Preparing the doorway. The order of installation of interior doors

During construction and apartment renovation, it often becomes necessary to replace interior doors. Oddly enough, this rather simple procedure raises many questions. To ensure that the purchase of a door unit does not turn into a nervous breakdown for the homeowner, certain rules must be observed related to generally accepted installation standards. After reviewing the issue in more detail, everyone can avoid mistakes when buying and installing doors.

What is a doorway

A through hole in a wall or partition, intended for the passage and installation of doors, is called a doorway. As a rule, the opening has the shape of a rectangle. Although sometimes there are square, arched and even rounded openings.

Photo gallery: types of doorways

Arched doorway with lighting will decorate any interior The doorway in the form of an arch visually expands the passage to the next room The classic doorway has a rectangular shape. The combination of a doorway with a bookcase is a good solution for space zoning

In any house and apartment, there are at least three (entrance, kitchen and bathroom) doors. Their maximum number is limited only by the size of the living space and the number of rooms. However, passages without doors are sometimes used. Curtains, curtains, curtains can hang in them, but more often they are left free. Sometimes the opening is blocked by a sliding or sliding door.

In construction and repair practice, there are two options for installing doors:

• selection of the size of the door block for the existing opening;
• adjusting the doorway to the purchased door.

The first option is always preferable, because in this case long and laborious processes associated with cement work are excluded. Fortunately for consumers, developers and door manufacturers have long adopted a uniform standard for doors and doorways. Thanks to this, you can always choose a finished door with dimensions suitable for a standard doorway.

Standard door sizes

The vast majority of interior doors are produced in accordance with GOST 6629-88. This document regulates the dimensions of door blocks used in residential construction, and is called "Internal Wooden Doors for Residential and Public Buildings". Since today the variety of types of doors is extremely large, many experts note that the document is already outdated. However, manufacturers adhere to regulatory standards, if only because openings in houses built in the Soviet era were made strictly according to these standard sizes.

According to GOST 6629–88, door leafs have two sizes in height:

• 2300 mm;
• 2000 mm.

The door width is defined in the following range:

• 600 mm;
• 700 mm;
• 800 mm;
• 900 mm;
• 1100 mm.

The apartments use interior doors with a width of 0.6–0.8 m, entrance doors - 0.9 m and double doors with a total width of 1.1 m. Small doors with a width of 60 cm are installed in storage rooms and other utility rooms. Bath and toilet - 70 cm, kitchen - 80 cm.

The sizes of door frames can be different depending on the material and model of the door block.

During the construction of typical apartment buildings, to this day, the dimensions of doorways are laid based on the specified GOST. In private construction, other options are possible, but here, too, most developers adhere to the above standards.

Measurement rules

To accurately display the dimensions of the installation hole in the wall, three measurements are taken - in height, width and depth. Professional measurers always draw a sketch showing the shape of the opening, its dimensions and other features (for example, the material of the wall, the presence of adjacent corners, etc.). This is necessary not only for the correct selection of the door block in size, but also for understanding the installation method. In the opening of a wooden wall or partition, fixation is carried out with self-tapping screws, in a concrete or brick wall - with anchor fasteners. For a plasterboard partition, a special installation method is provided. Plastic doors are installed on special brackets.

The doorway is measured in three directions - height, width and depth

In addition, you need to consider the condition of the floor and walls. Usually, doors are calculated and installed after finishing the wall plane.. But measurements can be taken earlier, for example, if the door is ordered in advance. It is important to consider all factors here. Suppose the wall has not yet been plastered, which means that in the future its thickness will increase by 1–1.5 cm on each side. If you order a door block without taking into account this thickening, the frame will not fit into the doorway and, as a result, you will have to redo either it or the wall.

The same applies to gender. Experienced measurers come only when the floor is completely ready, including the final finish (tile, linoleum, laminate, etc.). However, if the door is made to order, and the calculation of its dimensions is done in advance, when determining the height of the door block, an adjustment is made for the fact that the floor level will change.

If a standard door frame is installed during construction and redevelopment, the dimensions of the opening are adjusted to one or another standard size.

Today, the so-called hidden doors are very popular, the dimensions of which can be non-standard. Often such a door is made floor-to-ceiling high. In this case, when determining the vertical dimensions, one should take into account the fact that suspended structures (tension, rack or drywall) reduce the ceiling level by 10–15 cm.

Hidden doors in the entire height of the room are installed in a specially prepared opening

If you need to replace one door with another, the task is simplified. It is necessary to accurately measure the three main parameters of the doorway - width, height and depth. But this can be done only after dismantling the old door, or at least after removing the platbands.

Measurements are taken with a construction tape or other precise instrument, such as a laser ruler. Readings are recorded in millimeters.

A professional laser tape measure is used to quickly and accurately determine the required dimensions.

Width

The width of the opening is the distance between the side (vertical) surfaces of the opening in the wall. Measurements are made at three points - upper, lower and in the middle, if they are the same, then the opening is of a regular, rectangular shape. If there are discrepancies of more than 10 mm, this should be noted on the drawing.

If the difference in measurements is more than 10 mm, the minimum size is taken as the basis.

Height

Height is the distance between the "clean" floor and the top horizontal bar. It is measured from two sides (on the right and left sides). Ideally, the readings should coincide with an error of no more than 1 cm.

When measuring the height of the opening, take into account that it should not exceed the size of the canvas by more than 50-60 mm

Thickness

This is the actual thickness of the wall. For the opening, the term "depth" is more often used. It is important to understand that the thickness of the door frame cannot exceed the depth of the opening. But it can (and should) be less. In this case, the discrepancy is compensated by extensions, the width of which is calculated in advance in order to save material.

