace pins.. Done

Should take no longer then 10min if you are drunk

That doesn't address the part I'm most concerned about. The size isn't 'quite' the same.

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Most cheap doors have very little wood around the edges, so you get in trouble in a big hurry if you try to cut them down.

 

Is hanging a door easy?  Hard to say - what tools do you have, is the door frame square, is the frame chewed up, etc. etc.

 

I've found if the door isn't beaten completely into sawdust it's often possible to salvage it enough to get past the moving-out inspection.

 

For example - if the hinge screws are loose/stripped in the door, then put some toothpicks coated with Elmer's glue into the existing screw holes and tighten the screws back in the original holes.  Not too many toothpicks or the wood will split when you drive the screw in.  Same fix will work for screw holes in the door frame.

 

If the door is cracked, then fill the crack with wood putty/Plastic Wood, and paint the it.

 

Post a picture, if you wouldn't mind, and I'd be happy to offer some free advice that could very likely be worth what you pay for it.

Thanks TK...you're hitting right on the points I was thinking about. I was kind of hoping to pass the inspection only and had considered trying to salvage the door. I think the hole on one side can probably be filled with wood putty and painted over. It's more the splintering covering on one side that I wasn't sure about.

 

Thanks for the offer...give me a few minutes and I'll get some pics up.

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OK TK...here are the pics. The one side that just has the hole I think is easily fixable by wood putty and painting over.

 

It's the other side that has the covering part (not sure what it's called) kind of splintered off. It was from a dog that we were taking care of once upon a time who tried to dig through the door and carpet to get out (you can see the carpet is completely unsaveable underneath).

 

Oh...and for further clarification from what you said earlier...in terms of the frame and hinges and all that...that part is all fine. Door opens/closes fine, squared up just fine. It's just this external/superficial damage that is the problem.

 

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http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/how-to/intro/0,,579371,00.html

 

This one too.

 

WORD OF ADVICE!!!! DO NOT BORE ANY holes for the lockset until you are satisfied with the way the door hangs.

 

With the diemensions you gave, you should be safe planing a big box cheapo door to fit.

 

If you are uncomfortable with cutting down the height of the door from one end, take 3/8" off the top and bottom. The 1/4" on the width will be no problem.

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Anybody have experience hanging an inside door?

 

As we're leaving this rental house, we've kinda messed up one of the inside room doors. I was going to try to replace it before leaving. I've looked at the doors at the big box home improvement stores. It seems the closest standard measure is 30" x 80". However, when I measure the actual door it's actually about 29.75" x 79.25". If I got a 30x80, am I going to have a problem? There isn't much clearance top/bottom, so I'm a bit worried that won't work. And I think these interior doors are hallow, so you can't just chop 3/4" off the top.

 

Also...if it will work, how hard is it to hang the door? Is it difficult to get just right if you have no experience, or is it pretty easy?

I've replaced a bunch of hollow inside doors.  There is plenty of solid wood on each side and on the top and bottom to allow you to trim it 1/4 to 3/4 inch.

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I've replaced a bunch of hollow inside doors.  There is plenty of solid wood on each side and on the top and bottom to allow you to trim it 1/4 to 3/4 inch.

OK, so they leave it solid for an inch or so for the purpose of trimming if needed? If so, that's great (if I have to go that route). I was really hoping to not have to replace like TK suggested if possible.

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I've trimmed a bunch of them and never had a problem.  If you are worried about the 3/4 inch, you could always rip 3/8 off the bottom and 3/8 off the top.  You can tap on the door to determine how big the solid pieces are.  Or use one of those electronic stud finders.  They have to be trimmable since many homes have built up flooring of some kind such as carpet etc, plus the door needs a little extra clearance for central air return purposes.

 

Edit:  I just measured mine.  They are all trimmed anywhere from 79.0 to 79.5 inches.

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The door still looks structurally sound.  You may not even need to take the door off the hinges, although popping the pins like Krazy suggests could make things easier.  (Did I just agree with a Krazy guy?)

 

To fix the hole: Crumple some aluminum foil for some backing and stuff it in the hole, with the foil below the plane of the door.  The idea is to use the foil to take up space and use less Plastic Wood.  Lather on the Plastic Wood and let dry.  It will crack, no big deal.  Put on another coat, maybe two, making the last layer extend in a very thin layer onto the undamaged surface around the hole.  Sand, 'feathering' the Plastic Wood so the bulge over the hole is very nearly even with the door's surface.  Paint.  You may be able to use premix spackle instead of plastic wood.  I like the stuff that turns color so you know it's dry.

