For some people, the direction of the door swing direction is quite an important matter. When you think about the door opening direction, you also think about the rearrangement of space.
Many people find it more convenient to change the direction of a pre-hung door to an outswing due to space issues. They find more space for furniture decoration or have more space that makes their room look bigger.
You can do this assignment by yourself if you know how to reverse a pre-hung door (ready to go door). Today, we will discuss how you can solve this issue without calling a handyperson.
Tools/Materials Required to Reverse a Pre-hung Door
The following tools and materials are required to reverse a pre-hung door:
- Hammer
- Pencil
- Nail punch
- Paint
- Primer
- Router
- Tape measure
- Wood filler/putty
- Screwdriver
- Putty knife
- Paintbrush
- Vice grip
- Sandpaper
- Non-removable pin hinges
Step One- Removing the Door from its Hinges
First, make sure that the hinges on the door have bottom caps and remove them. You need to use a hammer and screwdriver to tap the hinges out of place and remove the door from the hinges.
If you use vice grip, then it will make your whole process much easier and simpler. You can use it to grab onto the cap, remove these caps, and remove the door entirely. If you want to remove the pins out of the hinges, then you need to use nail punch and hammer.
You stick the nail, punch up the hinge, and with the help of a hammer, tap all pins out of the hinge.
After removing the pins, you can remove the door effortlessly. For removing the strike plates, you should use a power drill.
Step Two- Adjustment of the Hinge Plate
With the help of a Chisel and router, you need to cut the hinge recesses on the other side of the doorjamb. You need to repeat this process for the strike plate and a hole for the door bolt.
For the screws to install, you should use a drill to create a pilot hole. To mark the pilot holes on the doorjamb, take the help of a pencil.
Up to the doorjamb, hold a hinge plate and mark the pilot holes. Now drilling the holes accurately is effortless.
After screwing the hinge plate, you make sure that screw heads are in all the way; there is no space left, so the plate is secure. If you do not adjust them properly, then there is a chance that the door may not be able to open accurately.
Step Three- Painting and Repairing
Now, you need to repair and paint over the spots where you set up new hinges. First, make sure that everything is aligned, especially the bolt hole and recesses, then repair and paint.
After that, you are at the repair stage. First, clean the area properly and sand it to prepare it for the putty and the paint.
For repairs, use a wood filler or putty. On the opposite side of the doorjamb, fill the recesses. If you have a doorstop on the wall, make sure to relocate it according to the new swing direction.
Step Four- Rehanging the Door
With the help of a screwdriver, reverse the doorknob and striker. You make sure that the level of the jamb is in alignment with the striker.
You should take time for this step because if the striker and the jamb are not aligned, you may not be able to close the door properly.
You should remove any weather stripping. Check that the drill holes require any additional drilling. After this, rehang the door and make sure that the door is standing correctly in the doorjamb. Now, it’s time to install pins back into the place.
Step Five- Finishing Touches
Once you have placed the door back, you know exactly where to drill the doorjamb. Drill the bolt hole, and then polish the area with the help of a router or chisel to remove the recess.
You should check that the leading edge is extending beyond the doorjamb. If this is the case, you have successfully rehung the door and changed the direction of the swing.
Is left-hand Outswing the Same as Right-hand Inswing?
When the door opens away from you, towards the outside, and the knob is on the right-hand side, it is the left-hand outswing door.
When the door opens towards you and the knob is on the right-hand side, it is a right-handed door, a right-handed inswing door.
Conclusion
There you have the solution of how you can reverse a pre-hung door direction. You must check the local building codes in areas where the weather is extreme. It also matters whether the door swings inward or outward.
It does not matter which way your door should swing in some areas. It is a time-consuming process and challenging process. But you can finish it if you follow proper instructions as we guided you.
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