Is it possible to install a door frame without a door. How to install a sliding door on an old frame? How to dismantle an old door

Hello. There is one question. Is it possible to leave the old boxes when installing new doors?

Expert answer

Hello. It is certainly possible to install a new door in an old box. However, it is very difficult and requires adherence to special rules and recommendations:

  1. The door must have perfectly accurate dimensions that fully correspond to the size of the box and the previous design;
  2. Before buying a new door, take accurate measurements from the old one;
  3. A new door structure in the presence of non-standard sizes will have to be made to order, which will cost more;
  4. An old box, from time to time, can have various deformations and damage that must be repaired;
  5. A new door, if it has a greater weight than the previous one, will put a significant load on the old frame, which deforms over time.
  6. If the new door is even slightly different in size, it is necessary to install wooden blocks in the places where the gaps form.

When renovating a room, it is not always possible and willing to install new door blocks with the complete removal of old ones - this may entail the repair of walls and floors for various reasons:

  • new door frames do not cover old holes in the floor
  • there will be damage to tiles or wallpaper along the perimeter of the platband
  • unreliable walls and partitions (during dismantling and installation, the geometry of the doorway may be destroyed).

Therefore, we propose to install new elements of the door block without dismantling the old frame, in other words, put new doors in the old frames.

From the many years of experience in renovating and restoring doors, one can single out doors made of solid glued pine. They rarely deform and change the geometric parameters of the canvas.

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Conclusion: it is possible to install a new door in an old box. But as a rule, such a process is more complex and lengthy. If you decide to stay with this option, try to replace the old door with the same or the same size.

When renovating an apartment or a private house, it is often necessary to replace the interior door. But it is not necessary to reinstall the entire structure: if the box is in good condition, then it is enough to change only the canvas. It is not difficult to do it yourself, and it will cost significantly less than a complete dismantling. Next, let's take a look at how to fit new doors into an old box.

No complicated preparatory work is required. It is enough to have the simplest tools at hand: a tape measure with a pencil, a level, a hammer, a drill and a jigsaw, a chisel and a grinder. This work can be done independently, but it is better with a partner. This makes it more convenient and less risky to pull your back, especially if the door leaf is heavy enough, for example, made of natural wood.

How to dismantle an old door?

Installing a new door in an old frame, as always, begins with removing the old one. The process is simple and will not take much time.

Dismantling of the old structure is performed in the following sequence:

  1. All existing fittings are removed from the door leaf. If the handles, peephole and locks are in good condition, they match the color of the new product, then they can be used for the purchased product.
  2. More often for interior systems, such loops are used, from which the canvas is removed without difficulty. If their device is complex, then you need to unscrew them in turn. You need to start shooting from above, so there is less chance of damage to the elements from the weight of the canvas. For some hinges, you must first remove the rods, and only then remove the product.
  3. To remove the old canvas, you can use a crowbar or pry bar, lifting the canvas like a lever. This should be done slowly so that the door does not fly off its hinges. It is best to work with a partner with one person holding the canvas while the other lifts it up.
  4. After that, you need to unscrew and inspect the hinges on the box and on the door. If they are free from defects, then the part on the door frame is left in place. In the event that there is damage, then you need to replace the fittings. This option is preferable, since the hinges also tend to wear out. In addition, they must fit the new design, and old fittings can be significantly out of touch with the overall design.

You should also inspect the entire door frame. It is better to remove the platbands and see if there are any cracks or cracks under them. If they appear, then be sure to putty, and then only put the planks in their original place.

How to install a new door?

It doesn't take very long to install a new door into an old frame. And if you have the skills and an assistant, you will cope all the more quickly (especially if the size of the canvas already matches the opening).

This second stage in replacing the interior door without destroying the old box is performed as follows:

  1. If necessary, the new canvas is adjusted to the size of the old one. If the box is made of metal, it can have different widths at the bottom and top. Then the product is narrowed a little. The trimmed edge must be decorated (painted, pasted over) after the installation of the structure.
  2. Make markings for future loops. They can be new or from the previous door. This must be done precisely. The hinges are mounted using screws (screwdriver or screwdriver). From the bottom edge of the canvas to the lowest loop, they usually retreat by 20 cm. From the top of the canvas to the top loop, the optimal indentation is 15 cm. The required amount of fittings depends on the weight of the canvas. For a conventional wooden structure, two loops will be enough.
  3. Install all the accessories on the canvas. For this, markings are also carried out, the necessary holes are drilled. This must be done carefully so as not to damage the upholstery (if any), and also so that all fittings function well. A jigsaw is suitable for work. Often, a lock and handles are already installed in a new door, which is convenient.
  4. After that, the canvas is hung.
  5. Check the functioning of all fittings, especially locks. If the structure is even slightly skewed, they will close with force and wear out more. Adjust the hinges if necessary.
  6. According to this scheme, the swinging interior system, consisting of one or of two leaves, is replaced.

