How to Build Wooden Doors

If you want to replace a door in your house but don't want to purchase a pre-fabricated door from a home improvement store, you can simply build your own. After choosing a wood, such as oak, pine or maple, you can fabricate a custom door to fit the existing rough opening. You will need some basic woodworking skills to fabricate the door and a free weekend. Before you know it, you'll have beautiful, custom doors.

Things You'll Need

• Tape measure
• Straight edge
• Pencil
• Wood
• Goggles
• Dust mask
• Circular saw
• Planer
• Drill
• Hole saw bit
• Paddle bit
• Medium-grit sandpaper
• Orbital sander
• Stain
• Sponge brush
• Hinges
• Door knob
• Screw gun
• Screws

Instructions

1. Measure the old door's height, width and thickness with a tape measure. Write the dimensions down.

2. Measure and mark the wood to fit the dimensions using a tape measure, straight edge and pencil.

3. Put on goggles and a dust mask. Cut the wood to the height and width sizes using a circular saw.

4. Plane the wood door with a planer to make it thinner, if necessary.

5. Fit a hole saw bit into a drill and drill out a hole to put the door knob inside. Then remove the hole saw bit and fit a paddle bit into the drill and drill out the hole for the door latch.

6. Attach medium-grit sandpaper to an orbital sander and sand the door smooth, going with the wood grain as much as possible.

7. Apply a coat of stain to the entire door with a sponge brush and let dry for four to six hours or as long as suggested by the manufacturer.

8. Attach hinges and the door knob to the door with screws using a screw gun to finish. Hang the door thereafter and use as normal.

References

• "Building Doors & Gates"; Alan Bridgewater, Gill Bridgewater; 1999
• "How to Plan, Contract and Build Your Own Home"; Richard M. Scutella, Dave Heberle; 1999