how to reinforce hollow core door

Simply patch up holes or fill in the scratches before refinishing the surface and your door will look good as new in no time! Install Soundproof Curtains. The most common way to fix a door is to use a quick expansion filler to fill the space in a hollow core door and then sand it down and paint to match the existing color. Phew! By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. Always cut away from yourself when working with a utility knife, especially when cutting through something sturdy like wood. Car body filler is a good idea also. Protect Glass in Your Door with Security Film or Security Grille. Hollow core doors have gained popularity, especially in North America, for a number of reasons: Now that we understand the basic construction techniques behind doors, it is worth taking a look at the two most common design styles that are used. As the name implies, these doors are constructed from solid pieces of wood, although they are rarely made of just one single piece of wood. These doors fulfill the basic function of giving a room privacy. Hollow core doors have a limit as to how much weight they can support. More often, they are built out of several pieces of wood, joined together in a panel style and hung within a frame. This article has been viewed 683,030 times. By using this service, some information may be shared with YouTube. How to Dispose of a Mini-Fridge, Fridge, or Freezer? In order to fix your door, it will need to be laying horizontally on a flat surface, so the first step is to take it off the hinges. I figured I could get a 2′-4″ door from this sheet, with some to spare. Another common problem with doors that homeowners encounter is cracks in solid wooden doors, occurring most commonly in exterior panel doors. This will let you refinish the door elsewhere and make the job easier. You may need to make the hole or crack bigger before you can begin repairing it. If not, can you suggest any other options? Use your fine-grit sandpaper and apply pressure so that you end up with a nice smooth surface on which to apply your new coat of paint. Let the glue harden for several hours to make sure it is fully cured. Tae kwon do accidents with my son's door. Hinge Security Pins (Jam Pins): Security Hinge Pin. This extra length gives you something to hold onto as you proceed. This article received 17 testimonials and 80% of readers who voted found it helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. % of people told us that this article helped them. Hollow core doors are lightweight, making them easy to transport; Due to their light weight, hollow core doors are easy to install by one person. After drilling a hole to accommodate the dowel and applying glue to both the hole and the dowel use another dowel of a larger diameter to "set" the smaller dowel into the hole. By using our site, you agree to our. How to Fix a Hole in a Hollow Core Door The first step to fixing your hollow core door is assembling the tools and materials you will need. Take your fine-grit sandpaper and smooth the area to prepare it for paint. Rip a piece of lumber the same size as depth of hollow; it should be a snug fit without bulging the door. Add a little extra filler so, during the sanding process, you can get a smooth, uniform surface that is flush with the surface of the door. You have a reinforced section that will never break again. This post has been a long time coming and I couldn’t be happier with the results! I’d been looking for a new project, so a custom DIY Desk Using a Hollow Core Door and Some Cube Storage was it! Make sure you cut your cardboard on another surface, so you don’t further damage the surface of your door. This can take a bit of finesse as you want the final placement to leave a small trough in the gap to allow your putty to lay flush with the panel. You should always remove and reattach fixtures to a hollow core door with a screwdriver, as an electric drill can easily damage the door. This may take up to 4 hours. Remove the masking tape, open your plastic wood filler and apply it to the damaged areas. Expert Interview. This gave me the answers I, "Did not consider using foam to fill the hole. Thanks for the tips. Drill pilot holes, where marked, using a skinny bit to start. Next, let the insulation dry completely before trimming away the excess with a knife. One coat should be enough, but if you are feeling fancy, a second coat won’t hurt. Use the tip of the flathead screwdriver to pack the string into the crack, starting at the top and working your way down. Hollow Core Door Makeover Steps. This article was co-authored by Barry Zakar. While your foam begins to expand, take a bit of masking tape and use it to create a frame around the outside the hole. