Simulate panel look on flat doors with molding/trim

sgoode

I have been a keen reader of this section of the forum since we bought our 1930s house last December. It requires plenty of modernisation and we have already done a fair chunk of the work and am really enjoying it and hope I can help others on here with experience I have gained so far.


Our original 1930s doors have been panelled over with flat board. I took one off to find that they have also moved the handles from the original locations and the door stops/jambs have been moved to accommodate the increased width of the door with the panel on each side. The door I uncovered was also in a poor state. To restore the original doors would just be so much work. However I want to improve the appearance of the plain flat doors. A friend has similar flat doors but they have had moulding/trim stuck to them to simulate a panelled look. While this is not as good as the original panelled doors, it is still very effective. I have searched round on the internet, looking for pre made kits but only found a few guides about making the trim. I am no carpenter and making 6 perfectly square panels 6 or 7 times over does not sound like fun.


Has anyone done this before, and do you have any tips? Or even better, is it possible to buy anything pre-made that can just be stuck on?


Many thanks.

WestonDave

I'm almost certain you can buy pre made panels - might be an expensive way to do it though.

I'm sure I've seen them in B&Q - sort of round the area where they have things like radiator covers etc. Can't find them on their website but that's not unusual to be fair. (NB was in a big B&Q warehouse not one of the standard sized stores)

diable

You just need to get some beading/trim from the timber yard cut it to length and get the angles correct then you use panel pins and maybe some wood glue to attache it to the door.

tony6403

As diable says , an easy job but with one essential to get it bang on - a mitre saw.
A hand operated one with preset mitres can be bought for about £18.
A simple mitre box , which requires using your own saw , costs approx £3.50.
Cheap powered compound mitre saws can be found for less than £30.

mackemdave

http://www.richardburbidge.com/home/

These are the people who used to supply the DIY stores.....

sgoode

Thanks. I had looked around before in B&Q etc but didn't find anything and I wasn't really sure what to search for online. I think I may end up doing it myself but will perhaps invest in a decent mitre saw rather than just a mitre box. I'm in no great rush to do it so I can practice a few times first. I just want to make sure that I get them all square/lined up.