How to Swap the Swing of an Entry Door | Ask This Old House
Вставка
- Опубліковано 29 сер 2024
- Ask This Old House carpenter Nathan Gilbert helps general contractor Tom Silva change the swing of an entry door
SUBSCRIBE to This Old House: bit.ly/Subscrib...
Time: 4 hours
Cost: $100
Skill Level: Moderate
Tools List for Swapping the Swing of an Entry Door:
Hammer
Nail Set
Saw horses
Drill driver
Utility knife
Wood chisels
Tape measure
Pencil
Combination square
Miter saw
Brad nailer
Air compressor
Forstner bit
Shopping List:
Wood dowels
Scrap wood
Wood glue
Superglue
100 grit sandpaper
Spray primer
Steps:
1. Start by removing the door. Use the hammer and a nail set to remove the pins in the hinges. Place the door on saw horses so it’s easier to work on it.
2. Remove the hinges from the door using the screwdriver.
3. Fill in the holes from the hinges using wood dowels. Use a utility knife to shave them down to size, cover them with wood glue, and then hammer them into the holes. Give them a chance to dry, and then hit the excess pieces away with a chisel and hammer.
4. Sand the filled holes down with 100 grit sandpaper.
5. Flip the hinges upside down and drill new holes for them so that the door flips the opposite way.
6. Screw the hinges into their new position.
7. Flip the door upside down to start tackling the hardware. The door handle and deadbolt should be easily removed by unscrewing them. Keep track of any screws or other small parts.
8. Unscrew the striker and flip it upside down so that the door knob will fit the other way. Screw it back into place.
9. Screw the doorknob back into the striker.
10. Repeat this process for the deadbolt.
11. Flip the direction of the door sweep using a chisel and a hammer. Adding a bead of super glue will help it to stick in position.
12. Use a tape measure to measure the distance from the top of the door frame to the top of the hinge mortises. Transfer those measurements to the opposite side of the door frame using a pencil.
13. Use a combination square to ensure the hinge mortises end up at the correct depth on the other side of the door frame.
14. Patch the old hinge mortises using some scrap wood. Use a miter saw to get the wood to the correct depth and size.
15. Apply the patch with wood glue and brad nails, then sand it smooth.
16. To help the patch blend in, spray paint it to roughly match the color of the rest of the door frame.
17. Repeat this process for the striker and deadbolt mortises.
18. Mortise the new hinges on the other side of the door. It will go faster if you use a drill with a forstner bit and then chisel the excess out.
19. Drill and screw the hinges into their new position.
20. Rehang the door using the pins.
21. Take the pencil and color in the striker for the door handle and the dead bolt. Open and close the door a couple times to transfer the mark to the door frame.
22. Chisel out the new mortises for the door handle and dead bolt. Use the drill and forstner bit to get the hole for the striker.
23. Drill and screw the striker plate into the new position.
Resources:
Depending on the type and material of the entry door, the process will be different. Nathan was working on a fiberglass door that had equal details on both sides.
All the tools Nathan used to change the swing of the door, including the drill, spray paint, chisel, and hammer, can be found at home centers.
Looking for more step by step guidance on how to complete projects around the house? Join This Old House INSIDER to stream over 1,000 episodes commercial-free: bit.ly/2GPiYbH
Plus, download our FREE app for full-episode streaming to your connected TV, phone or tablet:
bit.ly/34RYEP5
Follow This Old House and Ask This Old House:
Facebook: bit.ly/ThisOldH...
Twitter: bit.ly/ThisOldH...
bit.ly/AskTOHTw...
Pinterest: bit.ly/ThisOldH...
Instagram: bit.ly/ThisOldH...
bit.ly/AskTOHIG
For more on This Old House and Ask This Old House, visit us at: bit.ly/ThisOldH...
How to Swap the Swing of an Entry Door | Ask This Old House
/ thisoldhouse
As a carpenter of 42 years always keep a bag of golf tees for filling old screw holes. Much easier and faster than whittling small pieces.