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 683,030 times. There is a wide variety of doors that are utilized in both indoor and outdoor situations, although, regarding construction, most doors fall into either hollow core or solid styles. If you use a planer, set the level to 1/64th of an inch to cause fewer lines that you have to sand down later. If you have a helper, this is a task that can benefit from an extra set of hands. Wait for the plastic wood filler to dry. The hollow core door I'm trying to repair looks as though the handles have been ripped out. If you’re worried about making a mess, lay down a drop cloth or some old newspaper underneath the door before you begin painting. This method puts the top of the dowel flush with the surface of the hinge mortise. If you don’t have paper towels, use some tissue paper or something similarly light. Steps by Ed. It is worth noting that, while this technique will extend the life of your door since the paint is still holding the panels in place, these cracks may continue to grow, and eventually, your door may need to be replaced altogether. For a smaller space, a low-expansion type may be easier to handle. Commercial out-swing doors have exposed hinges (the hinges are on the outside of the door) that can be easily cut or popped off. The lighting in your home, the type of camera used, and the way the picture is printed or displayed will all change the color. Thin front and back panels, usually a wood or a fiberboard, sandwich strategically placed wood blocks or honeycombs made of either plastic or cardboard. Once again, this step may require a helper as it is important not to bend the hinges or damage the frame when hanging your door. Sanding down the door will help you smooth out the repair job to make it less visible. Measure out two pieces of string to a bit longer than the length of the crack. Well explained and easy to follow. Repeat with the bottom hinge, and you’re done! On places that get a higher level of daily use or are prone to impacts–the bottom of the door, or a particular spot that comes into contact with a piece of furniture – a reinforced “wall guard” can be installed. Using your utility knife, clean the edges of the hole, taking off just enough material to get a clean edge without making the hole unnecessarily larger. I suggest locating where the internal frame around the inside of the door is located and confining your screws to the area about 1" inch from the top of the door, or wherever the top wooden support is. He is skilled at constructing decks, railings, fences, gates, and various pieces of furniture. This saves a lot of detail painting work between the panels once they’re in place. ", needed with step-by-step instructions along with pictures! Check with your local hardware store for one that's drillable. To up your door’s reinforcement, you should replace the strike plate with a heavy-duty plate (or even consider installing a strike box instead as mentioned above) and 3 inch screws. A Night Lock is used to secure the bottom of the door. Please consider making a contribution to wikiHow today. "Awesome. We know ads can be annoying, but they’re what allow us to make all of wikiHow available for free. Thanks bunches! It will achieve the same results functionally, but it won’t be as pretty. Be aware that solid doors are considerably heavier than hollow-core doors, and you may need to reinforce the hinges with longer, sturdier screws to support the weight. We used a table saw, but a circular saw will also do the job. Be careful! Here’s the opening: And this is the raw material – a 4′ x 8′ sheet of 1/2″ plywood. I wanted to get all new doors but then realized what a pain it is to replace doors. It will normally come packaged with a hardener catalyst designed specifically to activate it. Your support helps wikiHow to create more in-depth illustrated articles and videos and to share our trusted brand of instructional content with millions of people all over the world. However, for a small hole, you may be able to patch it with spackle, and then sand and repaint it to match. The knob is mounted in an aesthetically pleasing position in the middle of the door. Spackle is readily available, affordable, and very easy to work with. We have ugly brown fake hollow core doors throughout our house. Check the instructions on your spackle or auto-body filler compound for more information on how long it will take to dry. These have long been the standard for household doorways, and they have a number of benefits over other designs: In the past 20 years, hollow core doors have continued to replace solid doors for home interiors for a number of reasons. Once your glue is hardened, wipe the area with a paper towel to give the putty a clean surface to bond to. ", "This is exactly what I needed to know. ", "Excellent, was not sure if this was even possible. The first step to fixing your hollow core door is assembling the tools and materials you will need. While neither of these projects require expert woodworking skills, it is always important to plan your steps before you begin. It is actually a good idea to dig into the foam a little, creating an indentation that you will fill with your patching material. ", "Pictures of the procedure helped. Allow several hours for the putty to dry. Remove the door hinge pins and pull back the press-board and pour the glue around inside and use a putty knife or a piece of cardboard to get it on the edges. Install the pieces with wood glue and very light clamping pressure (or use super glue). Mine was 3/32". Measure the Existing Door and Doorframe. Hollow-core doors should only be used for interior doors, but sometimes wind up on the outside of homes anyway. ", "It made it very easy to understand and very thorough. If needed, mark and carefully trim the bottom of the new door to fit the existing doorframe. Line the bolts … The 'core' of the door is filled either with waste paper or a cardboard