Replacement of the input structure is carried out in a similar way. A new iron door can be put into an old box without problems, but it will not work to fit the canvas in case of a discrepancy in size. Therefore, the parameters should be measured as accurately as possible.

Installation of a compartment door

Many houses today have compartment doors. It is convenient, practical, and it is not always necessary to change something drastically.

The installation of such a door takes place according to a different scheme:

  1. The first step is to dismantle the old product.
  2. Further, the existing cracks are closed, all defects are eliminated.
  3. A groove is made from the side of the lower end of the panel; this will require a chisel. In this groove, you need to put a guide (it is made in the form of the letter P), and then securely fix it. The rollers will move along this guide.
  4. It is necessary to install rollers in the prepared bar.
  5. The door is placed on the lower rail, while the door leaf is attached to the rollers. The blade must be inserted into the corresponding grooves on the rollers. It is difficult to do this on your own, it is better to work with an assistant.
  6. Marking is carried out for the upper guide. It must be installed above the doorway.
  7. The metal guide is attached to the timber. It is fixed with an anchorage at the top of the canvas. It is important to check the correctness of the work performed with the level.
  8. Now you need to insert the new door into the old box. To do this, it is placed vertically and slightly deflected from itself. The upper rollers must be brought onto their guide. After that, the product is slightly raised and placed on the lower bar, placing it on the moving rollers.

At the end of the work, special limiters are mounted. They are necessary so that the canvas does not fly off the guides. Then they install the handle and check how the door works. It should move smoothly without significant effort. If any shortcomings are found, they must be eliminated immediately.

What should you pay attention to?

In order for the new door leaf in the old frame to be installed correctly, easily operated and harmoniously complement the interior, it is important to take into account all the nuances.

So, when replacing an old structure with a new product, pay attention to the following points:

  1. When choosing a new door leaf, it is important to match it in color to the old door frame so that there is no imbalance. Going to the store behind the new interior door, you can simply grab the removed platband with you, so it will be much easier to select.
  2. It is important to measure all dimensions accurately. For this you need a tape measure. A width of 80 cm is considered standard, but it is better to measure at floor level and several more times along the entire length. Height may be standard 210 cm, but sometimes it is different. Therefore, this parameter is also important to measure.
  3. If you plan to replace the flooring, then first all the work is done, and only then the interroom system is installed.
  4. It will not be superfluous to check the doorway for its evenness. For the vertical, a plumb line or level is used. Both diagonals are also measured, they should be practically the same.
  5. When purchasing a product, it is worth taking measurements in the store and checking with the necessary parameters. In case of slight discrepancies, the product can be adjusted in size. To do this, after the purchase, a new canvas is laid on the old door. They are aligned with the upper side and the vertical where the handle is. If necessary, saw off the excess part.
  6. Leaving the old box without replacement is possible only if it is in good condition. In many older homes, this will not work as the entire system is often in poor condition. In addition, in old buildings, doors are often of non-standard size, so you will have to expand or, on the contrary, narrow the opening, which cannot be done without dismantling the box. In this case, not only the wallpaper, but also the plaster is often damaged. All these defects will need to be eliminated.

Also, in some cases, it is better to negotiate with the door seller about their installation. Many companies provide such services, they have experience and all the necessary tools. Therefore, the replacement of the entrance system will take place quickly.

Putting a new door into an old box on your own is not such a difficult procedure. It can be carried out without the involvement of workers. It is much easier, faster and cheaper than changing the entire structure together with the box. And no construction debris and dust.

If you accidentally kicked interior door leaf then you should have something similar to the photo below. It turned out very neatly. A well-timed blow under the doorknob broke the latch and threw open the door.

I would like to add that the door frame was not damaged and withstood the blow with honor. And this despite the fact that it was fixed only on polyurethane foam. No additional attachment was used. This is to the question of whether it is necessary to additionally fasten the door frame to the doorway.
Everything is in order with the box, but the door leaf needs to be replaced... The width of the canvas is 80 cm.

How to start replacing a door leaf

First, remove the crippled canvas from the door frame. We take a new canvas and make markings for the loops. The hinges were mortise, not overhead. Therefore, you have to work with a chisel. We remove the distance of the loops from the old canvas and transfer it to the new one. Usually the loops are located 20 cm from the edge of the canvas, but it will be useful to check.
Unfortunately, I did not find among my tools a template according to which I previously cut the grooves for the hinges using a hand-held milling machine. Recently, overhead hinges are more and more used. They do not require a tie-in and are a pleasure to work with.