Features of measuring the doorway, depending on the design of the door

All doors installed in residential buildings are divided into two types:

• swing (on hinges);
• sliding (with upper suspension or floor guide).

Depending on the design, there are different requirements for the preparation of the doorway.

Swing doors are mounted directly inside the hole in the wall. Therefore, it is important to observe the exact dimensions of the opening. According to modern standards, the distance between the door frame and the walls should be within 2.5–3 cm around the entire perimeter (with the exception of the threshold).

Even 30 years ago, when polyurethane foam was not yet used in construction, the technological gap between the door block and the wall was filled with cement mortar. The clearance requirements were different. It was recommended to leave a gap of at least 50 mm so that the mortar can easily enter it. Such doors stood well for the first 3–5 years, after which the mortar began to crumble, and the door frame “walked with a shaker”. The door constantly had to be repaired at regular intervals. Mounting foam has eliminated these shortcomings, so now it is customary to leave a gap of 25-30 mm between the frame and the wall.

In the case of sliding doors, everything is different. The suspension mechanism is mounted on the wall, and the door leaf simply covers the opening. Accordingly, the requirements for the size of the opening are not so strict - the main thing is that the size of the hole in the wall does not exceed the size of the door leaf. Of greater importance is the form and quality of the finish. If in swing doors the edges of the opening are closed with platbands and extensions, then in sliding doors the wall remains in sight. Therefore, it is important to maintain the correct shape and angles of the hole in the wall.

The opening of sliding doors is framed with platbands and extensions

Facing the inside of the opening can be of two types:

• plaster (continuation of wall decoration);
• decorative panels made of fiberboard, MDF or plastic.

Finishing with plaster (or drywall) is performed before measuring the dimensions of the opening. The panels are installed after the door is installed, but when measuring, you need to take into account the thickness of the additional board.

Video: how to measure the opening under the door

Preparing an opening for installing an interior door

In order to bring the opening in line with the standard, you will need the following materials:

You will also need tools:

There are several mandatory requirements for the doorway that must be met before measurements.

How to reduce or expand the doorway

Sometimes the opening needs to be enlarged or reduced. As a rule, changes are needed in cases where a door with other dimensions is installed in place of the old one.

To increase the dimensions of the doorway, a puncher is used. The order of work is as follows:

1. First make the markup. On the wall with a pencil or marker, draw new boundaries of the opening.
2. Then carefully hollow out the wall to the desired shape. If the dimensions change by a small amount, you can do without a puncher by chipping concrete or masonry with a chisel and hammer. Sometimes the inner walls are made of foam blocks. In this case, the task is simplified - the blocks are easily sawn with a special hacksaw with a large tooth and a victorious soldering.

   The expansion of the doorway in a concrete or brick wall is carried out with a puncher with a special nozzle

3. After that, the inner surface of the opening is plastered. To do this, dilute the cement mortar. Throw it on the wall with a trowel and level it with a spatula.

   The leveling of the plaster is done with a rule, a wide spatula or a flat wooden lath.

When chiselling a wall, it is necessary to take precautions - use goggles and a respirator that protects the respiratory system from the ingress of a large amount of construction dust.

In panel houses built from load-bearing structures, it is strictly forbidden to hammer walls with a puncher. The only exceptions are interior partitions that do not carry loads. But only a specialist can determine this.

Violation of this restriction may lead to a violation of the rigidity of the structure as a whole. For example, there are times when chiselling a wall at one end of a house results in cracking double-glazed windows at the other end. This suggests that the deformation is transmitted throughout the building.

Reducing the size of the opening is carried out in different ways, depending on the material of the wall.

1. Use brickwork. The building blocks of the required sizes are selected and the wall is laid out on the cement mortar to the specified marks. In practice, most often the changes relate to the width of the opening, the height remains unchanged. But if the height still needs to be reduced, then ready-made cast reinforced concrete blocks or wooden beams are used for this. They are installed on bricks or deepened into the wall at a distance of at least 10–15 cm on each side.

   Reducing the opening is carried out using metal formwork and brickwork

2. With drywall. To do this, a frame of metal profiles is mounted and sheathed with one or two layers of gypsum fiber board. Such an increase inonly for sliding doors. Swing doors will not be able to stay on a thin layer of “dry plaster”.

   With the help of a drywall construction, a doorway of the required size is installed

3. With the help of wooden blocks. This option is applicable for lumber houses. To do this, you need to pick up a beam of the same thickness as the wall, and firmly fix it on long screws. If one bar is not enough, it is allowed to use several boards, the thickness of which in total will give the desired size. It is necessary to fasten wood blocks very carefully, because they will carry the entire load from the door frame and canvas.

Video: resizing a doorway

With self-measurement of the dimensions of the doorway, extreme accuracy and accuracy are needed. Mistakes result in additional financial losses. But if there is still no self-confidence, it is better to call a measurer from the company that supplies the doors. Today, most firms provide this service for free.

Repairs in the house will have an unfinished look without the installation of such an interior element as doors. They protect the living space from external negative factors, contribute to heat and sound insulation, bring coziness and comfort. Ordinary, at first glance, they differ in material, shape, color, design, have many classifications and types. Despite their differences, all doors require certain knowledge and skills to install them. This is a very painstaking and precise work for a team of two people. Despite the complexity of the work, installing doors with your own hands is quite within the power of anyone who skillfully handles the tool. The main thing is to do everything gradually, measuredly, without haste, observing the rules for installing doors.

