Interior doors are an important part of any home. Everyone, including you, your family, and, most importantly, your visitors, notices the inside door of your home, whether they are entering or exiting it. Not only that, but interior doors are necessary for keeping your home cool or warm depending on the weather and for keeping your family secure. They are also a good investment since if they are energy-efficient, they may save you up to 10% on your energy costs. Because there are so many alternatives available on the market, making a decision can be tough at times.
However, before choosing an interior door for your house, you will have to consider few things to make sure that the interior door you are planning on purchasing is perfect for your house:
– What kind of material?
– What kind of hanging design?
– Is it energy efficient?
– Does it provide enough security?
– How does it swing?
– And What kind of color?
Nevertheless, here is a list of steps on how to fit an interior door fitting:
Do your planning
One of the most important and the first step is to measure the width and height of the door. Bring these measurements with you when you buy the new door, however, it will not be enclosed by a jam or drilled out for the lockset. Furthermore, there is a lot of different and a huge variety of heights that are available for interior doors. Although, 80 inches is the standard.
Remove the existing door
Remove the pins from the hinges while standing on the hinge side of the door. Always begin with the lowest hinge and work your way up to avoid the door collapsing on you. In case, if a pin is not coming out by hand, use a hammer and screwdriver to gently tap it out. As you begin to remove the top pin, it is advisable and a good idea to have a buddy support the door.
Trace around the door
Remove the original door’s lockset (doorknob) and hinges. If you are going to reuse the lockset, make a mental note of how it fits together. Then, place the new door on a pair of sawhorses and place the old door on top, exactly matching the top end and lockset edge of the old door with the new door. It is advisable to make a pencil trace around the old door to show where the new door will need to be cut down to fit.
Cut the door
When cutting the door using a circular saw, use a straightedge and a sharp knife or anything that suits your, to score the markings that you previously made on the door, to make sure that you cut it properly without making any mistakes. Using a circular saw and a straightedge guide, cut the door to the proper height. Then, remove half of the bottom and half of the top of the door if you need to remove more than 1 inch. In the same way, trim the door to the width that you have marked with a pencil.
Replace the mortises
Replace the old door on top of the new one, aligning the four edges so that they are flush, and then transfer the locations of the old door’s hinge mortises to the new door using a combination square. It is advisable to use a utility knife to mark the cut lines for the mortises; it provides a much more exact line than a pencil.
Replace the hinges
Place a protective mat on the floor and place the new door on its edge, hinges facing up. After that, chisel off the hinges. To outline the mortise, hold the chisel vertically and tap it with a hammer. To prevent the chisel from sinking in too deeply when finishing the mortise, hold it at a low angle with its beveled edge flat. In the last. It is advisable to tap the chisel lightly with the hammer to make sure everything is replaced.
Fit the new door
Interlace the hinge knuckles while holding the door in the opening. Have a helper install the hinge pins once all of the hinges are aligned. It is quite essential to make sure the latch engages the strike plate on the doorjamb by testing it. Reposition the striking plate as required. However, if your door rattles when you close it, slightly stretch out the metal tab within the striking plate.
Conclusion
In case, you do not have the time to design and fit an interior door in your house. You can always hire Impala Fittings. It is one of the best services that can help you with door fitting in Kenya at the best prices possible. Contact us now!