Thread: rehanging old doors in old frames.

I would try and match the doors that were removed to their original frames both for fit and hinge placement. If that proves successful, then mark with a sharp knife the position of the hinges (I assume you will be using the original; hinges) or if you have no choice, other hinges you deem appropriate, and using a purpose made template for a router, rout out the hinge mortises. You will probably find that the screw holes in the doors and jambs will be too sloppy and not enough thickness in the jamb to get a decent grip for the screws. Drill out the screw holes to 13mm and using araldite glue dowel plugs in place, 40mm deep in both door and jamb. Pre drill the screw holes in the dowel and run a screw in & out before final fitting of door. Rather than use normal countersunk wood screws, use machine screws with a straight slot and actually tap the tread in the dowels first, the advantage is full length grip. When you glue the dowels in, cut some notches in the side of the dowels this allows a more positive bond.

Thanks rwbuild! This is great advice for anyone owning an old house with doors needing "attention" !!!

Cheers Yvan

Originally Posted by rwbuild

I would try and match the doors that were removed to their original frames both for fit and hinge placement.

Thanks matey. Your first sentence answered my main problem. Should I try and rematch them to their original door frames? Half of them are up stairs so I was kinda hoping to avoid carting them all up stairs to try them for fit and matching hinge placements. But i thought that was the way to go.

Thanks again,

Mick.

Originally Posted by ARealBoy

Half of them are up stairs so I was kinda hoping to avoid carting them all up stairs to try them for fit and matching hinge placements

if you can manage to figure out all the downstairs matches first, then hopefully the only ones you need to cart upstairs are the ones that you know will match upstairs?

if some of them are so similar that you'd need to try both doors on both potential frames to decide definitively (causing you to need to haul both upstairs if either is upstairs), then maybe they're similar enough for it to not matter?

Cut some strips of 5 mm ply or mdf, 70 mm wide, and cut them to fit into the door opening all around, then screw them together in the corners, effectively making yourself a full sized template of the door opening. Then you can mark the hinge cutouts on the template, and take it downstairs to place on the correct door, easy. I’ve done it heaps of times, works for benchtops too.

Your place is about the same age as mine, ARealBoy, but my renovationsa are finished.

First I suggest you work out which door goes where by looking at remaining paint and also by actually measuring each door and door frame apperture. You will probably find:

• Doors to "public rooms" are slightly wider than other doors,
• Doors upstairs are a little smaller than doors downstairs,
• All doors are slightly different in size - they were all hand made, and
• Some doors may have been shortened to clear fitted carpets.

Secondly, there has been a change in tradition between 1880 and now as to how doors are hung. In the 1880's they were commonly hung to swing into the room; now they are usually hung to swing towards a wall. I chose to rehang mine so that they swung the modern way. This illustrates the difference:

Door Hanging Traditions.jpg

My method of hanging doors is as follows:

• Make two x 3mm spacers and about ten small wooden wedges,
• Screw two good solid hinges onto door,
• Using double sided tape, fix spacers to underside of door frame apperture,
• Put door in place,
• Drive wedges under door to raise it until it contacts spacers,
• Drive wedges into gap opposite hinges to push door against hinge jam,
• Mark top and bottom of each hinges on door jam with knife,
• Remove door fro apperture,
• With third hinge, mark outline of hinge mortise, drill hinge screw holes, then chisel or route out hinge mortice,
• Get helper to hold door vertical adjacent to door jam. drive wedges under door to raise it until scre holes align, insert all screws.
• Door should swing freely!

I also prefer all-threads to wood screws but I prefer centre drive to slotted screws (eg Phillips head).

After all this, I managed to put in one of my doors upside down. No one has noticed yet, apart from me.


Graeme

Old solid doors are heavy. I found it invaluable when fitting mine to make a door saddle to keep them steady when working on the hinges etc. Several version around.

YouTube
DIY Door Saddle and Block - handy helper when hanging doors

I made one once from a flexible masonite strip nailed to four blocks. Two thinnish blocks underneath on the outside ends and two upright on top in the middle. When you place a door between the middle pair the strip flexes down and clamps the door statically. (I can't find any pics of that style)

Originally Posted by Fuzzie

Old solid doors are heavy. I found it invaluable when fitting mine to make a door saddle to keep them steady when working on the hinges etc. Several version around.
.......

I just used a workmate, or stood the doors on edge in the doorway.

Originally Posted by GraemeCook

I just used a workmate, or stood the doors on edge in the doorway.

True a Workmate is good, but I didn't have a workmate at the time, just some wood scraps lying around....

Trying to plane a door edge balancing it between your knees and the doorframe is a recipe for tears of frustration if you ask me.

Originally Posted by Fuzzie

....
Trying to plane a door edge balancing it between your knees and the doorframe is a recipe for tears of frustration if you ask me.

Nope; a quickgrip clamp around the door and the architrave makes the knees redundant.

Originally Posted by GraemeCook

Nope; a quickgrip clamp around the door and the architrave makes the knees redundant.

I'm trying to visualize this while planing the edge and not busting your knuckles on something or having to jump the plane over the clamp.

Originally Posted by Fuzzie

I'm trying to visualize this while planing the edge and not busting your knuckles on something or having to jump the plane over the clamp.

Two ways, Franklin:

• EITHER plane up to the door frame, and then move the door,
• OR use a spacer to hold the door 50mm or so off the door frame and hang the clamp around the end of the door, not over the edge.

Can also clamp door against a saw horse, all work well.

Sash clamp on the floor holds the door just fine.

Originally Posted by rustynail

Sash clamp on the floor holds the door just fine.

Now you tell me ....