For many families with a loved one suffering from disabilities which limit their mobility, interior doors are often simply not wide enough. In order to allow the maximum amount of accessibility to the handicapped individual while increasing functionality, basic door widening is a great option for a vast majority of home owners. Essentially, the process of widening an interior door in your home or business is a very simple one. Door widening will subsequently permit wheelchairs and other mobility assistance devices to easily manouevre through passageways. With this comprehensive guide, you can easily alter the width of your doorways for enhanced accessibility in no time at all.
Preparation and Door Removal
Begin by removing any furniture or items that are close to the door’s perimeter prior to placing drop cloths on the floor space where you will be working. This will protect the surface of your floors. Next, you will need to remove the old door by popping off the hinges and pulling up on the door itself. For hinges that cannot be removed by your hands alone, try utilising the flat side of a hammer or even a chisel.
Door Moulding Removal
The majority of interior doorways will have moulding featured on the tops and along the sides. In the door widening process, this moulding should be entirely removed. This can be done quite easily by just popping the pieces off with a chisel.
Drilling and Cutting
After you have properly removed the door and the surrounding moulding along with any possible casing which might encompass it, you will need to create a small hole in the wall next to the doorway in order to view the inside. This allows you to ensure that you will not be disturbing any electrical wiring or plumbing. After you have thoroughly checked the interior of your wall for these potential hazards, you will need to use a saw to cut the wall board all of the way up. This line must be straight and should be marked with chalk in order to ensure that levelling is achieved.
Frame Removal and Installation
Following this cutting of your sheetrock, the framing must be removed by cutting nails which were formerly used to secure the doorjamb in its place. This will require a reciprocating saw which cuts through nails easily, allowing you to remove the studs completely. Once removal is complete, you can install new framing with wood pieces matching the sizes already being utilised in your walls. Be sure to measure your doorway’s opening to ensure it is wide enough while allowing for extra space for both the framing and casing.
Adding Finishing Touches
Now, you will install sheetrock to your freshly framed opening. Begin at your top corner and work your way down. Be certain to spackle any screws which were used to put the drywall in place while checking that the drywall is level. Lastly, you simply need to put up the new trim by tacking it in place with some finishing nails before adding your door hinges and new door.