We do the markup and get to work. The canvas is dyed, so first we remove the upper thin layer of paint, and then we go deeper. The end of the door is made of pressed sawdust, so it is easy to work with a chisel. You can even do without a hammer.

Having made the grooves for the hinges, we proceed to the inset of the handle. In the same way, we transfer the distance from the previous canvas, otherwise the latch will not coincide with the striker. Having made the markings for the handle, we cut out a large hole for the mechanism with a crown. Next we take a 23 mm feather drill. and cut a hole in the end of the door for the latch.

The latch bar must be flush. For the convenience of drawing markings, turn the bar over and draw a circle with a pencil. We select the resulting rectangle with a chisel and check the position of the latch.

We fasten the hinges to door leaf and we carry the canvas to the door frame. Using wedges, we expose the canvas so that the hinges on it coincide with the grooves on the door frame. Since the screws will have to be screwed into the box a second time, it would be better to slightly seal the holes. I use matches or toothpicks. Just insert a toothpick into the hole and break off. Having sealed all eight holes for two hinges in this way, screw the hinges to the box. If you made the markings for sure, then the loops on the canvas will clearly coincide with the attachment point on the box.

We close the door and check the gaps. And then a surprise awaits us. The door fits too tightly to the box post, on which the latch striker is located. Why did it happen? We measure the width of both door leaves and compare. This is true. New blade 2 mm. wider than before.

In order to slightly increase the gap, it is necessary to drown the striker and make it “flush” with the plane of the box. If this does not help, you will have to take more serious measures. For example, it can be removed from the opposite end of the door, where the hinges are, 2-3 mm. using a hand-held milling machine. The butt will have to be painted over. The same can be done with the top end, if suddenly, when cutting and assembling the box, you made a mistake by making it shorter than necessary. With the help of a hand router, you can easily and most importantly, very accurately and with high quality remove a few millimeters. Nobody will notice.

In this case, this was not necessary. There were enough measures to sink the striker. The door closes and opens perfectly. Let's move on to the next step.

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It is a frame structure that is attached to the wall, and inside which the door leaf is hung. More recently - 20-25 years ago, even the entrance was exclusively made of wood or plywood. In the 90s, metal entrance doors appeared, and, accordingly, their door frame is made of steel. About 10 years ago, aluminum and plastic interior doors came into use, which are produced with a ready-made frame from the same material.

Made of chipboard, MDF, plywood-dict and even fiberboard, the box, platbands and are made of solid wood, usually conifers, or MDF. Woodworking enterprises have established the production of beams and complements from laminated MDF.

Can be made from MDF, a hot pressed medium density fibreboard. All the necessary elements are made from this material. You just have to fit them in size. Especially relevant for arched openings. Assembly from MDF is performed in the same way as from ordinary wood, but working with this material is much easier. Fastening of all parts to each other is carried out using glue or self-tapping screws.

Instruments

To complete the installation of interior doors, you will need the following tools:

  • tape measure to measure the opening and details,
  • an ax or a large hammer,
  • screwdriver or screwdriver,
  • nail puller.
  • chisel,
  • Bulgarian,
  • level,
  • Master OK,
  • spatulas
  • Bulgarian,
  • jigsaw,
  • chisel,
  • miter box.

How to dismantle an old door?

Dismantling the old interior door is done in the following order:

  • First, remove the accessories: handles, locks, latches.
  • Examine the hinges. Sometimes they are separate. If you can remove the canvas, remove it.
  • Unscrew the screws for solid hinges. Unscrewing is done from the bottom up. Inexperienced craftsmen often make this mistake - first they unscrew the screws from above, and then you have to ask someone to hold the canvas. If you start from the bottom, then the door hangs to the last on the upper hinge, on the upper screw.
  • Leave the door leaf aside. Disconnect the hinges completely. Examine the platbands, where they are fixed, and in what way. Disconnect them. Surely under the cash there will be a fastener for extras. These can be either nails or screws. Unscrew the self-tapping screws, and if nails, pry the docks with an ax. Disconnect them from the box
  • Find the places where the bars are attached to the wall and free the box from the fasteners. In old houses of the Soviet type, it may not be fixed to the wall with self-tapping screws. Inspect it, if there are no nails or screws, try to knock it out of the opening.
  • extra pieces of plaster, planks, putty. He is ready for you to work.

