replacing internal doors

wallofbeans

Hi all,

I'm looking to replace three internal doors, two of which are unpainted wood four panel victorian I think. Can I get replacements that are in keeping and does anyone have suggestions on where to look?

Thanks,

Ebe_Scrooge

Depends on what you're after, really.  The likes of B&Q, Screwfix, Wickes, etc. all have a decent selection, you might be able to find something suitable there.  But if you want "genuine" Victorian doors then there are several online sites that seem to sell them.  I can't give you any recommendations unfortunately, but if you did go down that route then just make sure you do the usual due diligence to make sure they're a kosher company.

The other - and possibly better - alternative is to see if there are any reclamation / architectural salvage yards nearby.  This is the sort of thing they often stock, and it does mean you can see the goods "in the flesh", as it were, to see if you like the look of them.

wallofbeans

Two of what I am replacing look as though they were reclaimed and used here. The problem is that neither fit the doorway very well and the door handle placement doesn’t work where they are now either.

So if I got reclaimed, and I do like the look of them, how do I make sure they’ll fit the doorways? 

FreeBear

Ebe_Scrooge said: The other - and possibly better - alternative is to see if there are any reclamation / architectural salvage yards nearby.  This is the sort of thing they often stock, and it does mean you can see the goods "in the flesh", as it were, to see if you like the look of them.

A quick search turns up Peckham Reclamation who claims to have four panel doors in stock from £80 which sounds a fair price for London. I've seen others quoting upwards of £200 for the same thing

Skip diving can often turn up all sorts of treasures - I've snagged a full set of internal doors thanks to neighbours "renovating". Once painted, they will look the part here.

Ebe_Scrooge

wallofbeans said:

So if I got reclaimed, and I do like the look of them, how do I make sure they’ll fit the doorways? 

By measuring very carefully!!

Doors come in a small range of "standard" sizes, but even a brand-new door won't fit straight in, there's always a fair amount of fiddling about with a saw and plane to make it fit right.  It's not difficult, just a fiddly time-consuming job.  If you did go for a reclaimed door then it's even less likely to fit straight in.  Obviously if it's too small you can't make it bigger.  But if it's slightly too large then it should be possible to trim it to size.  But do take account of where any wood needs to be removed.  If it's solid wood then it's not so bad.  With cheaper door that are just a frame and some thin wood for the bulk of the door, there's a limit to how much you can trim off the edges before you've weakened the frame.

But even with solid wood, just work out where you'll need to trim.  For instance, if you need to take a couple of mm off the "handle side", that's probably OK.  If you need to take off a couple of inches, that may mean the handle is really awkward to use as it'll be close to the frame.  Yes, you can reposition the handle, but then you're left with a hole you'd need to fill.

So yes, it can be a bit of a fiddle, but not particularly difficult if you have some basic DIY skills.

FreeBear

Ebe_Scrooge said:  If you did go for a reclaimed door then it's even less likely to fit straight in.  Obviously if it's too small you can't make it bigger.

Ermmm... Yes you can. Cut some thin strips big enough to fill the gap, Glue, nail/screw them down the side (or top & bottom). Once the glue is set, plane & sand back. A thin smear of filler where required, then paint.

If you are wanting to varnish or oil the doors, then this may not work too well. But Victorian doors were nearly always painted if you are going for the period look rather than the kitsch

wallofbeans

This is all really helpful. There's no chance I'll be trying to fit these myself but I just want to know how to go about sourcing doors that a fitter will be able to work with properly. 

What about reclaimed doors and locks? Do I just have to look for ones that have locks (or space for them) in the right place? I want round door handles and the current doors have the lock much to close to the doorframe so are difficult to open. So I've got to be careful.

wallofbeans

Is this a reclaimed door - or something I could buy new? Something like it would be fine.

https://imgur.com/a/q8mTrWR

Ebe_Scrooge

wallofbeans said:

Is this a reclaimed door - or something I could buy new? Something like it would be fine.

https://imgur.com/a/q8mTrWR

I'm no expert, but it looks like pine to me - the standard wood for any doors from any of the easily-available DIY sheds.  If that kind of thing will suit your requirements, then I'd get on to the websites of B&Q, Wickes, whatever and have a look.  I'm pretty sure you'll find something like that with no problem.

Of course, if you're within easy reach of one of their shops then so much the better - go along and take a look, see what you think.

<Sorry, I'm not an employee of the aforementioned retailers, and am not recommending them as such.  I just mean that any of the well-know DIY chains will probably sell stuff like that!  As will independent builders merchants, if you have any near you.>

plumb1_2

wallofbeans said:

I want round door handles and the current doors have the lock much to close to the doorframe so are difficult to open. So I've got to be careful.

You my need a long door latch to move the handles away from the door frame 
With these old style doors they were originally fitted with Rim locks.
Also be aware that most probably the frames won’t be square, buy doors slightly bigger, better off with reclaimed doors imo new doors twist like banana. 

wallofbeans

plumb1_2 said:

wallofbeans said:

I want round door handles and the current doors have the lock much to close to the doorframe so are difficult to open. So I've got to be careful.

You my need a long door latch to move the handles away from the door frame 
With these old style doors they were originally fitted with Rim locks.
Also be aware that most probably the frames won’t be square, buy doors slightly bigger, better off with reclaimed doors imo new doors twist like banana. 

But even with long door latch, I still have the problem of the holes made by the previous door handle, and don’t want to paint so any patching up will be obvious. 

So new seem inevitable. 

(one is too small for the door frame anyway, so replacing seems the best bet)