There are 23 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. Take your cardboard and cut a strip just narrower than the depth of the door. This extra length gives you something to hold onto as you proceed. Let the paint dry, and it’s time to hang the door back in the frame. I use a belt sander. However, usually the edges of the door are the most reinforced part. Barry Zakar is a professional handyman and the founder of Little Red Truck Home Services based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Once your cardboard is seated properly, add your low expansion foam. This method puts the top of the dowel flush with the surface of the hinge mortise. To fix this and make the door look completely undamaged, paint or stain the door. It is important to make sure that the wood of the panels is exposed. Yes, you can use Elmer's glue or wood glue to fix it. This article has been viewed 683,030 times. ", "Very helpful. He is skilled at constructing decks, railings, fences, gates, and various pieces of furniture. Hollow core doors are much cheaper and more common than doors made of solid wood, but they are also a lot more fragile and prone to damage. 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. Now we, "Needed to know how to repair a bedroom door without having to replace entire door. ", "Excellent, was not sure if this was even possible. 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. Wait for your expanding foam to fully cure. The knob is mounted in an aesthetically pleasing position in the middle of the door. Hollow core doors have a limit as to how much weight they can support. If the door is warped, use a couple of two-by-fours and a couple of clamps overnight. If needed, mark and carefully trim the bottom of the new door to fit the existing doorframe. Thanks for the tips. Yes I know that I could’ve only done one side of the door, but my OCD also would not have let that happen! 5. Barry Zakar is a professional handyman and the founder of Little Red Truck Home Services based in the San Francisco Bay Area. A Night Lock is used to secure the bottom of the door. Type above and press Enter to search. Then, pack the hole or crack with paper towels, and fill it in with expanding foam insulation. Check with your local hardware store for one that's drillable. Many interior paints and stains will take several days to cure completely. What if the door won't close and the bottom looks like it is delaminating? This process works best on painted doors as the filled areas will remain visible on stained doors. Expert Interview. Use your putty knife to spread the material over the gap, making a smooth surface that is even across the affected area. Dap Plastic Wood is one that I know of, but there are others. Always cut away from yourself when working with a utility knife, especially when cutting through something sturdy like wood. Press Esc to cancel. I was afraid we'd have to replace the whole door, and now I feel confident I can repair it without anyone noticing. Use your needle nose pliers to remove the larger bits of wood that have been removed from the damaged area of the door. 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. Starting with the bottom hinge and approaching from below, place the point of your screwdriver on the head of the pin inside the hinge and gently tap it with the hammer to push it up and out of the hinge assembly. Hollow Core Door Makeover Steps. Here are the steps to take to add the extra … The Jamb Shield, made of 16-gauge galvanized steel, is installed at the top of the door providing added reinforcement. This product is available online or at your local hardware or auto store. Here’s the opening: And this is the raw material – a 4′ x 8′ sheet of 1/2″ plywood. Measure the Existing Door and Doorframe. Spackle is available online or from your local hardware store. However, again, you should only install them in … It’s much easier to repair a larger hole free from damaged wood than it is to repair a smaller one that’s fragmented or broken. Particle board is used in hollow core doors and its holding ability is limited too. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. Adding a slight bevel to the edge of the hole can be useful in the later steps, adding more surface area for the patching material to adhere to. Spackle is readily available, affordable, and very easy to work with. Is the paper towel used in step 3 supposed to stay in the hole? ", "I hope this works, or there goes my security deposit. 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. Secure the door hinges if the door swings out and are exposed: If an experienced burglar notices a … So in the very cheapest option I’m looking at $30 of trim on a door, to make an OK looking update. Don’t worry about any small pieces falling into the interior of the door; they won’t hurt anything. Can I stain a door that has already been varnished? This is a flat, not paneled door. Use your needle nose pliers and screwdriver to fit the cardboard strip into the hole, creating a chamber that will contain the foam. Barry Zakar. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 683,030 times. This article was co-authored by Barry Zakar. Solid wood doors, on the other hand, can be fixed using string, glue and putty, borrowing an old trick used to fix wooden boats. The problem is that the door is hollow at this point, so any attempt to tighten the screw from the back of the door just makes both sides of the door bend inwards towards each other. You don't want to fill up the hollow space with foam. It will either come premixed in a tube or in 2 separate parts that need to be combined before using it. Spackle easy but I don't think, "Nice detail on fixing the hole. Paper towels work as they are light enough to hold their own weight inside the door. This is not to say that hollow doors … I feel I can do this now and save money on having to template it. Sawing a Hollow Core Door to Length. Wash the excess glue off with hot water the next day and paint any scratches. He is skilled at constructing decks, railings, fences, gates, and various pieces of furniture. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. 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. This will let you refinish the door elsewhere and make the job easier. 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. A headache otherwise! I have a hole in a plastic, hollow core door with a faux grain texture. Use the tip of the flathead screwdriver to pack the string into the crack, starting at the top and working your way down. Replace hollow core doors. This material upgrade tends to make them a bit heavier. It may take a little fiddling, but take your time. Most hollow core doors are fairly inexpensive and esasy to replace. Please consider making a contribution to wikiHow today. If you don’t have paper towels, use some tissue paper or something similarly light. Install Soundproof Curtains. The first step to fixing your hollow core door is assembling the tools and materials you will need. With over ten years of experience, Barry specializes in a variety of carpentry projects. Without the paper towels, the foam would continue to fill up the hollow space. This set includes 1 Jamb Shield, 2 Mini Door Shields, 4 Door Hinge Shields and a Night Lock. Check the instructions on your own brand of insulation foam for more guidance on how long it will take to dry. This is great, inexpensive door reinforcement for your exterior doors. Rip a piece of lumber the same size as depth of hollow; it should be a snug fit without bulging the door. Painting over the sanded area will make any irregular bumps more obvious. This gave me the answers I, "Did not consider using foam to fill the hole. % of people told us that this article helped them. Install the pieces with wood glue and very light clamping pressure (or use super glue). Obviously written by a person experienced in construction and construction repair. Create a silicone mold of the door’s finished surface texture. I figured I could get a 2′-4″ door from this sheet, with some to spare. You should always remove and reattach fixtures to a hollow core door with a screwdriver, as an electric drill can easily damage the door. Steps by Ed. Thanks! It is also important to make sure your panels remain parallel and aren’t being twisted as you pack the string. I have found a product to complement the repairs made. Use … This article was co-authored by Barry Zakar. By using our site, you agree to our. If you’ve got a soft, hollow door, invest in something a little tougher. Auto-body filler is a compound that will give you a very strong door, but it can be quite difficult to work with. I just put a hole through a door at our rental, and I had no idea it was hollow inside and as thin as, "I haven't done it yet, but I'm walking up to my neighborhood Ace to buy the spray insulation. "Awesome. 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. Finally, cover the area with spackle, and let it dry before sanding it down so it's flush with the rest of the door. They’ve been using these (see below) old beat up desks that I chalk painted when we first moved into the House house.It was my first experience with chalk paint and I didn’t seal them with enough wax and the paint didn’t hold up and was peeling off. I have wanted new desks for our two boys’ rooms for a LONG time. Steps to Playing the Extra Mass in the Hollow Core Door. September 20, 2017 Decor, DIY, HomeRight. All your other reinforcements won’t mean a thing if a home invaders foot can crack right through the door itself. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Make sure you cut your cardboard on another surface, so you don’t further damage the surface of your door. It is a good idea to understand what these terms mean, so you know what type of doors your home has. 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. 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. I'm a visual learner. Also, … ", "This article was very helpful to me. 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