How to install a new door in an old box

In the process of repair, such an option is also possible: a new door in an old box. If you are planning to change a damaged old door, then you do not need to dismantle a sturdy box. You only need to remove the door by unscrewing the hinges. You can take measurements for a new door using the old door leaf. To prepare the doorway for the installation of a new door leaf, inspect the frame and hinges. Pay attention to whether there are any gaps between the extensions and the beams of the main structure. You may have to remove the platbands. At the same time, check the attachment of the add-ons. If the planks are nailed, tap and tighten a couple of self-tapping screws additionally. Replace the trims.

You can fasten the door with old hinges, or you can install new ones. Then drive wooden chops coated with glue into the old screw holes. Because the new hinges may overlap with the old holes, or the screws for them will be thinner. In any case, the chopiks will seal the holes, and the hinge will not loosen under the weight of the door leaf.

You can hang the door. Examine the lock (if there was one on the door). If you leave the old one, then when installing the lock, fit the lock latch under the strike plate.

How to prepare the doorway for the installation of the frame?

Sometimes apartment owners, wanting to change the interior of the premises, constructively change the interior doors. Expansion of the doorway is justified by the desire to install double-leaf swing or folding doors (book, accordion).

In houses with high ceilings, the doorway is sometimes increased in height, the shape of the opening is changed, making the top semicircular, arched.

The methods of this work depend on the material from which the interior wall is made. It is easiest to work with brick or wood walls.

But a doorway in a brick wall is structurally complex because it has more irregularities than the rest of the walls. This gives inaccuracies in measurements. And this must be foreseen when changing the dimensions of the opening. The edges of the wall must be leveled with plastering, then the installation of the door will not be a big problem.

To expand the doorway in a brick wall, it is enough to take out a row of whole bricks in the brickwork at the edge of the opening, align its line with halves of bricks and a cement-sand mixture. To do this, you first need a chisel and a hammer, and then a level, trowel and spatulas.

In a wooden wall, you can expand the opening using a circular electric saw or grinder.

It is much more difficult to widen the opening in a reinforced concrete panel. In this case, you will have to arm yourself with a hammer drill and a grinder. The hammer drill will drill and beat the 6th ton, cut the metal rods of the frame with a grinder. The edge of the opening in the place of expansion must be leveled and plastered as much as possible.

Sometimes, doorways are unreasonably wide, which complicates the arrangement of furniture, and there is a desire to make it smaller. To reduce the opening by 8-12 cm, you can insert a thick bar between the wall and the box, fix it with long self-tapping screws (by the way, the self-tapping screws can be deepened in the bar up to 4 cm by drilling a hole for the cap with a drill # 8), foam it and seal it up with plaster ... You will attach the box to the timber. Installing thick beams will reduce the opening to 24 cm. To reduce a brick doorway by 25 cm or more, you will need drywall, or bricks, cement and sand. Drywall can be used to reduce thin walls covered with a thick layer of plaster. In this case, the plaster must be knocked down from the wall and the drywall must be overlapped. The added part of the wall must also be plastered and finished so that it merges with the main one.

How to install a frame in a doorway?

Preparing a doorway for installing an interior door begins with a box. It is recommended to install it before the floor is laid (flooded). The box consists of 7 × 4 cm bars connected by the letter P. This is, if you do not intend to install a threshold. The door frame assembly with a threshold has a closed shape. It is necessary to correctly calculate the height of the threshold so that it does not fall below the floor level and is not too high. 3-4 cm is enough for him.

The details of the box and the threshold must be made so that a ledge is cut into the beams, which does not allow the door to overlap, close to the other side. Stops help to increase the noise and heat insulation of the doors.

The corners of the box and addons should be sawed off on a miter box at an angle of 45 ° and fastened together with self-tapping screws, lubricating the cut with glue. The door frame can also be assembled using the spike method, since the frame is still a one-piece structure. The door is assembled on a flat surface so that there are no distortions.

You need to install the box like this,

  • so that it rests against the upper edge of the opening. You may need to hammer in the wedges to seal. Either at the top or at the bottom (if the bottom edge of the box is hidden under the floor). Cut off the excess wedges hammered from above so that they do not look out and do not interfere with the installation of extensions.
  • From the outside, the box should be mounted in line with the wall.
  • And at the same time, check the level of the box according to the level, and the correctness of the angles with a square.

The door frame fasteners in the opening are made with self-tapping screws.

  • Mark the points where the screws will be tightened;
  • drill holes in the box with a # 4 drill;
  • mark the location of each hole with a pencil on the wall;
  • remove the box from the opening;
  • drill holes in the wall with a victorious drill # 6 and hammer in the nylon dowels.
  • Reinstall and align the box so that the drilled holes line up. Drive in the retaining wedges. Screw the box with self-tapping screws.