That's what my dad used to do. Sometimes toothpicks to adjust a door, too.
@@susanblackley7065 yes, toothpicks can do both.
Nice tip….
Instablaster...
I use match sticks to pack holes, will keep an eye out for golf tees now tho
Instead of buying a whole new set of door in order to swap the swing side of my bedroom door, I used this technique and it was fun to do such thing by myself. Thanks for posting.
Man, this guys attention to detail was top notch.
Good on ya Tommy, baptism by fire. Get right in there and sweat it out with the homeowner looking over your shoulder kid, best way to learn. You guys are class acts and I love watching your vids. Nathan has a very bright future ahead of himself in the industry. As minor and simple as this job may seem there’s plenty of detail to handle there and he knocked it outta the park. Thanks and keep it up. From a Canadian Carpenter
Thank you! Exactly what I needed, not difficult at all with these instructions and the right tools. Just swapped our front door and makes a world of difference.
Thanks for this comment. They make it look so quick and easy. I'm not so sure. I contacted three contractors. One said he wouldn't do it at all but would install a door if I bought one with the opposite swing, second said $300-600, third said no less than $900. My brother and I will attempt ourselves and if we fail, then I'll buy the opposite swing door. Haha. Good to know some people have had success on their own.
@@veritycaruso Yeah I'm definitely not a handyman and I did it in a few hours. Maybe I just got super lucky based on all these comments! Just take your time and measure carefully.
Looks like Norm is retired, Tom, Rich and Roger are headed that way too. TOH must be starting to use new guys. Hope the show continues in some format and Kevin stays on. Been watching since the 70's so must be time for a new generation.
I think all the replacements except one for Rich are on the show now. I think maybe his son might take his place. They have also added a painter and a mason as quasi-regulars.
Roger and Norm are the only ones that seem to be fully retired. Tommy still does a lot of scenes and Richard doesn't seem to have found anyone to pass the baton to. They will leave (and have left) big shoes to fill.
As always, This Old House has the video that shows me how to do the project I need to do! :) Thanks!
I agree with Tommy a couple of things i would have done different. 1 get rid of the old evidence marks on the door from the old hardware looks tacky. 2 The chiseling of the new hinges , I would made cuts across first so my jamb didn't run and wind up with a cut to deep. 3 longer screws on the hinges..
My house is over 130 years old and has a similar setup. However, if I were to switch the direction of my door, it would get in the way more, especially whenever I want to move any large items in and out. It’s a bit of a hassle- along with not having closets- but typical for an old New England home.
Nobody's going to mention the tactical carpentry chest rig?? Haha I kind of dig it.
www.atlas46.com/products.html#!/Chest-Rigs-Vests/c/12449577
My first thought
Probably one of the best TOH videos
Nice touch adding tools and steps in the description!
Its a bad layout of the house having the stairs so close too the front door...and them screws are too short for that door
Did they skip over the part where they fill in the old strike plate and deadbolt holes that would remain after switching sides? Pretty sure they showed where they filled in the hinge depressions, but not the two deep holes that would also remain.
I was thinking the same thing, but I would guess that you would have to measure, cut and fill the striker & deadbolt hole. I’m doing this same project on my back door
Tom don’t retire! Don’t pass the rings onto Nathan. He don’t have the professionalism and enthusiasm like you. He only had the homeowner help him move the door and apply pressure on lock part. Tom has everyone involved and makes it fun and educational.
excellent video. I'd planned doing the exact same thing for my bedroom door. your video touched on nearly all points that I would have had to watch out for. i'm no pro so this video is helpful in knowing i was going down the right path.
It's just hard to see not a Tom doing all the work...
Elvinas Povilėnas earwax
:(
It is, but TOH is doing a nice job of starting to transition to the next generation. Nice work & I like the graphite trick.