 

The other side is the same process without the foil backing.  Fill in the low spots.  The wide split will probably crack when the initial fill dries too.  Just put another coat or two until it's level with the door surface, like the other side.  Sand smooth, then paint.

 

This approach may sound like a lot more work than hanging a new door, but filling, sanding, and painting are skills within the reach of most people whereas measuring/trimming a door to match an opening and setting a lockset to match an existing latch are not quite so common. 

 

I respectfully disagree with Krazy that you'll spend more on filler than on a new door, but price it out for yourself. 

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The door still looks structurally sound.  You may not even need to take the door off the hinges, although popping the pins like Krazy suggests could make things easier.  (Did I just agree with a Krazy guy?)

 

 

I respectfully disagree with Krazy that you'll spend more on filler than on a new door, but price it out for yourself. 

agree to disagree all in one post... WOW make up your mind :)

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OK, so they leave it solid for an inch or so for the purpose of trimming if needed? If so, that's great (if I have to go that route). I was really hoping to not have to replace like TK suggested if possible.

 

 

Stud finder works great for that.  If possible cut from the bottom and hinge sides.  Make sure you have a saw guide if some sort and make a shallow scarf cut first so the thou don't rip up the top surface.

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The door still looks structurally sound.  You may not even need to take the door off the hinges, although popping the pins like Krazy suggests could make things easier.  (Did I just agree with a Krazy guy?)

 

To fix the hole: Crumple some aluminum foil for some backing and stuff it in the hole, with the foil below the plane of the door.  The idea is to use the foil to take up space and use less Plastic Wood.  Lather on the Plastic Wood and let dry.  It will crack, no big deal.  Put on another coat, maybe two, making the last layer extend in a very thin layer onto the undamaged surface around the hole.  Sand, 'feathering' the Plastic Wood so the bulge over the hole is very nearly even with the door's surface.  Paint.  You may be able to use premix spackle instead of plastic wood.  I like the stuff that turns color so you know it's dry.

 

The other side is the same process without the foil backing.  Fill in the low spots.  The wide split will probably crack when the initial fill dries too.  Just put another coat or two until it's level with the door surface, like the other side.  Sand smooth, then paint.

 

This approach may sound like a lot more work than hanging a new door, but filling, sanding, and painting are skills within the reach of most people whereas measuring/trimming a door to match an opening and setting a lockset to match an existing latch are not quite so common. 

 

I respectfully disagree with Krazy that you'll spend more on filler than on a new door, but price it out for yourself. 

Thanks...basically confirming almost exactly what my initial 'gut' was telling me. It doesn't sound like more work to me....what you suggest sounds pretty easy to me.

 

 

Filling the hole with something first was what I thought, though I wasn't sure what. I was thinking piece of cardboard or something. Other than some wood putty, I have everything I need to try as you suggested. We have aluminum foil, I have an electric sander, we even have some paint that should match fairly close.

 

I'll try this and post results when I get around to it. 

 

Thanks.

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I think you are missing the obviously easiest solution.  The smallish hole is easily repaired with stuffing something in it and applying filler.  The part that looks like a honey badger tried to escape?  Just take the door off and cover it with some sort of veneer.  A few staples, some glue...job done.

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I think you are missing the obviously easiest solution.  The smallish hole is easily repaired with stuffing something in it and applying filler.  The part that looks like a honey badger tried to escape?  Just take the door off and cover it with some sort of veneer.  A few staples, some glue...job done.

hell with staples, use wood glue or gorilla glue to hold it in place. 

The veneer comes in an 4x8 sheet.. just needs cut down to size. 

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hell with staples, use wood glue or gorilla glue to hole it in place. 

The veneer comes in an 4x8 sheet.. just needs cut down to size. 

Yep..  I would just smear glue on one side and just put a few staples in the corners to hold it down.  But staples prob not needed.  It might just be easiest to veneer both sides and call it a day.

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Thirty nine years ago I bought my first home and it had a six foot tall door.  I am six foot five inches tall.  My wife's grandfather came out and showed me how to build a door jam and hang a door, including mortising the hinges etc using wood chisels.  A skill that has come in handy many times.  I also found some local sources for new doors that beat the big box stores on price hands down.  When I owned apartments I was always replacing doors.  I think I would just repair that door enough to pass inspection.

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