replacing a whole front door entry

[mickem]

Hi all,
Im looking at fitting a whole new front door entry to my home. This includes a side panel to match the door. Whats the best way to go about fitting the panel? Im undecided whether to fix it to the outer and middle style of the jamb (with screws) and then fixing the jamb in place, or is there a better / easier alternative. Should I concentrate on getting the door fitted first? And in addition to this, what are some carpenter's tips to installing a door jamb in an opening so that both sides are perfectly parallel to each other avoiding any twist for a snug fit?
Thanks heaps

[mickem]

come on guys, am desperate, need help with this one.

[rhancock]

Ok, I don't know why nobody else wants to talk to you, but you could try posting in General Woodwork, lots more people read that one than doors and windows!

My father was a carpenter, so this advice is based on working with him a few years ago.

If I was tackling this project, I would measure up the space, checking to see the walls and floor are parralel and square, so you can allow for some packing later.

I'd design the whole thing as a push in frame, so you'd make up a frame for the fixed panel, attached to the door frame ( which you brace with some scrap to keep it square until fitted). You fit the frame first then fit the panel and the door afterwards.

I'm sure there are other ways, but this is the way I'd do it, as it gives you lots of control over the frame without too much weight. It just means the work is in making the frame accurately first.

A couple of questions - what are the dimensions of the panel and the door? Are you buying the panel and door pre made? Why wouldn't you get a frame pre made too? What are your walls made from?

Once frame is fitted, and panel and door installed, any gaps are covered with architrave, skirting etc. so you can cover gaps, as long as you make sure the frames are braced so they don't twist during fitting.

Hope this helps - like I say, post in General woodwork and you'll get more answers!

Good luck

[mickem]

Rhancock,

Mate, thanks heaps for your advice. As you said, i was going to knock up the whole frame as one. If Im going to fit the side panel after the jamb is up how should I fix the panel to the side stile? I can screw through the middle stile which is no problem there because of the door.

Another problem Ive encountered after getting prices on doors. My opening between studs is exactly 1200. The door Im having is 820, and apparently the side panels are a standard size of about 405-410. When including the thicknesses of the two side and middle stiles (about 100mm), the door and side the overall measurement is looking at 1330, meaning 130mm over opening width. Surely this is way too much to be trimming off either door or side panel. Is this info correct in that the panels are this standard size, would it mean I would have to get one custom made to suit? The existing door is prob 20 years old, as I thought most older homes would be similar in opening widths?

I was planning to make up the frame myself, is it worth having the door company making it up or it gets a bit expensive?

[rhancock]

I'd certainly talk to a few companies about a price - there's often a lot of variation as they price to their different markets, so try a few places. Cutting 130 off is going to be tough. What are your walls made of? Can you rebate the frame into the wall at all? Even through plasterboard will cut down 32mm! If you can do that then you only need to shave 35 mm off each side, which should be ok if theres 100 mm to work on.

As for fixing the panel, you're right, as I said its a while since I did one of these! Unless you can get an easy fix through the panel, you'll need to fix the panel into the frame, then fix the frame to the wall and fill the holes, then paint over.

I hope thats some help! Its hard to picture what needs to be done in my head, and I'm a JOAT so I do a different job each week.

[Trav]

Have you thought about having double doors? Could you hinge both the normal door and the sidelight, making sure that the sidelight latches securely at both the top and bottom. Then the normal door would operate as usual, and the sidelight could be opened when you want to move something big through the door.

This would mean that you only need to trim 30mm or so - which should easily be done on a solid door (equal amounts of all 4 sides of course).

Trav

[droog]

Hi Mickem

Had a similar problem myself, 1200 opening and had a 410 sidelight and a 920 door lying around.
In the end decided that I would make the door and the sidelight both swing and use patio bolts on the sidelight. Had to trim 30-35 mm off the edges of the door and sidelight which I thought was pushing it a bit but in the end all work out without exposing the MT joints.
Can not guarantee that your door or sidelight wont have deeper MT joints but it may be possible.


Dave.

[mickem]

Thanks trav and droog, thats an option I never gave a thought. Will look into it.
Regards, Mick