Myconarc can you imagine how nice his care home will be within a few weeks of him moving in?
@@susanblackley7065 I found that using a piece of children's sidewalk chalk works even better
How about changing the swing of the door from outward to inward swing ?
Greetings to you, Canadian people ... work well and beautifully
Isn’t it going to be more difficult opening the door this way? The only hope looks like to have the door open outwards or complete remodel the stairs layout.
I would have prefered it the other way - opening into wall and opening up to hall and stairs..
This looks like turning the correct solution into the wrong one. I eve wondered if this mod is illegal since exit doors should not block people trying to exit
Story stick on hinge location more reliable than using a tape.
Glad you called that out!! I amazed that everything lined up so perfectly based on the technique used. On old doors I've actually made full size templates of the hinge side of the door.
Bingo! I was actually checking the comments to see if anyone else picked up on that. Those hinges have to be perfectly matched to operate correctly. No way to reliably do that with a tape measure.
Came to read comments for the same reason. I suspect he first located and screwed only the top hinge, temporarily pinned-in the door so he could mark the exact location of the middle and bottom hinges before chiseling them.
That’s great work! I’d have changed it to opening out to the front so that inside I could have some storage etc and never need to pull door open into the family crowded there lol x
Exterior doors don't swing outward for a number of reason.
Main reason being, then your hinges are exposed on the outside and any person can pop them off and take your door right off in 10 seconds.
@@evictioncarpentry2628 unless you use these ua-cam.com/users/shortskd2NEDTI-QY?feature=share
I remember when my ( teachr ) ( master ) ( leader ) left me for the first time to finish the whole job my self I missed him so much, we were like friends hanging out at the work site , I will miss you Tom, will miss these useful tips about almost anything in the work site,
Do you carry tools in your purse?
I am a female and I was so fascinated by his precise wood carving skills, precise measurements and great craftsmanship. Praying for this generation to start doing manual labor again and learning good ole workmanship. And for dads to teach their sons these things. I havent seen a man do this in a long time. Makes me feel good inside.
The Massachusetts accent is real .HEY!!! I'm trying to make in swinging door swing out not just change direction.
So now he has to climb the stairs to close the door, the problem went from bad to worse. Tune in next week to see them swap the door back to the original swing.
😂😂😂
Or fix it entirely, by having it out swing, that would have been the best solution IMO.
I just saw one of their videos installing a front door but you use 3in screws for security. I'm surprised they left the same little short screws in there.
Am I the only one that thought the homeowner meant he wanted the door swing to change to an outswing instead of in? That would have solved the issue completely.
Yes that would make the most sense but for some reason no one does that. I think schools and other commercial buildings do cause it’s safer in case of fire
@@njs461 The only place I've seen it in common practice is asian countries, where land for building is scarce, so they try to maximize square footage and storage as much as possible within their small spaces.
But then how would a home invader kick in your door? They would now have to pry it open like the Home Alone folks.
@@twistedstrength. No. Your hinges will be exposed on the exterior if your door swings out. It would take 2 seconds to take the entire door off if you did that. No prying required.
This seems like a crazy idea to me... it makes exiting from the stairs easier, but from the rest of the house more difficult as you get caught between the newel post and the door ....
I work in millwork at Lowe’s. I wish people would watch this video before coming in 😅
The screws he uses are a bit short aren't they? I would use like 2 inch long ones...
Those look like interior hinges, When I build a house I don't even use screws that short, they tend to loosen up over time. Hinges with long screws and a large metal strike place are called "security hardware sets" Basically just heavy duty.
87woutor
I agree
Half of an inch of a screw isn't going to stop anyone from breaking the side window and opening the deadbolt from the inside.
@@DordiHOTS I replaced the screws on all my hardware with screws long enough to reach into the 2x4s. If someone tries to get in they are going to make some noise.
With panels on both sides they cant really do anything else here though.
