Do-it-yourself door installation is a simple process. However, you need to find step-by-step instructions for yourself, according to which the whole range of work should be carried out. To come to the desired result, it is worth relying on the rules and deciding in advance which doors to install. Haste in such a process is unacceptable, preparation is important even at the first stage.
Installation of interior doors will be easier if the master has the necessary tools. With a little experience, anyone can cope with the task. And yes, the savings are significant. A scheme is drawn up, after which doors and all fasteners are purchased. When installing interior doors with your own hands, do not forget about finishing the openings.
What to focus on?
There is an elementary order in which work is done:
- After purchase, you need to carefully unpack the design. Usually it is packed in a film that can be torn with a blade. This must be done carefully. There is a possibility of damage to the canvas or losssmall details. After that, you should compare the available parts and the list from the manufacturer.
- Next you need to assemble the door frame. Each manufacturer puts together individual instructions, as well as useful recommendations. Don't miss them.
- When using additional components, the lower part of the box is fixed. Next, doorways are measured. You need to pay attention to the size. If something does not fit, then if there is a threshold, you can remove the excess.
When the box is ready, it must be placed in the doorway, slowly and using a level for this. Once the outlines are made, you can mount. For this there are dowels and nails. The gap is removed with mounting foam.
Next, places for loops on both components are outlined. Then comes the time of the castle. You also need to break through the entrance in the jamb opposite. When this is done, you need to check the slopes, and the work can be considered completed. It turns out that installing doors with your own hands (there is a photo in our article) is not so difficult. It is important not to rush and do everything in stages.
Measuring the opening
Installing a front door with your own hands in a new house or replacing an old one is a process that has its own nuances. According to experts, it is important to correctly measure the opening. The fact is that if the dimensions are larger, then it will be more difficult to insert the structure. If it is smaller, it will not be possible to fix it. If an existing door is being replaced, measurements are taken after the door has been removed, when the walls are visible.
Thus, do-it-yourself installation of interior doors occurs after competent measurements. But how to fulfill them? They are made using a tape measure. The height and length of the entrance is measured along the adjacent wall in the smallest place in terms of distance. This data is enough for the purchase. Standard openings are made in the apartments, so there is no need to fulfill an individual order, which cannot be said about private buildings.
Select door
It is worth considering the material from which the door is made:
- Fibreboard. The most affordable material for the door and the frame to it. There are few advantages to this option, but there are enough disadvantages. It does not protect against the penetration of sounds and moisture, which adversely affects the material. Few experts recommend this choice.
- MDF. It's already thick material. The price is a little higher, but not too high. Among the advantages is reliability. The material is resistant to mechanical stress. It is immune to moisture, muffles sounds well, and its service life is quite long.
- An array of wood. This is the best option for canvas and box. It does not react to moisture and does not change its original appearance. Withstands any load. Most often, laminated wood is used, because with others it will be necessary to perform additional finishing.
To make the door installed by yourself look neat, you need to take a box of the same material. There are also wood fiber board constructions for sale. This is a fragile material, so it will not last long. It is clear that of the three proposed models, the most reliable door is made of natural wood, but it also costs more. MDF becomes an alternative solution.
Masters believe that finishing strips can also be made from fiberboard, because they are not subjected to any load. Today, bivalve designs are rarely seen, as they are considered inconvenient.
Hints at getting started
You won't need a lot of time to install doors with your own hands, but it is important to prepare all materials and tools. It is worth purchasing the design itself and related equipment. It is believed that the installation of do-it-yourself sliding doors and swing models has a different algorithm. To work, you will need the following tools:
- Puncher, drill, screwdriver. Everyone chooses one thing with which it is more convenient to work. If every instrument is at home, then let everyone be present.
- Drills by size.
- Drills to work in concrete.
- Screws, self-tapping screws and bolts.
- Building level.
- Mounting foam.
- Roulette.
- Pencil for making marks.
The door block must be purchased in advance, taking into account the recommendations that were given above. How to install a door with your own hands? Step-by-step instructions and photos are in our article.
What's next?
To fix the doors and the wooden box, you need to use the standard scheme. We will need:
- Door frame.
- The canvas of thedoors.
- Connecting parts.
- Building foam.
It is clear that you need to fully assemble the box and only then fix it in the opening. Then you can hang the canvas.
Collect box
The planks are connected neatly and at an angle of 45 degrees. This will help to make the whole structure dense, and the seams invisible. To cut wood, it is better to use well-honed tools. This will avoid chips and nicks on the cut. The most suitable option is an electric jigsaw.
