Doors – Flip a door frame

doorsframe

I have a door that opens right to left into a room. I want it to instead open left to right out of the room. In other words, flip the door.

Is there a way to do this that preserves the existing frame? What tools do I need? I've never installed a door frame.

Best Answer

If it's a pre-hung door, meaning the frame came with the door as (relatively) one piece, the process would be:

  • pry off the mouldings/trim on both sides of the door frame
  • Get a sawzall and cut through all of the shims and nails between the door frame and the wall framing.
  • pop out door and frame, flip it around, nail/shim it back in and put trim back

If not:

  • take the door and hinges off
  • you now have two options: 1) leave the frame in place. Chisel out the mortices for the hinges and the strike plate on the opposite side and flip the door. Then fill in the old mortices. 2) Do pretty much the same as you would with the prehung (flipping the frame) but you'll likely have to do it piecemeal since it won't be one connected frame.
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