lattice or honeycomb. This is great, inexpensive door reinforcement for your exterior doors. This will form a barrier that will keep the foaming material from spreading into the larger hollow space within the door. The list of supplies also helped. Wash the excess glue off with hot water the next day and paint any scratches. These unsightly cracks are caused by the inability of the wood panels to naturally expand and contract with changing temperatures and humidity levels. Do I need to apply stain to the patched hole once before staining the rest of the door so that it will match? This will help keep the foam from sticking to undamaged areas of the door and will make the final steps a bit easier and your final product cleaner. I'd wait at least 24 hours. Repeat the process with the second string, once again being careful not to push the first string out the other side of the door. Repairing a Scratched Door Use very fine grit sandpaper to remove loose splinters and paint. Use your needle nose pliers and screwdriver to fit the cardboard strip into the hole, creating a chamber that will contain the foam. Wall guards can be found at any home improvement store and are usually used to protect a wall from the impact of a doorknob when opening the door. If you can, bring in a sample of the door to help match it — such as a piece of the door you cut away when first repairing it. Barry also holds his MBA from John F. Kennedy University. You can darken the color with more varnish, but it may be better to use a belt sander and sand off the varnish down to the wood, re-stain and re-varnish. Yes I know that I could’ve only done one side of the door, but my OCD also would not have let that happen! Type above and press Enter to search. September 20, 2017 Decor, DIY, HomeRight. While it’s true that most burglars try … It will save me the cost of a new door. Here are the steps to take to add the extra … It looks pretty, "Very helpful, as we've just moving out of a rental and the owner is charging us $600 to replace the door. Step-drill the … Please consider making a contribution to wikiHow today. This material upgrade tends to make them a bit heavier. Painting over the sanded area will make any irregular bumps more obvious. ", "Very helpful. Most significantly, hollow core doors are inexpensive, with some costing less than $80. ", "Very helpful. Follow the instructions on your wood filler for the best results. This set includes 1 Jamb Shield, 2 Mini Door Shields, 4 Door Hinge Shields and a Night Lock. Reversing the first two steps, place the door within the frame and slide the pin into the hinge assembly; you may or may not need the hammer to tap it into place. 1 Get the right doors. That’s why these doors have a solid feel and better sound deadening.. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. Measure inside depth of hollow area. Spackle is available online or from your local hardware store. This is not to say that hollow doors … References I was afraid we'd have to replace the whole door, and now I feel confident I can repair it without anyone noticing. Paint the area to match the rest of the door. To learn how to refinish a hollow core door, scroll down! Share; Tweet; Pin; 8172 shares. While holes in your doors or unsightly scratches might seem difficult to repair, you can get them fixed up in no more than a day or two. It may take a little fiddling, but take your time. In many cases, it can be as simple as removing the old door from the hinges and putting the new solid-core door onto the same hinge plate already attached to the door jamb. So, begin with filling up the hollow space behind the damaged area with insulating foam sealant to allow filler material to be applied (do it by using an epoxy filler to fill the damaged area). Run your hand over the area you patched with wood filler to catch any areas that need more sanding and smoothing. Use … It is important to make sure that the wood of the panels is exposed. If the hole in your door is fairly large, it may be more effective to just replace the entire door. Barry Zakar is a professional handyman and the founder of Little Red Truck Home Services based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Commercial Door Hardware to Reinforce the Door and Door Frame. Clean away any dust before refinishing the door. I have a hole in a plastic, hollow core door with a faux grain texture. Hollow-core doors come in both varieties, although solid doors are rarely flush style due to the difficulty of obtaining such large, single pieces of wood. Wood filler is available online or from your local hardware store. This core is what gives these doors their strength and rigidity. To learn how to refinish a hollow core door, scroll down! Spread it evenly with your popsicle stick, making sure to completely fill the gap so that your patch will be solid without air bubbles. This is a trick that can be used if you find yourself having to repair the same damaged area of your door on multiple occasions. It will either come premixed in a tube or in 2 separate parts that need to be combined before using it. The knobs on all my bifold closet doors are loose and spin around. Barry also holds his MBA from John F. Kennedy University. Thoroughly soak the first piece of string in the Elmer’s glue, making sure that it is completely saturated. To repair a damaged hollow