When work is done at a right angle, it is easier to carry it out. But such a connection cannot be called reliable. Before preparing the parts, a part of the length is removed from the side racks of the box and the lintel. Before the entire structure, fixed with screws, is in place, it is worth checking. On the floor, the structure is assembled like a mosaic so that the details lie evenly and without error. If there is a threshold, then the indentation is done at the preparation stage.
When the preliminary work is done, it is worth to outline the loops. To do this, a distance of 25 centimeters is receded from below and above, and marks are made with a pencil. Next, the lining is attached when using self-tapping screws - this will facilitate the work process. Now you need to put marks on the door leaf. And in order not to lose, you can make fasteners. Further, the self-tapping screws are removed, since the hinges are put in place after the box is installed in the opening. That's the way it goespreparation of the box for the installation of interior doors. Doing everything with your own hands is very simple.
Fixing the box
After that, work begins on fixing the box in place. How do you install interior doors with your own hands according to the instructions? The structure is placed in a vertical position and leveled. In order not to be mistaken, a building level is used. When work is carried out by one person, it is better to fix the structure with spacers made of pieces of wood.
After that, you need to check the canvas for the possibility of opening and closing the door. If problems arise during opening, adjustments must be made to the calculations. Also, bars are used during the installation process. When the desired level of disclosure is reached, the permanent fixation of the box begins. How it works:
- Wedges are fixed on the sides of the upper crossbar. After that, it is attached to the racks.
- Further along the entire height, the same wedges are fixed. It is necessary to apply a level in work so as not to disturb the evenness of the surface.
Only after installation, you can begin to fix the structure so that it can already withstand the door.
How is the structure attached?
The box must be securely fastened with screws to the side walls. You need to try to hide these places, for example, under a lock and hinges. To do this, initially make holes for the fastener. After that, a screw is screwed in with a deepening of the cap. If it turns out unreliably, then use self-tapping screws, and hatsremoved with plugs.
Sometimes hidden plates are used. They are fixed in advance. Their advantage is that you do not need to drill the box. It also hides the fasteners thanks to the countersunk plates, but few choose to do so.
Gaps
Next you have to fill the space between the box and the wall. Many do not do this to the end, but do not forget that the level of sound insulation will depend on their filling. 2/3 of the total filling area is enough. To avoid a big crush, you need to mount temporary spacers inside. After the foam dries, they are removed.
Loops
This was a step-by-step manual for installing doors with your own hands. But in addition, you need to perform a few more operations. How is the installation of an interior door with your own hands? The step-by-step instruction says that the next step is to fix the loops. When each step is performed correctly and without violations, the loops are screwed into a permanent place. This is done before hanging the canvas. If you carefully read the instructions, it will become clear that marks were previously made for this part of the structure.
If they were made in advance, then it will not be difficult to place the hinges in place. Initially, this is done on the box and only then on the canvas. If something turns out wrong, you need to apply the level again and see that the door opens and closes without difficulty. Do not forget that it can open in one direction, and sometimes in both. If there are people with disabilities in the house or apartment, then the secondthe option would be appropriate, as well as the complete absence of a threshold.
Finishing work
Once the installation work is completed, we can assume that the hardest part is over. Next, it remains to fix the lining. Some people think that it is better to fix it with glue. The building level is used in the process, since external data matters. In extreme cases, you can use small cloves or staples. When installing the cladding, it is important for us to hide all fasteners as much as possible.
Applying and fixing the loops is a fairly simple operation, because there are grooves for them. You just need to make holes with a drill and drive the screws. You do not need to choose a large drill, as this can lead to the formation of cracks in the canvas itself. Under the lock you need to make a hole in the door, and on the box - a notch for the tongue. In the process, you can use any valid device, but accuracy should always come first. You need to constantly take measurements and check with them so as not to remove the excess.
When the room is large, and the opening has a non-standard shape, swing structures will be appropriate. If the room is small, then it will be more convenient to install compartment doors with your own hands. This is the simplest model that does not require much time and experience. Such doors can be plastic or wooden. Sold in a special package, which includes all components. This is a base in the form of a square frame into which the accordion door itself is fixed. Butthe service life of such a design may be short-lived, which is a disadvantage.
Conclusion
So, we found out how these structures are installed. When the repair in the room is completed, it's time to mount the doors. Most often, professionals are involved. But you can do without it if you take into account the information from the article. Because do-it-yourself door installation is available even to those who do not have much experience in the construction business. There is a lot of material in the article that clearly makes it clear what is drawn up and how.
