Buying in one of our composite doors on a supply-only basis is a great way to save money: A lot of money. We reckon, based on our research, you can easily save £400 going the DIY route.
Before Removing the Existing Door
Fitting a composite door yourself is premised on taking the right measurements. Don’t worry if you’ve not fitted a door before. Ours are much easier to hang than traditional doors. You’ll find a handy measurement guide on our website. When your new door arrives don’t remove the old one until you have checked that the measurements of the new door and that it’s arrived undamaged.
Tools for Fitting a New Composite Door
The next thing to be certain is that you have all the required tools to hand. The good news is that no specialist tools are required. We find most homeowners already own a selection of tools. We recommend you have the following:
- Tape measure
- Hammer
- Stanley knife
- Crowbar
- Chisel
- Electric drill (with hammer action)
- Phillips and flat head screwdrivers
- Silicone sealant gun
- Saw
- Rubber mallet
- Spirit levels
- 3mm allen key
- 4mm allen key
- 6mm socket spanner
- T15 Torx bit (for your drill)
Preparation
You’ll need to remove the old door. To keep damage to the walls to a minimum score round the door frame first with a knife. Then cut through the door jambs (the long sides of the door frame, and top and bottom) and remove each in two sections. Be careful not to damage what’s underneath the jambs.
Before beginning to align the new door, check that the opening is level and free of mastic, screws and filler.
Aligning a Composite Door
Get this bit wrong and your door won’t function correctly. Check the door sill is flat and level. The frame should be square and you should plumb in both planes (thereby ensuring they are 100% vertical). If you set back the outer door frame as far as possible, you’ll reduce exposure to the elements. Bridge the wall cavity and cover the DPC. The frame should be 100% square. If there is any twisting you’ll need to retrace your steps.
Installing Your Composite Door
Position the door in the frame. Use wedge packers to hold the frame in position. It’s essential to place the packers close to where the fixings will be fitted. Use a long spirit level to ensure jams are square and plumb in all planes.
As far as fixings are concerned these are at the top, hinge and keep side. Use a drill to secure the frame to the brickwork. It’s essential fixings are securely screwed into the brickwork. Fixings should be placed bottom and top of each hinge and top and bottom of each lock keep. Top fixings are not always required but if they are they should be fitted 150mm and 250mm from each corner.