core door, start by cutting away any loose or broken wood around the damage using a utility knife. You don't want to fill up the hollow space with foam. If you’ve got a soft, hollow door, invest in something a little tougher. Steel doors and solid wood doors are some of the best options that homeowners can go with, in comparison to cheap hollow doors that offer little to no resistance at all. cardboard on the outside! This article has been viewed 683,030 times. If you want to remove the door from its hinges entirely, press a nail against the base of each hinge pin and use a hammer to pop out the pins. Remember the “Five P’s”: Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance. Secure the door hinges if the door swings out and are exposed: If an experienced burglar notices a … Yes, you can use Elmer's glue or wood glue to fix it. Many interior paints and stains will take several days to cure completely. Be careful with your repaired door for 1 week after painting it to avoid damaging your coat of paint. Addressing these hairline cracks is not as difficult as many people think: this particular method was borrowed from boat builders and will leave you with a waterproof solution to cracked panels in your exterior door. While taking a picture of your door to help match the color might seem like a good idea, it won’t always lead to a direct match. Take precise measurements of the existing door and doorframe; then remove the hinge pins and lift the existing door out of the doorframe.. Mark and Trim the New Door. You can apply as many coats of paint or stain as you want, but 2 or 3 coats will normally be plenty to make your door look fantastic. Hollow-core doors come in both varieties, although solid doors are rarely flush style due to the difficulty of obtaining such large, single pieces of wood. Replace hollow core doors. Barry Zakar. A planer will also work, but you will still need to sand down the marks left from the planer. This process works best on painted doors as the filled areas will remain visible on stained doors. https://www.bobvila.com/articles/how-to-fix-a-hole-in-a-door/, https://www.familyhandyman.com/doors/repair/easily-repair-pet-claw-marks/view-all/, https://www.thisoldhouse.com/how-to/how-to-refinish-door, https://www.bobvila.com/articles/how-to-match-paint/, восстановить поврежденную пустотелую дверь, consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. Hollow Core Door Makeover. Alternatively, you could use painter’s tape to tape off areas you don’t want to paint over. However, again, you should only install them in … Be careful not to push the string all the way through, out the other side of the crack. I was a little confused about the paper towel below the hole statement, but the picture is clear. Let the paint dry, and it’s time to hang the door back in the frame. With the door apart I could reinforce the hinge side so long screws would go into material with some real integrity. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. To fix this and make the door look completely undamaged, paint or stain the door. ", know how fix the door without having to replace it. Using the utility knife and hacksaw blade, remove any burs or detritus that has built up in the gap. He is skilled at constructing decks, railings, fences, gates, and various pieces of furniture. Check the instructions on your wood filler for more information on expected drying times. ", "Helps a lot! If I’m going to spend that much money I would rather just replace the doors. Run the main bolts through the side screw holes in the secure plate with your fingers. How do I pull off the veneer from my damaged door? If your front and back doors are hollow, you need … Sawing a Hollow Core Door to Length. Is there a veneer with a similar grain I can laminate over it? 5. Don’t worry about any small pieces falling into the interior of the door; they won’t hurt anything. I use a belt sander. Many people choose to paint the entire panel to achieve a more uniform and consistent look. Drill through one side of door (both, if you need the room to work). A solid core door is a slight upgrade over a hollow-core door. Typical hollow core doors have thin sides that will not support screws, bolts or any type of hanger. The honeycomb structure on the inside uses a particleboard core. Obviously written by a person experienced in construction and construction repair. Most hollow core doors are fairly inexpensive and esasy to replace. Use a hole saw smaller than the doorknobs "footprint". This one might not make your door look expensive, but it will have Fluffy feeling like a … Check the screws in each fitting or fixture to choose the right screwdriver to use. Check the instructions on your own brand of insulation foam for more guidance on how long it will take to dry. Solid wood doors, on the other hand, can be fixed using string, glue and putty, borrowing an old trick used to fix wooden boats. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/b\/b2\/Repair-a-Damaged-Hollow-Core-Door-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Repair-a-Damaged-Hollow-Core-Door-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/b\/b2\/Repair-a-Damaged-Hollow-Core-Door-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/aid4223955-v4-728px-Repair-a-Damaged-Hollow-Core-Door-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"