[Daggerhart]

My father just recently gave my wife and myself two antique interior french doors that we would like to hang in the two doors into our dining room to close the room off. However, currently, the doorways into the dining room have flat molding (don't know if that's the proper terminology?) - no door stops, latch plates, all that stuff. The doorways are 36" wide, the doors are each 35.5" wide. Any plans around for hanging doors?

 

[Ron6519]

You simply have a framed opening. It's close to the size you need. You could make do if you don't mind slightly larger gaps at the jambs.
If these doors have mortises, then see if you can get hinges that line up the screw holes. If the hinges are attached to the doors, even better.
You would cut mortises on the jamb to coinside exactly with those on the door. And I mean exactly.
Hang the doors and measure the gap you need to hide and install stop molding that's appropriate. Line up a strike plate for the latch and mortise that in place.
If you don't think you have the skill set to do this, call someone. Otherwise you'll chew up the jamb and/or the doors.
Ron

 

[Daggerhart]

Hmmm, that does sound like something I may need help with. Thanks for the advice, I'll look into it!

 

[DangerMouse]

can you post a photo of the doorway?

DM

 

[Daggerhart]

Sure, here are three pictures of one of the doorways. They're both identical, so I didn't bother getting the other one, though you can see it through one of the pictures kind of.

The wood paneling is about to be painted white, I suppose I should paint before hanging the door, right?

As you can see, there are no door stops, latch sections, or anything.

The part I'm most concerned with is in-setting the hinges in the wood - I don't have any sort of router (presumably the tool I would use?) myself, though I do have a nice chisel set. I'm still worried about hacking away at the wood, though.

 

[Ron6519]

It's a framed opening. Chisels will work fine for the mortises. You didn't mention the doors height. How close is it to the opening? Generally these openings will be about the same size as the opening for a standard door just for the visual. So it will match the rest of the frames.
Are the doors you bought square? Some older doors have been modified over time as frames settle and get out of square.
Have you checked this?
Ron

 

[DangerMouse]

if it were me, i'd attach the trim stopstrips and then paint, then set in the door to check it and make sure there's room for opening properly. i might even consider NOT chiseling into the jamb simply for the fact that someone down the line may not like the doors and remove them and the trim and repaint. not everyone's cup of coffee, of course.

DM

 

[Thurman]

To those of us who have done this type of work, we would say "No problem, get 'er done". To you I'm sure it may seem like rocket science, but it is not. Decisions, decisions, whether to mortise in the hinges will be one of the most important decisions, I like DangerMouse's answer to that as someone else may want to take the doors down later, the trim stops could be added before hanging the door, just make sure they are plumb. Ron has a very good point on the doors being square, please check this before going any further. I'm looking at the first picture to determine what type flooring you have. The type of flooring would determine if you want a threshold or not, I vote for no threshold at this point. I don't think that theoretical 1/2" gap is going to be a problem. IF these doors are really pretty you may consider dual action hinges so they can swing both ways. Think it through, before damaging anything. Good Luck, David

 

[DangerMouse]

IF these doors are really pretty you may consider dual action hinges so they can swing both ways.

FANtastic idea there Dave!!!!
certainly the way i'd go now that you mention it!!!
i made mine to the laundry room do that and it's been a blessing.
hands full? just back into it...... wife loves it too, and THAT's the IMPORTANT thing!
AND they will stay fully opened EITHER way!
sweet. great suggestion.

DM

 

[Daggerhart]

Doors are square - 90'degree angles all around. They are exactly 79.5" tall, the doorways are 80" tall. The floors in the foyer (where I took the pictures from) are parquet, the floor in the dining room is carpet, to be replaced with laminate in about 5 months. The doors are very pretty, and I'm pretty intrigued by the idea of dual action hinges, but would the door still latch? One of the main reasons we're doing this is so we can keep the cats out of that room - they've already broken one of my wife's very expensive crystal glasses!

Thanks for all the advice so far! I'm thinking personally, I would rather do the mortising - I've seen doors with and without, and I like that better. We're going to be here at least 12 - 15 more years, so we figure we may as well enjoy the house how we want it for that amount of time, you know?

 

[DangerMouse]

the hinge springs on our door, the cat cannot push through...pretty stiff. that's why i added a kitty door to it, her potty is back there. lol
the DOG on the other hand just noses his way through, but he's pretty big.... and strong...

DM

 

[Ron6519]

Swinging doors are not really good with animals as they can get their necks caught trying to get in or out.
The only way to latch it would be a surface mounted bolt.
Ron

 

[Daggerhart]

so then, probably best to stick with a standard one-way hinge.