Plan door, select construction and build yourself


All doors have the task of closing passages between rooms or demarcation structures such as walls and fences. Depending on the situation, they must form more or less effective barriers to access, temperature, humidity and noise. Many types of doors can be made by DIYers themselves.

Selection of required properties

If you intend to build a door yourself, you should create a list of requirements for the planning, which characteristics you should bring with you and which tasks you must fulfill. From the planning factors, the most appropriate construction type results:

1. Outdoor or indoor use: weather resistance, corrosion resistance, material type such as steel door
2. Security claim: door lock, burglary or transit protection, material type and thickness, mechanics
3. Frame or other suspension: post, masonry directly, frame made of the same or different material, frame, slide rails
4. Direction of movement and type: Flap door with one or two wings, swing door, sliding door, folding door, vertical or horizontal opening

Special forms and "exotic" constructions

The variants in the self-build a door are diverse, they range from technically simple built "Urtypen" such as a Schuppentür and door to sliding doors and Klöntüren to fly screen doors, trapdoors and wallpaper doors.

When the desired and structurally most advantageous door type is selected, more specific requirements come into play. A trap door is usually chosen for an attic access and as a walk-through in a floor ceiling. Depending on the construction situation, it must have a load bearing capacity and provide insulation against sound and cold. Popular with silk or paper-covered Japanese sliding doors that are easy to build yourself.

Extent of the work

The choice of the type of construction and the material results in effort and demands of the resulting manual work. The answers to the following questions lead to an overview of the requirements:

  • Is only one door leaf needed, which is attached to a masonry or a post without frame or frame?
  • Is it a "running" door with sliding, folding or floating technology and sliding rail only on top or on both sides?
  • Does she have to protect the door from sound?
  • Is the door exposed to moisture, moisture and / or weather?
  • Does a special lock mechanism have to be built like a door lock itself?
  • Is it a door frame in which a filling of a different material is embedded as in glass or coffered doors like a wooden door.

You need this material and tools when you build a door yourself

  • Door leaf material wood, plastic, steel or glass
  • frame material
  • Door hinges or hinges
  • Lock cylinder or
  • catch strip
  • Stop frame or frame
  • Glue or adhesive according to construction type
  • building foam
  • Screws according to construction type
  • Doorknob or doorknob
  • Running and / or suspension rails
  • Possible cavity filling such as cardboard honeycomb or Einlegeleisten
  • Possibly support strips for
  • Two trestles
  • Handkreissäge
  • Cordless Screwdriver
  • drilling machine
  • clamps
  • jigsaw
  • spirit level
  • Tape measure or folding rule
  • marking pen

Tips & Tricks

After assembly, place a door frame in the door opening and foam the space between masonry and frame. When installing, ensure sufficient stabilization so that the swelling construction foam can not move the frame.
Plan door, select construction and build yourself

FAQ - 💬

❓ How do you make a simple door?

👉 To make a door, start by getting a 4-foot by 8-foot sheet of plywood that's 1/2 inch thick. Then, measure the height and width of the doorway you'll be installing the door in and mark the dimensions on the plywood. Next, use a circular saw to cut out the plywood, and sand the wood so the faces and edges are smooth and level. ...

❓ How to choose the right door for your home?

👉 It should also function as a barrier to protect you and separate you from the outside, so it is beneficial to spend some thoughts on the door’s type, material, and design. Besides windows, you also have three basic options: building entrance doors yourself, having it custom made by a professional or buying already made one. 1. Battens – door lining

❓ What are the different options for building entrance doors?

👉 Besides windows, you also have three basic options: building entrance doors yourself, having it custom made by a professional or buying already made one. 1. Battens – door lining Making a DIY entrance door does not need to be as difficult as it sounds.

❓ Are there any DIY plans for a barn door?

👉 These 70 DIY barn door plans and ideas will solve your space and partition issues. Barn doors do not open by swinging them, rather they need to be slide to get opened. Barn door does not require the rotatable hinges and a place to fix them.


Video Board: The Barn Door - Easy DIY Project