How to temporarily remove a front door?

JasonCC

Hello,

I've hit a minor issue with a delivery. I have a package that's just a hair too wide to get through my 820mm front door (about 10cm shy). The door is 40mm thick, so the solution seems to be temporarily removing the door itself to get the item inside.

I'm looking for some seasoned advice on the best way to do this. How do you recommend I go about removing the door from its hinges and then reinstalling it so that it's perfectly aligned, level, and functions as it should? Are there any specific things I need to look out for to ensure it goes back on without any issues?

Your expertise would be greatly appreciated! Thanks for the help.

JacobZ

Hi @JasonCC,

I have removed and rehung many doors in my time and can tell you that it is not overly difficult because the screw holes will not move, so after removing the door, you will just have to drive the screws back into the same screw holes that they came out of.

When removing the door, I'd suggest opening the door fully, then driving a timber wedge such as this Adoored Small Beige Wedge Door Stop under the door to hold it both in place laterally and up from the ground. From there, remove the screws starting at the bottom and working up. When you get to the last screw, the door will be very close to free, so it is likely worthwhile having a helper hold the door for you to ensure that once this screw has been removed, it does not fall over. This is manageable alone, but if it is your first time, then a helper to hold the door would certainly be worth having.

Once you have done what you need to do and wish to rehang the door, start by ensuring all the hinges are oriented correctly and open, then lift the door into place. A helper would be worthwhile for this part of the process. Start by sitting the top hinge in the rebate it came from. This will more or less line up the screw holes. Drive one screw into place in the top hinge, then do the same with the middle hinge and the bottom hinge. Once there is a screw in each hinge, you should check the swing of the door by opening and closing it to check for smoothness and examining the gaps around the door. Assuming the screws line up, which they should because of the preexisting holes, you shouldn't have any issues, and you can drive the rest of the screws into each hinge.

If there are issues, it is usually a simple case of tweaking the screws and playing around with the order of installation until things return to how they were. Sometimes a slight misalignment of a screw can throw things out, but removing and reinstalling them will often fix this.

I wouldn't worry too much, it is almost certainly easier than you expect and if you have any issues once it is back on, I am here to help further if required.

Let me know how you go.

Jacob