Door is the most important thing in our house. However, sometimes we need to change it due to some problems with it. Normally most of the people never like to change it by themselves and usually hire a carpenter for it. So this article is for those people who believe in doing things by themselves. But, first, you must refer to the manual provided by door manufacturer. You can ask your retailer also for some sort of services you need with it.
Difficulty level: Moderately Challenging
Time Required:
The whole task may take some 2 to 4 hours. So it is advised to do in your free time.
Estimated Cost: 80$ – 100$
Resources Required:
1. Measuring Tape
2. Utility Knives
3. Circular saws
4. Hammers
5. Handplanes
6. Sandpapers
7. Screwdriver sets
8. Wood chisels
9. Replacement door
10. Hammer
11. Fine Toothed Saw
12. Lockset
13. Peephole
14. New pair of Hinges
15. Pencil
Instructions:
You need to purchase a door that suits your style and matches with the looks of your home, because in most cases this is also one of main reasons of replacing doors. After getting all the tools, you need to follow these instructions:
1. The very first step is to remove the old door. Separate the door hinges, and pull out the pins from the hinges. Take a wedge around the door, taking weight off the hinges. Use chisel and hammer for this. Some doors have screws for keeping the door fitted, in that case use screwdriver for removing the hinges.
2. The next step is to fit new hinges in new door. Use the same sized hinges as the old one. For this, you need to measure where the hinges were placed in old one. Use measuring tape and pencil according to need.
3. Now, put the old door on new one. Now you can easily mark the appropriate places where you need to put hinges. Use wooden chisel to make space for hinges but take care that the space made must not be more than the hinge size. Put hinge leaves on door at appropriate places and use screws to fit the hinge leaves to the new door.
4. After the hinges are fitted, check whether your new door needs some trimming or sawing to get fitted accurately according to your door area requirements. Most of the doors available in market are not up to mark as our door requirements.
5. After making the door finishing according to the requirement, the next task is to fit the door according to the doorframe.
6. Now, hang the new gate with the help of latches and test whether the new gate moves smoothly. If some movement problem is there (like the gate drags), then remove the hinges from door and do some sawing or planing using sand paper and utility knife. You can again check the door for its movement.
7. You can use wood sealant for coating the edges of door so that the door remains unaffected from moisture and termites. This will increase the life of your door.
Now if all works fine, then you have successfully replaced your old door. However, please keep in mind “Not to do it alone”. As doors are quite bulky, they can cause injuries if not handled carefully. So be careful in replacing a door.
Frequently asked Questions:
1. When should I replace my existing shower door?
You should replace your old shower door if the metal framing has started to rust or the glass has cracks or any discoloration. It is also a good idea to get a new shower enclosure if the door won’t close properly or if you have standing water on your bathroom floor after each use.
2. What kind of maintenance should I expect on a frameless shower door?
The maintenance is mostly preventive maintenance. You can do this by using a tpc surface protector that fills the pores of the glass making it smooth and preventing hard water build up, mineral deposits, and soapy water stains. Using a squeegee daily will also help to keep your frameless shower door enclosure clean.
Quick Tips:
1. Always be careful while using Hammer and Chisel.
2. Use some safety measures like eyeglasses, gloves to protect yourself from small wooden particles as they can get into your eyes.
3. While purchasing door, be sure about its quality and durability.
4. Try to avoid the accidents.
