Hang a new front door

Many homeowners put this project on the back burner thinking that a new door is too expensive and it isn't easy to fit. You would actually be surprised at the selection and affordability of wood doors at your local Builders Warehouse, and once you get started you will realise that fitting is not as difficult as you originally thought.

 

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You will find a varied selection of wood doors at your local Builders Warehouse, and you can choose a style that best suits your home.

Since all doors are a standard size and door openings aren't, the chances are you will have to cut the door to fit.

Shaving off a bit here and there is easy with an electric planer. You can set the depth to remove a small amount, or increase the depth and do a couple of runs for larger quantities.

If you need to cut down the width of the door, measure and mark the amount that needs to be removed and cut this off with a circular saw. A long, straight board clamped to the door acts as a guide for straight cutting.

Before mounting the door, apply exterior sealer to the top, bottom, sides and front and back.

This is the only time you will be able to reach all the edges for maximum protection, so follow the instructions and apply as recommended. Let dry overnight.

Depending on the original mountings on the door, you may need to cut out a rebate in the new door for the hinges.

A rebate is simply a recess or cut out space that allows one side of the hinge to sit flush with the surface of the door.

You will find detailed instructions here for hanging a new door.

And the process is fairly simple if you are hanging a new door to replace an old one.

If you are hanging a brand new door into a frame, simple mount the hinges to the door and then measure and mark on the frame for fitting the hinges.

When hanging a new door to replace an old door, use screws that are slightly larger than the old screws.

This will ensure that the door hangs properly and the screws won't come loose later on.

With the new door in place you can now drill out for the door lock. This also depends on the type of lock you will be fitting. You will find instructions here for fitting a standard 2-lever lock.

If you are installing a lock, you will need to use a suitably sized hole saw to drill out a hole.