• Measurements, selection, purchase of doors.
• Preparation of the opening for the installation of a new door.
• Installation of hinges and lock on the door leaf.
• Assembly of the door frame.
• Installation of additional elements.
• Fastening the door frame in the doorway.
• Connecting the door leaf to the frame.
• Fixing the structure with mounting foam.
• Fastening fittings and platbands.

To perform the work you will need a certain tool:

• a hammer;
• chisels 16 and 20 mm;
• roulette;
• crowbar;
• level;
• screwdriver and screwdriver;
• wood saw with fine teeth;
• miter box;
• drill and perforator;
• if possible, a milling machine, circular.

Materials for door installation:

• door leaf and door frame;
• door fittings (handles, hinges, locks);
• mounting foam;
• wedges;
• nails, screws and dowels.

Plastered and prepared door slopes

Before you install the door, you should prepare the installation site. If there is an old door, then we will dismantle it. To do this, with the help of a crowbar, avoiding strong and abrupt movements, we first remove the trim. Carefully lift and remove the old door leaf from the hinges. With the help of the same crowbar, we dismantle the door frame, to facilitate the process, we file the frame in several places with a hacksaw. Quite often in houses, the door frame was cemented. And to take it out, you have to break the cement with a hammer.

To facilitate the installation of the door, the slopes can be leveled and plastered. At the end of the preparation, we clean the doorway from construction debris. If the doorway has never been used, then you can immediately start measuring it.

Taking measurements, choosing, buying

To purchase the desired door, you will need dimensions in height and width, as well as the dimensions of the slopes of the doorway. Since in most cases the doorway has uneven edges, you should take measurements in several places and choose the smallest size.

We lay the floor covering for the correct installation of the box

Important! When taking measurements, you should take into account the gap between the door frame and the doorway. It should be 10-15 mm. It is recommended to install doors after laying the flooring, if there is none yet, then the height of the flooring and the gap between the floor and the door should be included in the dimensions. For a more visual measurement, you can put parts of the floor covering in the doorway. This is necessary in order to know the exact level of the floor, the free movement of the door depends on it. The gap between the door and the floor is usually 10 mm.

Now that the old doors have been dismantled, dimensions have been taken, and the slopes have been leveled and puttied, you can order doors. As a rule, doors have standard sizes, but if necessary, you can make an individual order based on the size of the doorway.

To choose the right doors, you need to know their types and purpose. For installation in the house, you should pay attention to the entrance, interior and, if necessary, kitchen doors.

We also choose according to the opening method. The most popular option is swing doors. Doors are made using approximately the same technology - this is strapping and internal filling. The power structure or skeleton of the door, where the lock is inserted and the hinges are attached, is sheathed with fiberboard, MDF or other material, and the internal space is filled.

There are several designs of doors - solid, paneled and smooth.

smooth doors, they are also panel doors, can be made with an outer layer of MDF and fiberboard, sometimes such doors are sheathed with plastic. They are usually painted, veneered or laminated. The price of such doors varies depending on the materials and method of sheathing. The most practical and affordable are the doors sheathed with laminate. Painted doors can be both cheap and expensive. It all depends on the type of material and the method of painting. The most expensive are doors lined with natural veneer.

Paneled doors are distinguished by their open design and the presence of drawings, patterned carvings and stained glass windows. Such doors can be filled with glass, carved panels, and other materials. They are made from a solid array of precious woods or combined materials. Prices for panel doors depend on the type of materials. The cheapest and most affordable are made from soft woods, as well as from combined materials (MDF, HDF).

Solid wood doors made from precious woods. This affects primarily their price and weight, they are very high. The doors are covered with varnishes and various impregnations, thus they are well protected from damage by insects, fungi and mold.

Having selected the desired doors and received them, we proceed to the phased installation of the doors.

After the purchase, we unpack the door leaf, platbands, door frame, extensions, fittings. We carefully check everything for cracks, chips or other damage. As long as the lock, hinges or other door fittings are not embedded, the doors can be returned to the manufacturer.

Preparation of places for fastening the lock and hinges

Installing the door leaf on the floor for easy cutting with a cutter

Lock hole

Before assembling the door frame, mark and select with a cutter or chisel the place where the hinges and the lock are attached to the door leaf and the vertical post. To do this, we install the door leaf in a vertical position on the wide side in special stands. In order not to damage the canvas, the inside of the coasters is upholstered with fabric. We attach the lock and mark the place of its installation with a pencil. To make it convenient to use the lock, we install it at a height of 900 mm from the floor. To install the hinges, we measure 200 mm from the lower and upper edges of the door. We attach the loops and outline the place for milling. Using a hand cutter or chisel, we select the excess so that the hinges and the lock lie flush. We put them back and drill holes for self-tapping screws with a drill.

Finally, we apply the vertical post to the door leaf in such a way that there is a gap of 2-3 mm between the horizontal crossbar of the door frame and the door leaf. We mark the place where the hinges are attached and the place for the tongue of the lock and select the excess using a milling machine or chisel. Attach hinges and drill holes for self-tapping screws.

Important! Places for a lock and loops after sampling with a cutter or chisel must be varnished. In this simple way, the tree will be protected from moisture. It should be remembered that entrance and heavy doors are mounted on three hinges, and two hinges will be enough for interior doors.

Hinge and lock installation

When the places for the lock and hinges are selected by the cutter, you can proceed with their installation.

