Fitting a stable door - can I simply chop a normal door and fit it?

[bp]

Hi

I want to fit a stable door internally in the dining room (accessed from the kitchen), and I have a few questions.

1)Are there any regualtion for fitting these - I have never seen one internally, but am hoping its OK to fit one internally.

2) Can I just buy a solid wooden door (I have seen a pine one in the local DIY stores fo =A325) and chop it down the middle. This is what I am thinking: Chop the door down the middle and sand/ finish edges. Use 4 hinges (2 per half). and provide some kind of bolt to join the doors together if I ever wanted that. To ensure the

2 halfs line up, I was going to attach the whole door to the frame using 4 hinges first, Once the door is fixed correctly, then I would chop it. Only thing I am not sure is can you chop such a door. Will it still stay together or will i be cutting along some main structural part of the door.

Many thanks for any help

Bhupesh

[RW]

I want to fit a stable door internally in the dining room (accessed from the kitchen), and I have a few questions.

1)Are there any regualtion for fitting these - I have never seen one internally, but am hoping its OK to fit one internally.

Yep......What you do in your own home is your matter if fitting a door unless it needs to be a fire door.

2) Can I just buy a solid wooden door (I have seen a pine one in the local DIY stores fo £25) and chop it down the middle. This is what I am thinking: Chop the door down the middle and sand/ finish edges. Use 4 hinges (2 per half). and provide some kind of bolt to join the doors together if I ever wanted that. To ensure the 2 halfs line up, I was going to attach the whole door to the frame using 4 hinges first, Once the door is fixed correctly, then I would chop it. Only thing I am not sure is can you chop such a door. Will it still stay together or will i be cutting along some main structural part of the door.

Depending on the section in which you cut the "half" you *might* need to add a little reinforcing to an edge perhaps. If it's going to be used say as a hatch to see through and not allow small children into another area (The kitchen) you might like to add a small shelf to one side to act as a serving ledge

[mark.hannah]

Won't it be a bit tricky to cut the door whilst it is in place? Perhaps mark the hinges etc whilst it is "whole" but actually fix in place once it has been cut?

Beware though - an apparently solid door at =A325 is unlikley to be solid. I had one recently and had to trim 10mm from one edge - and it exposed a lot of cavities in the wood.

Mark.

[Clot]

Arrg! I can see a tragedy to come there! Hot food on a plate on the shelf as dear delightful Dora tries to stand up and grabs or pushes the plate of food!

[Weatherlawyer]

At =A325 he can afford to practice.

Fit the door, take it down, then cut it. A slip of 32 mm, or something like that size, in each edge with PVA glue and tape to hold it while it goes off and it is ready to replace.

You might need to get the wood slips planed -which will require an electric planer if you want to used 2 x 1.

Cutting the door with a circular saw would be better than trying to hand saw it. Otherwise you could lose a bit of height rectifying any wondering with an hand-saw.

Start the cut as far as the bottom corners* then scratch the line to help prevent break-out. Put tape on it too.

*Or do I mean top face? I can't remember. I do know you'll get a ragged cut one side if not careful.

A picture is always the ideal for this sort of advice. A catalogue number for the door at least. You are going to have a miserable time if the door jamb is not perfectly flat.

If that happens you will have to adjust the frame not the door.

Belly it out with wedges after removing an architrave, to stop the doors meeting on the opposite sides (Separate the far edge.)

Take wedges out and screw the frame's leg home a bit more if the far edge wants closing. It isn't difficult but can be fiddly.

Door handles. You will need inserts for them and the locks. Put them in the doors before the closing slips go in. They'll need to be the same width of course but can be as deep as you think you need.

Good luck.

[RW]

Nah....Just don't put hot food on the ledge when there are kids around....Use boiling tar instead...Far more effective

[Clot]

That caused me a chuckle!

[The Natural Philosopher]

Remember that with stable doors, you mustn't close them till the horse has gone.

This is a problem, if you don't have a horse.

Consider an unstable door instead.

This goes well with the suggestions above.

[meow2222]

it is

yes if you cut it along the middle of a structural / framing crosspiece. So some doors yes, some no. Exterior doors have thicker centre crosspieces, which would give a more symmetrical look post-cut.

i assume you mean across rather than down?

plane

you need the door lying down. Usea sawboard with the circular saw - dont even think about doing it with a jigsaw.

yes and yes. Decent interior doors are a frame with thin infill panels. The frame gives the strength, so you're cutting one figure of

8 frame into 2 rectangular frames. Hollow sapele doors are another matter, I wouldnt bother trying to cut those in 2.

NT

[Walt]

bp wrote in news:09f49742-cc41-439b-96e9-b00e1efce8f6 @h60g2000hsg.googlegroups.com:

I have done exactly that. It worked perfectly.

Someone mentioned fitting a small shelf to the lower half - did that too and it was very useful.

Walt

[Clot]

Another snip

The brain aint working. NEDDY - was that the acronym? National Economic Development something back in the Gannex mac eara.