These videos are best in class!! Thanks again
He did a great job.
everything reversible, including the sweep? square, plumb and level door frame? in the real world those easy jobs don't exist.
we did it to all 3 of our entrance doors a few years ago, with a handy man, who also was a sales man for window and doors. Since All 3 door to this old trailer / small mobile home had uncomfortable odd ways of entering. And with the opposite way of entering, we could use the space better in this small home, by reversing them all. The one door we wanted bigger, so we had to get a new door, plus we made it an opposite swing open. And the patio door had to be new, as it was 30 years old and not keeping the cold out, BUT because we wanted the left handed opening patio door, it cost more to get the left hand opening patio door, but now a lazy boy chair can sit in the walking space. Finally, to reply to your message, our front door we just switched everything around, like this video, and everything worked without a problem. It too was a similar new front door, someone else put on this trailer home. And it was perfect to turn everything around. ((BUT for the 250 bucks we paid the handy man, to do this, we didn't get those nice sprayed white thin dutch plywood coverings, so think I'll do that)) And since we switched the front door swing in, we have room to keep an old Chinese chest, we didn't want to sell, now it fits, where the door swing once use to have swing open to. So it makes sense to change the swing opening of the front door.
🤣🤣🤣 yeah simple as 1,2,3 ! 👎
Great job but the hinges need to be flipped 180 as they are bearing hinges and the bearings need to be on the bottom.
I know you couldn't use 3 inch screws on the jam but
you could have used 1 1/2 or 2 inch screws that door
could be kicked in by a 99 pound weekling.
Why kick it in at all? Break glass, open locks and your in.
@@calebburns4346 true.... Hell it's a kwikset.just stick in a paper clip
Beautiful.... really casey you in good hands
Thank you👍🏾 Now let me go flip that door🤜🏾🤛🏾
Good effort by the young buck, but I sure missed seeing Tommy work his magic. I hope he doesn't retire to soon!
Can’t imagine lil Joey heading upstairs with his bowl of cereal only to be whacked in the face when someone comes home 🚪
Up until @2:48 the striker was the other way. @2:48 is correct, then he goes and flips it again, to make it the wrong way.
@7:11, the striker is still backwards. But @7:27 is when it's correct.
So they had to edit out his big mistake.
I just noticed Haha. They probably took the door back out and shot the scene where he flipped it around.
Home owner was probably like "Damnit, why couldn't Tommy stay behind and do this, why did I get his apprentice!"
There’s also the ‘perfect’ door reveal first time, and only showed a quarter second trying to allign the hinged back... not to mention the odds of everything being perfectly square/level/plumb from switching the swing
St Pariah tell me about it, theirs no way the reveal would be perfect the first time
I dunno about swapping hardware directions.
In my opinion I would’ve swapped the hardware over, lock and latch on hinge side and vice versa.
I can’t tell by the video if the door is can be universally swung, but the hinges are installed incorrectly.
Great job.. I need this done too but in Texas.
Easy to follow instructions thanks.
In this case though, why didn't they have the door open outwards away from stairs?
And expose the hinges for anyone to pop off in 2 seconds? Sure.
Also might not be possible depending on the jamb, threshold and brick mould.
Tom was like peace out!!! Catch me at the pub ladies I earned this.
Not hard if you got the right tool for the job. But door hinges i dispies. Just make ones that doesnt require chiseling to mount the hinge plates flush. Id prefer a hinge that bolits to the face of the door and face of the casing.
Even after I measure the old hinge locations I'm always a hair off and have to install the door with the hinges a little loose then tighten them
Hi This Old House . I hope someone can respond quickly? I have a closet door with mold all the way thru the bottom wood door.
My dog has separation anxiety and during my sickness with covid he shaped the soft moldy part into bits. Now I have a hole that spans the bottom of my wood door as he removed all the moldy part.
My landlord says" there's no way to turn the door upside down without having to drill a new hole , no calibration".