With loops, things are simple. They just need to be screwed to the door leaf.

mortise lock

Installing a lock, on the other hand, will require some effort. In order for the lock to become correct, it is applied to the side of the door and, as a stencil, holes for handles, valves and fasteners are marked. Using a cutter or chisel, we select a place for the lock to the desired depth. Then we put it in place and fasten it.

Important! When choosing a lock, you should take into account the width of the door bar. The depth of the hole for the lock should not exceed 1/3 of its width, otherwise deformation of the door leaf cannot be avoided.

Starting to collect the door frame, we measure the height of the vertical racks and cut them with a miter box. Horizontal bars are made to the size of the door leaf.

Since the collection of the box requires a large free space, the collection process itself is carried out on the floor. In order not to accidentally damage the door frame on the floor, we lay two or three wooden slats under the racks for the entire length of the door leaf.

We attach the horizontal crossbar to the racks. The joints can be lightly tapped with a hammer for a better connection, and with the help of a screwdriver we fix the box, screwing the screws into the corner joints.

Important! There are doors with a ready-assembled door frame. The installation of these doors is very simple. In this case, the door frame is simply fitted into the doorway and fixed in it.

Fastening of additional parts

In the event that the width of the door is several centimeters less than the door slope, extensions should be installed. You can do without installing them, but then you will have to completely make slopes, and over time chips and dirt appear on them. Therefore, the installation of extensions in such cases is the best way out of the situation.

As extensions, strips of the same color as the door are used, with a thickness of 8 to 12 mm. When fixed, they form a small portal, with edges matching the edges of the wall.

Installation of the add-on is carried out as follows. Using a cutter or chisel, a quarter of 10x10 mm or 8x8 mm is selected in the door frame, depending on the thickness of the trim strips. We do this along the entire outer contour of the door frame. We cut the vertical slats of the extension along the height of the box, as well as the horizontal slat of the extension. We install the door frame in place and fix it, then we install the trim strips in the trimmed quarters. We attach the planks to the slope with dowels and self-tapping screws.

Installation of the door frame in the opening

Having completed the assembly of the door frame, we proceed to install it in the doorway.

Fixing the door frame with wedges from above

We put the box inside the opening and fix it with wedges, 2-3 wedges for each rack and 2 for the crossbar. Align the door frame vertically and horizontally. You can adjust the level of inclination with light strokes on the wedges. Now you can fix the box. To do this, we drill holes in the rack and wall with a drill or puncher. It remains to put the dowels and fasten the box with self-tapping screws.

Important! Wedges are best made from wood of the same density as the door frame.

Hanging door leaf

After installing the box, we proceed to hanging the door. First of all, we fasten the loops to the previously prepared places. For this, the so-called card (plate) detachable hinges with a removable rod or a rod embedded in the hinge are usually used. There are also one-piece hinges, but they are used less frequently. In the case of a hinged rod, the door leaf can be installed or removed by just gently lifting it to a small height of the rod. If the design of the door frame does not allow lifting the doors, one-piece hinges or hinges with a removable rod are used. To install one-piece hinges, simply fix them on the box, and then screw them to the door leaf. To install or remove a door leaf from hinges with a removable rod, you must remove the rod from the hinge and then insert it back.

Now that the hinges are hung, you can put the door leaf in place. It is best to do this together, when one person holds the doors in the air, and the second fixes the one-piece hinges with self-tapping screws or directs them into place in the case of collapsible hinges.

Important! When choosing hinges, you should pay attention to which direction the doors will open.

We fill the gap between the doorway and the frame with mounting foam, which increases the heat and sound insulation of the doorway. This material allows you to fill all the small cracks and crevices. The foam is easy to work with and easy to apply to any surface, and thanks to its astringent properties, the structure will be stronger.

Before filling the gap between the doorway and the door frame, the door frame should be protected from foam accidentally falling on it. To protect the box, it is pasted over with a film or masking tape. If, nevertheless, the foam has got on the door frame, then fresh foam can be cleaned with any alcohol-containing solution or solvent. But the hardened foam can only be removed mechanically, which is fraught with scratches and scuffs.

Mounting foam has the ability to increase in size from 50% to 250%, which can lead to deformation of the door frame. To prevent this from happening, spacers are installed between the vertical posts or thick cardboard is laid between the already installed and tightly closed door leaf and the door frame. Shake the bottle thoroughly for at least one minute before filling with foam. For better adhesion of the foam to the surface, the opening and the outside of the door frame can be slightly moistened with water. The main thing is not to overdo it, otherwise the effect will be exactly the opposite.

For reinsurance against deformation and distortion of the door frame, it is better to apply mounting foam in two stages. For the first run, the foam is applied pointwise. After allowing the foam to harden, after 1-3 hours, you can fill the remaining voids. We cut off the excess mounting foam after it has completely hardened.

Important! In the case when the gap between the opening and the door frame is too narrow, the foam spray tube can be flattened a little, this will make it more convenient, and most importantly, fill all voids with high quality.

If the gap between the doorway and the frame is large, 8-9 cm or more, then we lay the free space with a suitable material (wood, drywall, etc.) and only then fill it with foam.

The vertical gap should be filled with foam, starting from the bottom and gradually moving up. Thus, the foam will create a support for itself. If there are extensions, additional spacers should be installed on them to avoid deformation.

Installation of platbands and door fittings

At the final stage of the door installation, the platbands are installed. First, we cut the platband in height, then we cut the upper edge of the vertical platbands at an angle of 45 degrees. We make the same trimming at 45 degrees for the horizontal casing at both ends. For these operations we use a miter box. You can fix the platband with small nails or universal mounting glue.

