HOW TO REMOVE AN OLD DOOR FOR REPLACEMENT

The design of your interior doors is something that many people overlook when they are redecorating. The right door can really make the difference between a polished and professional room design or something that looks like a low-cost DIY job.

On paper, removing a door is a simple job, but there are many things that can go wrong if you don’t know what you’re doing. If you want to make sure that you don’t accidentally damage your door frame, hurt yourself, or damage the existing door while you remove it, read on to learn some handy tips and tricks.

TOOLS NEEDED

To remove a door, you will need:

• Hammer
• A nail
• Screwdriver (flat bladed)
• Pry bar
• Some thick cardboard (to put on the floor underneath the door)

TIME REQUIRED

Removing an old door is a simple job and should take just a few minutes.

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS

1. Begin by closing the door so that the latch is shut
2. Use a nail to tap on the bottom end of each hinge pin so that the pin is poking up out of the hinge far enough that you can get a grip on it. Using your fingers, carefully remove each hinge pin. If you cannot get a grip on the pin, use a flat bladed screwdriver to pull the pin out a little further and try again.
3. Once all of the pins have been removed, the door will simply be sitting in place. Slide a piece of cardboard underneath the door, and then lift the door by placing one hand under a hinge and the other on the door knob. If the door is hollow, it should be light enough to remove in this way. If it is very heavy, you may need to use a pry bar to take some weight off the hinge.

IMPORTANT DOS AND DON’TS

Doors can feel deceptively light while they are on their hinges. If you are not certain that you can manoeuvre the door once it is off the hinges, then you should ask someone to help you. If you lose control of the door while taking it out of the frame it could cause some serious damage to your furniture, or injure you if it lands on you.

After removing the pins, drop them back into their respective hinge leaves on the door jamb, so that you don’t lose them.

If you need to store the door, try to keep it as flat as possible. Do not leave the door standing up against a wall for a long time, because it could become warped or damaged. Make sure that you store it in a dry environment, as a door that gets damp could expand. If you want to fit the door in a different frame then this could be incredibly inconvenient. If you cannot lay the door out flat, store it lying down lengthways to minimise potential damage.