As an artist I see it's no problem to put wood panel an paint the door. No need to change lock . Just put hinges on other side .
I meant my dog scraped
Great practical video! Thanks for sharing.
Kinda bugged me to see all those chips in his chisels
How long did it take? My guess 6 hours skilled carpenter and helper $125 ,per hour, $900 plus materials. Is that a fair estamate? New door cheaper? Probably not. What do you think?
I think it was better as it was before.
Very well done but did you do anything to the light screws so that they would be on the inside of the house?
I was searching for this comment.
Idk about the new swing... now you have to corner your self when opening. Kinda dangerous if you have and unwanted visitor forcing their way in, you are forced in to the stairs...
yeah it's obvious why the architect did it the way he did, the way they set it up someone entering can swing it into someone's face who is coming to greet them
OK if you're coming down the stairs & want to go out, but for normal everyday use of coming in & out of that door from the ground floor, it's now REALLY awkward !!
Why would you prime behind the strike plate?
David Garfinkel if any moist creeps behind, standard practice here in the UK, depends on climate area I assume
It was odd that he primed behind that yet didn't prime behind the hinges. Seems like if you'd bother doing one you'd do them all.
He wanted to paint that hole white because you can see it rather than wood tone.
I still prefer the left swing to keep the room for free movement easy and less hassle , don’t know how many of us agree?
That's a badass tool belt he's got! Anyone know what brand, or where to find by chance??
I thought the bug on his chopsaw at 4:52 was on my tv screen 🤦♂️
Same but on my phone
Go to be hard to replace the original people like Tommy. Hard to find experienced people these days
I made hole with screwdriver on my phone to take out the bug and later I saw same bug on my iPad too. Lost phone screen but iPad is in good shape. Thank god I didn’t see this video on TV.
My only question is about the glass in the door. Most door glass is only sealed on one side, so by swapping the door around, the water can seap in between the door and frame for the glass, soaking the insulation inside the door.
THANKS! Looked for - 'This' - yesterday! Just wanted something different to see. WHO Put Stairs \ Door there?
Never sure about cutting into wood. I Don't want to mess up old door. Now to find patching wood. =]
The mail truck got in the line of shot!
Nice video, what is the purpose of the big drill bit, like 1 1/4".
The door glass insert needed to be reversed as well. It isn't weather sealed from that side. Water can get into the door
Not to mention at 6:54 mark you can see the hinges on the door are now backwards, he forgot to to swap the position of the hinges. There is a bearing on the hinge but it is not on the load side of the hinge now.
The wooden pieces that went in where the old nails were are they called pegs? Or are they a special type of peg?
How about if the inner side and outer side of the door are in different color? that means If I want the outer side still be outer side?
ive tryed to find the video of the stair risers being cut ,that show how to cut the bottom of the stair tred risers to match on uneven landings outside or watever on the bottom of the risers,,is their a link to that video u can share,thank u and please share if u can ive hunted for it for a long time,
😢😢😢😢😥.....tommy....uh...Tommy no....oooo😥...the only reason I watch This old house!!!! 😥😢😞😣😣😣
Why do front doors always open in? I have a similar problem but on a crappier house, so to me the solution is to have it open outside. This also has the benefit of making it harder to kick in, which would be nice in the rougher part of town I live in.
Because the hinges would be outside! And doors are removed by taking them off their hinges.
what about swapping from swing outside to inside?
@Jo Blo I said swing from swing outside to inside... that does not hit house guest coming in.
How does he know how deep to chisel the holes for the hinges?
IS it possible to add on to a door . To make it wider? Or taller? I have a cool old door I wanna use in my renovation.. but, it’s super small..
1806StoneHouse you can make the opening smaller? Install a new frame?