Applying glue to the trim

Installing a trim on a door frame

Until recently, installing interior doors with your own hands was a rather difficult task and required serious experience and skills from a person. Now everything has become much easier, having a good tool and knowing the procedure for installing interior doors, any home master is able to finish the job in a day. Next, we will step by step analyze how to properly install an interior door in two ways.

Variants of canvases for interior doors.

Before you put an interior door, you must first select it. When choosing, there are 2 main criteria - this is the size of the structure and the material from which the doors and the box to them are actually made.

Material selection

It is not so important to install an interior door in a wooden house or in a room in an urban high-rise building, the design must be not only beautiful, but also reliable, and this primarily depends on the material.

Fiberboard is perhaps the most common option. The design is a hollow box on both sides closed with thin sheets of fiberboard and based on a frame made of wooden bars.

You should not hurry with the installation of such a door, of course it is light and cheap, and it can look quite decent, but not everything is in order with reliability, such a design can be broken even with a fist, plus there is a high probability that in a couple of years it will begin to exfoliate.

MDF is the middle ground between cheap fiberboard and good wood construction. The array is dense, durable, and most importantly completely environmentally friendly. Self-assembly of interior laminated MDF panels at home is a great way out if there are no funds for installers, but you want a beautiful door.

The MDF canvas must be laminated with high quality, then it will not visually differ from the wooden one.

Natural wood - it is traditionally believed that the installation of wooden doors is the best option, but this is wrong, here you need to look at the quality and the manufacturer. Believe me, sometimes it is better to insert interior doors from good MDF laminate than to take a raw pine, which in six months will lead.

When buying wooden canvases, you need to carefully evaluate the quality of the forest.

If you decide to change interior doors and you have a high-quality wooden loot, then it is not necessary to touch it, you can only replace the canvas. In this case, the technology for installing interior doors will be much easier.

GOSTs, tolerances and unclear questions

The size of the doorway for installation is perhaps the most important of the initial parameters. To this day, all such structures are made according to Soviet GOSTs, by the way, the Chinese are also guided by these dimensions, but in Europe, despite the supposedly uniform standard, many countries do it their own way.

So if our minimum web width starts from 600 mm and further in increments of 100 mm, it reaches 900 mm, then France produces canvases starting from 690 mm, but the graduation also comes in increments of 100 mm.

Germany, Spain and Italy, as well as all the countries of the former socialist camp, in this respect are guided by almost the same standards as our manufacturers.

Interior doors have clear standards that you need to check before you install an interior door yourself.

As for tolerances, a gap of 3 mm is left between the box and the canvas itself on the sides and top. According to the rules, at least 20 mm must be made between the floor and the canvas. This slot is needed for normal ventilation in the apartment.

Any gap can be left along the perimeter of the box in block buildings, up to several millimeters, the main thing is that the box becomes even, but if we cut the doors in a wooden house with our own hands, then we set a tolerance of at least 15 mm, it is needed in case the house gives shrinkage.

When an interior door is selected, installation is already the last stage, before that you need to read the description in detail, because the price can be indicated depending on the configuration, there are 3 options:

1. Only the door leaf is for sale - this option is good if the door is planned to be installed on an old box;
2. The canvas is sold together with the box, but the box comes unassembled, here, even before you install the interior door with your own hands, you will have to cut it to size and assemble the box, which in most cases is even good;
3. Fully assembled units with a finished frame, canvas, locks and hinges are installed only if preparation of the opening is not required. There it is enough to cut the racks in height and install the interior door yourself.

Do not forget that it is not enough just to install interior doors in the opening, a complete installation of an interior door provides for the arrangement of platbands, extensions (if necessary) and accessories, so it is also advisable to take them right away, otherwise the shade may not come up later.

Installation of interior doors will not be complete without platbands and fittings.

There is another important question - when to install interior doors during repairs? So, the instructions for installing interior doors say that such structures are mounted at the very end of the repair, after finishing the walls, floor and ceiling, but before installing floor skirting boards.

Two mounting options

With dimensional tolerances and other acute issues sorted out, now it's time to find out how to install the interior door yourself. But in order to assemble and install the structure, we need a tool.

A few words about the instrument and related material

To install interior doors, we need:

• A hacksaw for wood, but ideally it is better to have a miter saw, it does not leave chips, plus you can set the exact cutting angle there;
• To expose openings between the box and the wall, wedges are required;
• A hammer;
• Chisel;
• Screwdriver;
• Electric drill;
• Plumb;
• Level;
• Pencil;
• Roulette.

Installing an interior door on your own without a good tool is not realistic.

Important! Safety regulations categorically prohibit cutting a tree with a grinder. If you value your health, don't even think about it.

Of the auxiliary materials for installing doors you will need:

• Mounting foam;
• masking tape;
• Self-tapping screws of different sizes and sections;
• Anchor bolts with dowels.

Opening preparation

Ideally, before installing an interior door, the edges of the walls should, if not plastered, then at least leveled with a cement-sand mortar.

But in real conditions, the preparation of the doorway for the installation of an interior door ends with fitting the dimensions to the box, because then the impartial cracks will foam up and close with platbands, so there is no point in inducing special beauty.

It is advisable to level the doorway before installing the box.

There is one important point here: often the installation of a double interior door requires an expansion of the opening, and so, when it comes to piers, they can be “redrawn” as you see fit. But if the wall is load-bearing, then a slight expansion of no more than 5-7 cm is allowed, otherwise there may be problems, both with the wall and with the law.