A stable box will not put a lot of stress on the fasteners with which you screw it to the wall.

If the thickness of the wall is more than 7 cm, then addons will be required - boards that will mask the wall of the opening. They are attached later, when the box is installed, they do not need to be connected together in advance. But sawing off the upper edges of the racks and the upper bar should also be at an angle of 45 o

How to install and fix a door in a box?

The box is exposed and secured. Now you need to hang the door. For this

  • Insert the canvas into the box.
  1. If you have foreseen the presence of a threshold, place three or four matches or tooth sticks under it. This is necessary so that the door does not rest with all its weight on the threshold, and then you do not have to tweak it.
  2. If a threshold is not provided, then place boards or plywood 5-6 mm thick.
  3. If you plan to lay carpet or linoleum within the door, then the door should be raised by a centimeter.

Installation of interior doors should be carried out taking into account all "if", then it will be free to close, not resting on the bars either from above or on the sides. The door should fit freely in the box. On the sides and top, the gap should be 2 mm, on the bottom - taking into account the above "if". Make sure all conditions are met. You can also insert matches between the box and the doors. Everything is fine? If the door rests somewhere, mark with a pencil - in this place you will have to work with a plane - remove the excess.

  • Mark the loops. Attach the hinge and mark with a pencil the height of the hinge on the box and at the same time on the door. Mark the thickness of the hinge on the door. Do the same with the bottom loop.
  • Also mark with a pencil the location of the locks, knobs, or latches. Now you can. The assembly of interior doors, fitting and fastening of the fittings are carried out while the door leaf is not fixed in the box. It is also better to paint and varnish it until it is installed in the box, and while there are no fittings on it. But, let's say that you have purchased a door already finished.
  • You can make a recess for recessed fittings using an electric jigsaw, or manually with a hacksaw and a chisel.
  • Screw the hinges and the rest of the hardware to the door. Place the canvas on the box and start screwing on the hinges.
  • Check how your door opens and closes.

How to fix extensions and platbands

Completions are installed if the opening is thicker than the box. In width, they should correspond to the distance from the box to the edge of the wall. Fastening of extensions to the main beams is carried out with self-tapping screws. For greater strength, before screwing in, the end of the extension can be greased with glue. The void between the wall of the opening and the complement must be foamed with polyurethane foam.

The width of the platbands should be such that on one side it is flush with the box, and its other edge goes 1-1.5 cm to the edge of the wall. This is the final stage of the box installation. They constitute a design element and therefore should look attractive. The casings should be installed before the skirting boards are nailed in. Sawing should be done at an angle of 45 °. The fastening of the cashing should be done in such a way that the fastening elements are not visible. These can be liquid nails.

Platbands can be

  • Wooden,
  • Plastic,
  • Made of MDF.

The main condition when choosing cashing is the appearance and compliance with the design of the door or the interior of the room.

During the repair, sometimes it becomes necessary to update the interior opening, while maintaining the well-established box. It is connected with the fact that removing the frame from the wall risks provoking damage to the wallpaper, destruction of tiles, the formation of cracks in the floor when the threshold is removed. Therefore, the owners change all other components of the structure, and the box is cleaned, treated with putty and painted in the color of the sash. Replacing the door leaves does not require such time-consuming work as dismantling and installing an entire block, and it is cheaper.

Features of the procedure

Also, make sure that:

the opening has perfect geometry, the old frame is not skewed, not deformed and is ready for further service;

the new product will not overload the supporting element - it is better to purchase a product from the same materials and the same weight as the previous version.

In order for the replacement of the door leaf of the interior door to be successful and not cause additional trouble, you should:

pick up hinges that will fit into ready-made grooves, without requiring cutting new ones;

adjust the sash correctly.

A simpler, although at the same time rather time-consuming, way of installing fittings involves filling up old grooves with putty and subsequent painting. The result of such work depends on the skill of the installers.

Where to order a professional service?

Masters, who have the necessary knowledge, experience and tools, solve the following tasks:

installation or replacement of a glass insert;

inserting hinges and locks using high-precision equipment;

replacement of platbands and accessories, if necessary;

hanging the sash and adjusting its position in the opening;

installation of additional mechanisms and accessories if necessary - for example, connecting a door closer, inserting an automatic threshold, etc.

Benefits of a skilled approach

Professional replacement of the door leaf into the old frame will please:

the coherence of the functioning of all elements of the system, the comfort of operation;

maintaining the block's good insulating properties;

presentable appearance of the opening;

the service life of the structure.

What is important, the customer gets rid of a lot of trouble and gets a guaranteed high-quality result.