TOH has some videos about making doors smaller. Just scroll through all their uploads
Richard van Pukkem re read his comment
1806StoneHouse Yes you can add into an old door. Use the right materials and talk to a knowledgeable person who can help you in making the right choices and best way to go about it. Good luck
Yes, Its easy just cut two lines at the bottom in a V shape with a circular saw set at 1/2 the thickness of the door (at the length factoring in your angle so the top of the v is in the middle of the door) and cut the V, Cut the inverse on some wood as thick as the door and of the same type (if stained) and glue it in and use some nails to go through both the door and the new wood piece. Its a strong joint that tends to resist cracking, A lap joint can be better but you cant do that with just common house tools. Finger joining would be best but I doubt you have the tools, So this method will work way better than trying to toenail in something
If its not to wide, Drill through the bottom of the door and screw up through the whole assembly to pull it together.
If you are doing all 4 (or 3 sides) do the bottom side first, then after that is done cut the whole side of the door with the v method and do the sides, It will make it stronger than doing the sides and having one bottom board the new width of the door.
Use a razor knife to score in some lines so it looks like its multiple boards if you want the aesthetic.
Im a gc and new home builder.
Diy work like what you want to do is a perfect way to improve a house,
If you have any other questions just email me Ozziesheppard (at) Budgetbuilders . com
Thanks so much.
I was sanding my sidelight and ripped the seal, now I can't figure out how to replace it, please help I will send pictures if need to,
Thank you, hope to here from you.
Do you mean the weatherstripping around the door? They just pull out.
Very very nice work
1:20 Tommy passing the torch
I have to do the same thing, but I have been told I can't do it and need to buy a new door because the current one is composite material. Any thoughts? I can't spend £1800 on a new door.
Buy a cheaper door
Are you providing services in canada Toronto? Need to get down for my side door
Where do I find the carpenters apron that he is wearing, to purchase?
How about making the door open towards the outside instead?
Then your hinge pins are outside, easy to pop out and break in. (But maybe there are security hinges available?)
In sweden all exterior and bathroom doors open towards the outside. The hinges used on exterior doors are ”lifted on” so they cant be undone when its closed. Also they are very hard to kick in. Saves on interior so i dont understand why its done differently in the us
@@michaelsteinbach ..They make hinges with non-removable pins..
Here is swing (link below) that can be used on door that opens outside.
Pin is fixed and you install door when it's fully opened and once it's closed it's impossible to lift door off from that pin. There are also 2 type of adjustment to set for reveal around door.
www.pihla.fi/verkkokauppa/media/catalog/product/cache/1/thumbnail/600x/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/p/i/pihla_ulko_oven_sarana_sinkitty_kirkas_vasenkatinen.jpg
Mr. Wizeguy exactly the same in sweden!
You didn't show how he filled the old strike plate
So y’all going to just skip the middle hinge that lines up where the lock was before??? How do I handle that part.
Step one: hack off the vinyl siding.
Sweet set of bag/apron. Where did you get it?
What about getting new door?
nice work!
Why not flip the whole door frame?
What season and what episode is this?
Either the original designer or contractor screwed up. Why would you put the light switch and security panel behind the door?
Crap I changed my mind. Can we put it back the way it was?
We won’t stand to see Tom replaced!!! #BringBackTom
Good job!
I have seen atlas 46's before but they were in captivity.
Why didn’t you let Casey do any of the work
Isn't there a rule that doors should swing to a wall?
Michael C I never noticed this. Thank you
Great video
Seems likean outswing would have been more appropriate for this home IMO.
A lot of the doors I install have directional glass because of low-e reflection. The screws to take the glass out are now on the outside of the door. Hopefully it is an interior/exterior paint on the door. I am guessing that originally this hose had a double door because of the staircase and a wide door. Homeowners see a door they like and don’t think about the practicality of it. Oh, and don’t get me started about the doorknob being directional.
I know nothing about any of this but was wondering about a double door because that whole entryway makes no sense to me. Come here wanting to know how to change the direction of the door in our house leading into the garage. It opens out into the garage with a landing followed by steps
4:28 What is this awesome tool called?
Nice!