Box assembly

Do-it-yourself door box can be assembled in two ways - this is with cutting the corners of the upper bar at 45º and joining the bars at a right angle. Both methods are good, but it is believed that the 45º corner joint will look more elegant.

Really high-quality corner trimming can only be done with the help of trimming, if you are assured that an ordinary plastic miter box and a hacksaw for wood are suitable for this, do not believe it, you can ruin the boxes.

The vertical posts are cut off at 45º first, after which you can proceed to trimming the upper horizontal bar. In order to set aside 3 mm, it is convenient to use a piece of fiberboard as a template.

We measure the gap relative to the upper bar with a template.

• You put the top bar cut on one side and slide it along the cut of the template;
• Then go to the opposite side of the door and, applying the same template, mark the cut line.

Trimming the top bar at an angle using trimming.

Now we lay out the finished, trimmed slats of the box on the floor and once again control the dimensions.

It looks like a door frame cut at an angle.

• The box is fastened in stages. First you need to tightly connect the planks to each other the way they should be;
• The slats of the box when screwing the screws can crack, so that this does not happen, before assembling, we need to drill channels for the screws. This is done with a 2.5 mm drill (we have a 3.5 mm self-tapping screw);

Preparing to fasten the box.

• Now you can screw the screws into the ends of the box on both sides, and there should be 2 screws on each side of the corner.

There is a small nuance here, the vertical bar of the box to which the hinges will be attached completely on both sides does not need to be tightened, we still have to remove it.

Fixing the box with cutting at an angle.

If there is no miter saw in your arsenal, then it is better to mount the box strips at a right angle. Perhaps this is not so aesthetically pleasing, but the step-by-step instructions will be somewhat simpler.

We start by trying on the upper crossbar, we will cut it between the two side posts. Some masters mount the crossbar above the side racks, there is not much difference, here it’s already convenient for anyone.

Along the perimeter of the box, we have a side into which the door leaf lies when closing. To embed the upper cross member, on the side racks we need to remove this side. To do this, we apply the upper cross member to the rack, mark and cut the side with a hacksaw, and clean out the place for installation.

Now we just have to insert the top bar between the two side posts, drill holes for a pair of self-tapping screws and secure the inserted bar with self-tapping screws.

If you decide to put the bar on top of the racks, then there you will need to cut the inner side on the top bar, then drill and drive the screws from above, as shown in the diagram below.

Do-it-yourself installation of a bar placed on top.

Installing hinges and handles

For a door, installing hinges is one of the most important steps. In principle, you can embed a lock and hang hinges after mounting the box in the opening, but if you mount the doors yourself (without assistants), then it is better to do it right away.

Loops are overhead and hidden. Butterfly overlay hinges are easier to work with, since you don’t need to cut anything in the door leaf and frame, so we’ll start with them.

A little advice: if the door should open on the right side, then you insert the hinges on the right, respectively, for left-hand opening, the hinges must be mounted on the left rack.

Installation of loops begins with markings on the canvas itself. According to the rules, the distance from the top or bottom point of the canvas to the loop should be 200 - 250 mm. You can measure with a tape measure, as in the photo below, but if there was no tape measure at hand, then use the loops themselves, where the standard size is 100 mm.

We make markings for the installation of loops.

Do not confuse: the small (inner) part of the butterfly loop is attached to the door leaf, and the large one, to the box post. Before screwing the screws under them, you need to drill holes, only after that the screws are driven.

All hinges have recesses for the heads of the screws, so make sure that these recesses “look” up. If the hinges are installed the other way around, then the heads of the self-tapping screws will remain above the hinges, respectively, the doors will not close completely.

We drill holes for butterfly loops.

The box is practically assembled, now we put it on the floor and put the door leaf inside. As you remember, we should have 3 mm around the perimeter of the canvas, so we immediately insert as many homemade fiberboard templates as possible (3 mm thick) between the box and the canvas.

One part of the loop is screwed to the canvas, in order to screw the second part of the loop to the box, we make a mark on the box. Then we unscrew the self-tapping screws fixing the bearing vertical bar and fasten the reciprocal part of the loops to it. Then we return the bar of the box to its place and fix it completely.

We fasten the hinges to the vertical rack of the box.

Self-installation of hidden loops is not much more complicated than the above method. The difference lies in the fact that in the door leaf and the box you need to cut grooves for the hinges. This is done with a mallet, chisel and knife.

We cut grooves for mounting hidden loops

As for the installation of the door handle, you can read about it in detail, as well as view it on the video in this article. And do not forget that the hinges must be lubricated, you can find out about the rules for lubrication.

There are different ways to install interior doors in a wall opening, it all depends on the specific conditions. Next, we will consider the simplest and most popular options.

Method number 1. Classic

At the moment, our box racks must be cut to the height of the opening, the hinges and lock are embedded, the door is closed, and 3 mm thick templates are inserted between the canvas and the box.

When the door block is inserted into the opening, first of all, wooden or plastic wedges are driven around the perimeter, they will hold the block until it is finally fixed.

The classic scheme for installing interior doors using wedges.

Fixing is a rather crucial moment, here we expose the block vertically and horizontally. Keep in mind: the wall is not always strictly vertical, so check the box with a plumb line.

It is better to check the vertical by plumb.

In order for the door block not to fall out from a strong push, it must be firmly fixed with anchor bolts or at least long self-tapping screws. We recommend using anchor bolts with a thickness of 6 - 8 mm.

