Can I replace an external door with an internal?

Always_the_realist

Hi all. I’m renovating a bungalow. It has a porch (added at a later date) so the old front door and frame are now internal. Replacing the entire frame (it has two sidelights) would be too expensive but I want to change just the door as it’s unsightly. Would I be able to replace the existing external door with an internal one without having a whole new frame?

FreeBear

Internal doors are usually a little smaller than external so you may well have to fit a new frame and do some brickwork to fill the gap. The porch is most likely of lightweight construction and wouldn't meet the requirements for a habitable space in terms of insulation, so building regs would demand an exterior grade door. Fitting an internal grade door is possible, but it may make things difficult when you come to sell if there isn't a FENSA or equivalent certificate.

What type of door/frame do you currently have. i.e. Wood, uPVC, steel...?

Mickey666

Agreed.
Furthermore, some internal doors are little more than veneered cardboard.  Would the OP really be happy with a door that could so easily be kicked in? 

stuart45

You should be able to get an internal door with the same dimensions as your exterior door, there are even some quite solid ones, but they still don't meet the regs as external grade doors.

DevilDamo

Always_the_realist said:

Hi all. I’m renovating a bungalow. It has a porch (added at a later date) so the old front door and frame are now internal. Replacing the entire frame (it has two sidelights) would be too expensive but I want to change just the door as it’s unsightly. Would I be able to replace the existing external door with an internal one without having a whole new frame?

That would technically turn the porch into a single storey front extension, therefore requiring BR’s, which “could” cause issues for the seller down the line.

DevilDamo

Mickey666 said:

Agreed.
Furthermore, some internal doors are little more than veneered cardboard.  Would the OP really be happy with a door that could so easily be kicked in? 

They’re talking about the door between the porch and house, not the new front door to the porch/extension.

FaceHead

Basically no. The 'internal' door is still your front door and needs to comply with thermal efficiency and security requirements of building regs, so an actual internal door won't cut it. 

Mickey666

DevilDamo said:

Mickey666 said:

Agreed.
Furthermore, some internal doors are little more than veneered cardboard.  Would the OP really be happy with a door that could so easily be kicked in? 

They’re talking about the door between the porch and house, not the new front door to the porch/extension.

I know, but many porches are flimsy add-ons with a flimsy door, so the door between the house and the porch should really be a substantial 'exterior' door.  There's not much point in putting good locks on a door that could be easily kicked through - especially when the perpetrator would have the cover of the porch to hide their nefarious actions from view.

But of course the OP COULD use an interior door if they wish . . . 

stuart45

Not sure how easy it would be to get a decent 5 lever lock on a door less than 44mm. Myself I would prefer to have an external door on the house as well as the porch. Does help if you expecting a delivery and want to go out for an hour and can leave the porch unlocked with a reasonable amount of safety.
However as stated above it is up to the OP, but it is worth hearing about the disadvantages.  
The extra heat loss in time could possibly end covering the cost of the door.

Grizzlebeard

Even if you weren't concerned by any of the issues already mentioned there will probably be issues with your house insurance. Changes undermining both the security and the fire hazard risk are likely to be seen as invalidating your current policy and at the very least give the insurer grounds for rejecting a claim.

Rosa_Damascena

I think the OP gets the message that this is one area that cannot be economised on. 

You can get a decent wooden door for £250 but carpentry costs will add.