Nearly every home has one. The Boring, Ugly, Flat, Hollow-Core Doors.
When replacing the entire door wasn’t in the cards, or the budget, I started looking at giving the existing ones a makeover. Hollow core doors tend to look cheap because they usually are. Our house was built in 1971 by a farm hand who built a house on a shoe-string budget. As we have come to find out, absolutely everything in our home was either gifted, or second-hand when the house was built. That being said, I knew this little cottage was home the moment I saw it with all of its quirks and character. Some people go all out and remodel the whole house. For us, we knew it would be a while before we could afford to renovate. So, we figured there was one simple change we could make to improve the look of our house: a DIY door update on a budget!
I started with the closet doors in the least used room in the house. Just in case I botched it, I wouldn’t have to look at it every day! I wanted to choose a style and trim I could easily translate to the rest of the house, since it’s very small and all one level. The closets had plain bi-fold doors. The previous owner had modified them into French doors instead, but had left the update at that. So, I took to Pinterest for some inspo. I loved the DIY shaker-style panelling I was seeing. There are some amazing tutorials and step-by-step instructions!
RESEARCH
The issue I ran into was the bedroom/bathroom door frames were one solid piece. I couldn’t offset the casings to compensate for the additional panel depth. Since you are adding almost 1/2″ of depth onto the door, you will need to move the door stop casing or else it won’t close properly, and it won’t sit flush once it does. I didn’t have this option since the frame, trim and door stop casings were all one solid piece. I went back to the drawing board and started looking to add decorative molding instead.
SPACING
The biggest problem I noticed was spacing! I don’t know about you, but just because I love a good DIY, does not mean I want it to look like a messy DIY. So I started researching interior door detail dimensions and here’s what I found. If you take nothing else from this post, STOP and read this part, it makes the biggest difference! How far you bring the trim in from the outer edge of the door, should not be equal all the way around the door. If you look at a store-bought door, the trim details will look something like the following:
Using the above as a guide, “A” is the shortest or smallest measurement. “A” at the top is smaller than “C” on the sides. “B” is double “A” in height. It’s an optical illusion to make the door appear more proportionate. You will almost never look at the top, or the bottom of a door square on. The trim at the bottom needs to come up higher from the floor, since it will look smaller as you look down at it. The same is true in reverse when you are looking up at the top of the door. Since the top of the door is closer to eye level, it doesn’t need to be exaggerated as much as the bottom of the door. If you take this into consideration, no mater the pattern you chose, it will appear balanced on your door.
Without further ado, here’s what you’ll need:
- Molding
- Adhesive
- Caulk
- Tape Measure
- Level
- Miter Saw or Miter Box
- Paint
If your door has holes that need repair, or you’re changing the hardware, you will also need:
- Sandpaper or Sanding Mouse
- Spray Foam
- Wood Filler
- Hardware
STEP 1 – PLAN IT OUT
I didn’t get a photo of this step, well because I’m writing this blog after the fact. But the biggest suggestion I can give is plan out your pattern while the doors are still hung. I didn’t realize how warped and uneven my doors where until I took them off, or how badly the frames weren’t square! This makes it difficult to get the pattern to line up. I played around with the placement using painters’ tape until I was satisfied. Then with a large level, I measured and marked where the outside of the trim will go with permanent marker. The lines will be helpful when the time comes to glue down the trim! I jotted down the measurements in a notebook so I could calculate how much trim I needed to buy.
STEP 2 – REMOVE THE DOORS AND PREP THEM
Sand it down
This step might be optional for you, depending on what you are starting with and if you are planning to change the type of hardware on the door(s). If you don’t need to prep the door, you can apply the trim while the door is still hung. My doors were heavily damaged and coated in a thick, old, varnish that had to be removed. Do this in a well-ventilated area with a mask and eye protection. If you don’t remove it, it will turn your paint yellow, especially if you are painting the doors white. I learned this the hard way. Since my doors were such a thin veneer, I sanded them down.
Patch the Holes
If your hollow core door has holes, now it the time to patch them. Remove any rough edges and fill the hole with spray foam and let set. Once dry, remove some of the foam, if needed, so that the hole is slightly concave. Now fill it in with wood filler and let dry. Lightly sand once dry. If your doors have wood grain like mine, you don’t want to sand it smooth, just level out the filler.
STEP 3 – MOLDING, HARDWARE & ADHESIVE
To the store! I chose a more expensive, solid pine decorative piece. Not because I wanted solid wood, but because it didn’t come in a cheaper material… and it was in stock at my local store. I wanted something that did not have a directional pattern. I liked the look, and I wasn’t so skilled with the miter saw! By choosing a trim piece that was equal on both sides, I didn’t need to worry as much when cutting them. If you use a piece of trim, like a chair rail, where it is larger on one side than the other, you will need to pay close attention to the direction of the trim when cutting. If you make a cut facing incorrectly or improperly measured, you’ll be heading back to the store for more trim. Since the shape is equal on both sides, the grooves will line up once mitered, even if you forget which way the trim is going to be facing!
Hardware
Since the closet doors were not going to latch, I decided to go with a cabinet pull instead. It was cheaper and made sense with the design. I chose an older brass style to match other elements in the house. I also picked up a double magnetic catch and a piece of 1×2 Framing Lumber. When the previous owner turned the closets into French doors, no door stop casing was added, so I added a single piece along the top with the magnetic catch.
Glue
For adhesive, I chose to go with two types of glue. You can use liquid nails but I find it can shift if not held in place properly while setting. So I chose a fast acting superglue, that I beaded down the back side of the trim. This acted like a clamp, holding the trim in place. Then I weaved wood glue between the beads of superglue. Wood glue can take up to 24 hours to cure, but it’s going to hold the trim piece in the long run! If you want to cut the cost of superglue, just use the wood glue, hold the pieces in place with tape and wait until fully cured.
STEP 4 – TIME TO CUT
Cut all your trim pieces at 45-degree angles, on both ends, using a miter saw. Measure to the outside corner of the cut Triple check your mark and use a saw with a laser if you can. Cut on the outside of the laser line or cut mark that you’ve made, not directly on it! This is to account for blade width. Make sure the saw base is locked into the angle you set it so it doesn’t shift, and the trim is lying flat/flush up against the gate. If you have trim that is directional, pay attention to the direction the molding is facing!
STEP 5 – APPLYING THE TRIM
Apply the glue and place the trim on the markings you made when you prepped the door. Any excess wood glue can be wiped away with a damp sponge before it dries. Since I used superglue, I waited 10 minutes for it to dry, then went in with the caulking. Caulk the miter joints and any visible gap between the door and the trim. I like to use a very small amount of water to smooth it out with your finger as you go. It helps to smooth everything out quickly and gives you a seamless blending effect.
STEP 6 – PAINT!
And finally, the fun part! At least it is for me, it means you’re almost done! As I said, the cottage is SMALL! But I love bold, rich colours. So the way I introduce colour into my home is by painting the doors bold, rich colours instead of the room. I went with Behr’s Night Club as an off black, it goes well with the brass-coloured hardware.
Since you only need a small amount of paint, ask for a sampler instead of a whole quart. Using a small brush, start by painting the detail around the molding, and in the grooves. Then go over the whole door with a foam roller using one thick coat or two thinner coats for full coverage. Once your paint is dry, attach your hardware and re-hang the doors. And just like that, you have a cleaner, modern looking space for less than $50.
Curious to see how we updated our hall for less than $100? Click here to see what a little wallpaper magic can do!