The principle is simple:

• Drill a through hole in the box and slightly drill into the wall;
• Remove the door block and drill holes for dowels at the drilling points;
• Put the box in place and fix it with anchors. The box should become clear in level, since before that we have already verified everything.

If you fix the box with long self-tapping screws, then they are installed around the entire perimeter with an interval of half a meter, but the caps of the self-tapping screws need to be somehow hidden. You can close them with a decorative strip or plastic lining.

Anchor bolts are a powerful thing and 3 points are enough to fix the box - two points under the hinges and one under the lock plate. In combination with mounting foam, this is enough.

Now we fill the perimeter of the box with mounting foam. We move from the bottom up, the foam must be blown out without fanaticism, because when it expands, it can squeeze out the door frame.

Plus, at the time the foam is blown in, the door block must be assembled and three-millimeter templates must be inserted around the perimeter, this will protect the box from deformation.

Remember: only on the "bare" foam (without screws or anchors) the door block cannot be fixed.

Method number 2. Metal hangers

If mounting the box on self-tapping screws or anchors is not suitable for you, the same can be done using metal hangers. These hangers are used for mounting frames under drywall.

Use of hangers to fix the door frame.

The technology is similar:

1. Collect the box;
2. Insert the box into the opening and level it;
3. Fix the box with wedges in the opening;

1. Bend the wings of the hangers along the wall;
2. Mark the entry points for dowel-nails and drill holes for them;
3. Attach the wings of the suspensions to the walls with dowel-nails;
4. Fill with foam and wait until it hardens.

The size of the box for double-leaf interior doors is twice as large, respectively, the probability of squeezing out the racks and the crossbar with mounting foam is higher, so installation on suspensions is optimal here.

Fixing the frame for double doors on suspensions.

Conclusion

Both of the above methods have been tested in practice and work perfectly. For the same masters who wish to install interior sliding doors for themselves, we have prepared step-by-step instructions.

Installing interior doors with your own hands is not as difficult as it seems.

In order not to be mistaken in the size of the doorway and to choose the right interior door, it is necessary to dismantle the old structure, as well as prepare it for installing a new door. This is a simple process and you can do it yourself.

For the qualitative implementation of all preparatory activities, you need to prepare the following tools:

• tape measure for measuring the width and height of the opening in the course of work;
• level;
• chisel or mount;
• nail puller;
• screwdriver
• grinder;
• perforator;
• marker or pencil;
• construction film and adhesive tape;
• a hammer.

Before you prepare a doorway for installing a door, you need to consider that it does not always correspond to the chosen design. You may need additional building materials - drywall, bricks, putty and plaster. If, on the contrary, you have to increase the opening, then you need to have a grinder with a durable metal disk for cutting the wall.

Procedure

To prevent deformation of the box during operation, the work on preparing the opening must be done carefully.

The following should be avoided:

1. Damage to the door leaf - cutting off due to the wrong height.
2. Raw gaps between the wall and platbands. The fixation of the box will be weak, and the door will quickly fail.
3. Damage to the floor due to incorrect installation or measurement of the door.

The more carefully the dismantling and preparation of the doorway for the installation of an interior door is done, the longer the product will last.

Dismantling the old door

Dismantling the old structure is a dusty job, so the furniture must be covered with construction film.

Dismantling procedure:

1. The old door leaf is removed from the hinges by hand. If this is not possible, the loops are cut off with a grinder or untwisted with a screwdriver. The awnings are being removed. You can pry from the bottom with a mount and slightly lift the canvas. This is done in the open position.
2. Next, the platbands are removed. If the door is very old, painted many times, then the places where the nails are located are difficult to find. Therefore, a chisel is inserted between the wall and the casing. With the help of a hammer, the boards are knocked out of place. If nails or screws are visible, then you need to try to pull them out of their place. This removes the upper, side trim on both sides of the door.
3. The door frame is usually cut in the middle with a grinder, as it is fixed with very long nails. Next, a chisel or nail puller is inserted between the wall and the box, the lower part is removed, then the upper side and upper.

This is a method for very old structures that have served for more than 30 - 40 years. It is much easier to dismantle new models that are mounted on screws.

Cleaning the opening from foam and other installation materials

With the old method of installation, traces of cement and plaster remain on the side parts of the opening. They are cleaned to a flat surface. If the building material of the house is clay with brick, then it is also removed so that it does not crumble, and the opening is strengthened with a solution of concrete or drywall sheets. Only after the work is completed, you can take measurements and choose a new interior door.

Measurement of the opening to clarify the dimensions

When the opening is ready, it is measured. The door frame should be smaller in size by 6-8 cm in height and width. This distance is left for arranging the platbands and strengthening them with mounting foam. The thickness of the walls may not match the thickness of the box. The model you like is expanded with a dobor.

Opening alignment

Measurements are taken in 3-4 places in height. If they do not match, you must use the level. If you attach it from below, it will become clear what to do - build up or cut down the wall. The same goes for the top. Opening angles must be strictly 90 degrees.

Extension is done:

• wooden dobor - a bar of the required height and width;
• bricks with subsequent plaster;
• concreting, if you need to build up a little;
• drywall.

Carefully seal all cracks in the plaster and prepare for the installation of the box.

The appearance of the wall, as well as the service life of the new structure, depends on the preparatory work. You should not rush with the installation - it is better to measure everything again and take into account. If the work causes difficulties, you can contact a professional master for advice or help.

Very often, when carrying out construction or repair work in the premises, you have to do the installation of interior doors with your own hands. It consists of several stages, the implementation of which is mandatory.

