Refurbishing 1930s front door

[xaphania]

We live in a 1930s terrace, most features have been ripped out sadly, although still has the original three panelled doors upstairs.

The house currently has a ghastly 1970s front door, which I want to replace, and I've found a lovely solid 1930s front door on eBay that I would love to replace it with. The problem is, it's the wrong way round, so lock holes etc are on the wrong edge of the door for the way our front door opens.

Is it feasible or indeed sensible to fill the original holes and drill new ones to hang the door? I obviously don't want to compromise the security of the door. I can't just flip the door (have interior side as exterior side) as it has a recessed bolt inserted on the interior side.

Planning to speak to a joiner, but just wondered if anyone had any words of wisdom first?

First of all, will it work for it to open the other side or will it be awkward. If it will work, then could a joiner fit a new door surround for you instead?

Yep, you can do that. Make sure you use a filler for exterior use on the outside of the door. Is the door an exact fit? Hanging doors well, and sawing tiny lengths of wood off to make them fit is beyond some 'odd job' type joiners. You need to seek out someone with experience, and suitable saw equipment.

The trouble is, there are so many who will tell you something is impossible for some technical reason, rather than admitting nthat they can' t do it.

Agree, check that if the door opens the other way, it will still be convenient. And double check the measurement to make sure the door will fit, e.g. If it's a few mm to small, it should be possible for a joiner to take a bit off. But if the size is considerably different, it could be a problem.

a real joiner, not just a handyman with a saw, can make a new door out of a pile of planks.

Filling and planing will be childs play.

Thanks for replies! Door measures exactly the same as current door, so hopefully should fit. Unfortunately I don't think it would work opening the other way, but worth considering.

Joiner has come recommended from a friend who he fitted a door for (needed to add extra wood to their door to fit it, and is a fantastic job).

I'll go ahead and speak to him then, see what he thinks.

" I can't just flip the door (have interior side as exterior side) as it has a recessed bolt inserted on the interior side."

if you had the bolt hole patched, could you turn it round?

Is it a mortice rackbolt, or a flush bolt?

I wondered that as soon as I wrote it. I don't know what type it is, but I'll have a Google (don't have a photo).

Looks like it's a flush bolt. Probably about 10-15cm long, about 1cm wide at the top of the door, horizontally.

I would have thought that could be cut square and filled with a strip of wood (pref not filler)

BTW, flush bolts are for double doors. They might look cool but are not suitable for a single door.

Why is that PIglet John? We have flush bolts on our double door and they're a pita to be frank, always slipping out.

on double doors, they are fitted on the edge of the first door, to shoot up into the head of the frame, and down into the sill. Notionally they hold the door rigid.

The second door closes onto it, and has a lock, which engages with the first leaf as if it was locking into a frame. Double doors are rebated together, and there is a special adaptor on the lock and its keep.

Flush bolts are put into a groove recessed into the edge of the door, and almost always have a lever like a switch. This means that you can't undo them when the second door has been locked into the first.

If you have double doors and the first leaf is not strongly held in place, they can easily be forced open, so an ordinary bolt (that could be undone) would not be secure.

If you haven't got double doors, you don't need a bolt on the edge, so you don't need to cut a slot into the door and possibly weaken it.

You can make out the "switch" or finger slider in these pics. The switch type should not be able to slip out of position. I suppose a slider type might if it was badly worn.

www.ironmongerydirect.co.uk/products/bolts_stops_and_accessories/flush_bolts

some people use mortice rackbolts. I have seen one that broke and the bolt fell down, but that is very unusual.