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The amount of work carried out directly depends on the correct preparation of the doorway for installation, measurements, assembly of the structure and the method of attaching the box to the walls. With even a little experience in carrying out installation work and a minimum set of necessary tools, it will not be difficult to cope with the task. As a result, not only financial resources will be saved, but also independent control of all stages of installation will be carried out. This will positively affect the long service life and make it possible to independently eliminate the resulting mechanical damage to the door leaf, fittings or box.

Use installation aids

Installation of interior doors instruction:

Removing old doors

The first step is to perform dismantling work to remove the old doors. First, the canvas is removed from the hinges by opening at an angle of 90 0 to the plane of the wall, and then, by slightly lifting and holding the sides with both hands, it is removed to the side. If, when installing interior doors, do-it-yourself hinges were installed not only with an orientation up, but also down, then the doors should be fixed motionless in the open position, and the hinge with the axis fixed upwards should be removed from the box, and then the canvas should be dismantled. If the hinges are rusted, then steel scrap should be used.

Careful removal of the door frame

To remove the door frame, it is necessary to detach the decorative trim around the perimeter, and also carefully chisel the putty layer to the main wall material with a chisel. After that, with the help of a crowbar, the box is carefully pry off at the points of attachment to the wall in order to tear them off. This should be done first with a little effort at several points on each side so that cracks do not appear in the tree. Dismantling can be significantly accelerated by making small cuts along the connecting seams in the upper part of the box, in parts taking them out of the opening. If the space between the box and the base material is large enough, then the fasteners can be cut off with a grinder using an appropriate disc.

The process of preparing the opening for the installation of doors

Preparation for installation consists in removing the remnants of the old finishing layer to the main wall material, and then leveling the opening. Do-it-yourself installation of interior doors must be done in a strictly vertical position in order to avoid distortions and spontaneous opening / closing. Therefore, using a bubble or laser level, you should check for deviations from the vertical. It should be no more than 10 mm per 2 linear meters. If possible, small protrusions should be completely eliminated. If embedded bars are found, they must be removed, and in their place, if necessary, install new ones.

Check the tightness of the door frame

Taking measurements

The frame is sized to provide maximum wall fit and minimum gaps to save on putty and provide a larger doorway area. To do this, it is taken, set in a strictly vertical position at the installation site, and with the help of a marker, marks are placed at the top and bottom. Then a similar procedure is performed for the other side of the opening. Focusing on the marked marks, the level in a horizontal position finds the optimal location of the upper part of the box and the lower one. A tape measure measures the resulting distances, which will be used when ordering a door.

Unpacking the door frame

After the delivery of all parts for assembly, the instructions are studied, the installation of interior doors is carried out only after all the assembly points have been completed. The packaging is carefully unpacked so as not to scratch the surface. This is especially true for plastic facing plates. First of all, you should get the door frame and unpack it. It is advisable to leave the canvas in a packaged form until it is installed in place. The assembly of the box is carried out on a flat hard surface in order to avoid distortions. Three parts of it are unpacked and plastic inserts are knocked out of the ends without damage.

Platbands are installed after fixing the door frame

Assembling the door frame

The details of the box are laid out in a U-shaped position and the grooves are connected, and they are temporarily fixed with the fourth auxiliary bar. If there is a provided threshold, instead of the fixation bar, it is installed. The important point is to set the correct position and fix them in this state with the help of inserts. After that, the door is inserted into the box and the gaps are set to ensure the tight entry of the door with minimum gaps of up to 3 mm. Then, if necessary, the box is adjusted to the doorway, and its position is also determined. Do-it-yourself installation of interior doors is started only after all fitting work has been completed.

Preparing places for fastening hinges

In most cases, door manufacturers at the factory make openings in the frame and doors for attaching a certain number of hinges, calculated on the weight of the leaf, and complete with suitable hinges. But sometimes you have to do this work yourself. To do this, the door is inserted into the frame and the places for the hinges are marked with a marker. Usually two loops are enough, but sometimes they put three for reliability. The protruding axis of the hinge must be outside the frame so that the corners are not damaged when the doors are opened. Then the door is taken out of the box and, using a chisel, a layer of wood is carefully removed in the marked places with a layer thickness sufficient to form a surface flush with the finishing coating. After that, they are fixed on the screws.

Check the operation of the door handle

Door frame installation

The door frame is inserted into the opening, temporarily fixed on wooden pegs, and then centered in a horizontal and vertical position. The vertical position is set using plumb lines starting from the rack with hinges, and the horizontal position is set with a square to check the right angle. The accuracy of the pre-installation depends on how high-quality the installation of interior doors will be with your own hands, as well as ease of use. The emergence of additional sources of wear of the decorative coating in places of distortion as a result of friction will significantly worsen the external condition of the door leaf. Next, screw the box to the walls with self-tapping screws or wood screws and remove the pegs. After that, the gap between the box and the wall is sealed with mounting foam. So that during solidification it does not cause deformation, spacers are inserted into the opening. After drying, the walls are finished.

Door installation

The canvas is brought to the box at a right angle and put on the loops. In the place for attaching door fittings, the film is removed and handles and decorative elements, if any, are installed. Then the doors are checked for opening and closing. If all installation steps are correctly performed, the door in the open state should be in the left position. Only after checking the operability of the door is the film completely removed. If there are small distortions, then they can be eliminated by deepening the loops. However, in case of serious distortions, it will be necessary to dismantle the door frame and reinstall it.

Installation of interior doors video:

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