Build/install the doors when the walls are down flat?

[S. Heisley]

I just did a search and went through 2871 topics and didn't find this; so, I'm going to ask:

Has anyone tried building and installing the door while the wall is flat and not yet attached to the floor? Is there a reason why it shouldn't be done? What are your thoughts on this idea?

It would seem to me that it would:
1) Be easier to work with everything on a flat surface instead of upright.
2) Add extra support to the door opening when installing the wall.
2) Help keep the door openings square if the door were already in place when the wall is secured to the floor

Building and installing the door upright, after the walls are up is a house building technique that is probably done because the walls are so big on a house. But, our little trailers are small with fairly easily managed sides; so, modular building makes more sense. Anyway, Andrew is always saying we tend to build like we're building houses when we are not....

The only two drawbacks that I see are:
1) The reward of seeing the sides up is postponed a while longer.
2) If something does shift when putting the wall up, the door could stick and need some adjustment.

I'm interested in reading your thoughts on this proposal!

[JayM]

I built the frame for my doors when the walls were on the workbench, but didn't attach them until after the walls were up. That gave me easier access to the inside during construction. I finished attaching the inner and outer skins for the doors on the bench, poly'd the inside, sealed and painted the outside, installed the windows, and then hung them by using spacers to position them when I attached the hinges.

[xrover]

Hmmm interesting. But something that may cause an issue. The success of door hanging is the levelling of it. So if you hung the door while the walls were not assembled, while you'd get a good fit there, you would then have to ensure the walls are very true when installed. This may actually be a tougher thing to do than just hanging the door. It may cause the door to jam, and/or swing on it's own.

I am not a builder of TD's, but have hung enough doors to figure it would be better to hang the door while it is assembled. It is easier to work with the smaller door than the larger TD.

Good luck with your build.

[toypusher]

Hmmm interesting. But something that may cause an issue. The success of door hanging is the levelling of it. So if you hung the door while the walls were not assembled, while you'd get a good fit there, you would then have to ensure the walls are very true when installed. This may actually be a tougher thing to do than just hanging the door. It may cause the door to jam, and/or swing on it's own.

I am not a builder of TD's, but have hung enough doors to figure it would be better to hang the door while it is assembled. It is easier to work with the smaller door than the larger TD.

Good luck with your build.

Just a note on the door swinging on it's own - that would depend on the height adjustment of the tongue at any given time. Leveling the trailer will level (or not) the door swing.

[aggie79]

Sharon,

I think it is certainly "do-able" as long as you are careful with the hinge layout. Certain, with the craftsmanship and close tolerances you are building to, I think you can do it.

As for me, I use a fair amount of "Kentucky windage" in my construction, so I'm waiting until the later in the build to hang the doors.

Gig'em,
Tom

[Wolffarmer]

On my next build i have been considering building the door while the wall is on the bench. I think having a very flat workspace would be most important. But before putting the wall up I would take the door off. no real need to have to lift all that when it can be removed.

[Mauleskinner]

I built my doors before I put up the walls, but marked a couple of holes for the hinges.

Hopefully get to installing them soon!

[planovet]

I built my doors and placed the hinges while my sides were still flat on sawhorses. It made it much easier to position the hinges and get the spacing just right. I put it all together and made sure everything fit and then lifted the door off the hinges before I put the sides on the trailer. The lift-off hinges worked great. Once the sides were on the trailer, all I had to do was slide the door back on the hinges. The sides were stiff enough that I was not worried about anything shifting.

Here is the blank I cut out earlier, testing for fit and spacing:



Here is the door after it was built and I was attaching the hinges:



Here we are on side raising day. Note the hinges on the side and the interior door frame and weather striping already in place:

[S. Heisley]

Thanks to all of you for your thoughtful replies.

Mark (Planovet), your pictures are really helpful and encouraging. (The shiny red finish on your tear is amazing!)

[xrover]

Just a note on the door swinging on it's own - that would depend on the height adjustment of the tongue at any given time. Leveling the trailer will level (or not) the door swing.[/quote]

D'oh! I keep forgetting that!

[kennyrayandersen]

I was actually thinking of not just installing the door, but laying it up as a composite at the same time I was making the walls. Then I would just jig saw out the door (half the frame would stay on the door and half would remain with the wall) and it would match the cutout. I think if you installed the door immediately then it would kind of get in the way during the build (all the getting in and out of the trailer and bringing hardware and tools in and out).

[S. Heisley]

KennyRayAnderson wrote:

Then I would just jig saw out the door (half the frame would stay on the door and half would remain with the wall) and it would match the cutout.

Ohhh, KennyRay! I'm a bit too much of a to do that! If I did that, I would have one strange looking door...probably with curves or cuts where it wasn't supposed to have 'em! Has anybody ever made a door that looked like a rollercoaster? Ha!Ha!

If you wanna do that on yours, you go right ahead. You've got more experience and better tools, no doubt!

[kennyrayandersen]

KennyRayAnderson wrote:

Then I would just jig saw out the door (half the frame would stay on the door and half would remain with the wall) and it would match the cutout.

Ohhh, KennyRay! I'm a bit too much of a to do that! If I did that, I would have one strange looking door...probably with curves or cuts where it wasn't supposed to have 'em! Has anybody ever made a door that looked like a rollercoaster? Ha!Ha!

If you wanna do that on yours, you go right ahead. You've got more experience and better tools, no doubt!

Now before you go and think I’m all that and a bag O chips in the shop, first let me say I don’t trust me either; but, there would be a couple of things you could do to make up for the crooked eye and unsteady hand. It’s a secret, so don’t tell ANYONE – it’s just between you and me

Using a straight edge you can route the sides. Top, and bottom (1/8 inch router bit) or run your jigsaw along the straight edge. You could make the doors square or carefully freehand just the corners.

Or (this is actually the way I would do it), you could make a template and use an 1/8 inch router bit and guide from both sides (as it won’t go deep enough to do it in one pass).

[aggie79]

I was actually thinking of not just installing the door, but laying it up as a composite at the same time I was making the walls. Then I would just jig saw out the door (half the frame would stay on the door and half would remain with the wall) and it would match the cutout. I think if you installed the door immediately then it would kind of get in the way during the build (all the getting in and out of the trailer and bringing hardware and tools in and out).

I somewhat followed this process in my build. In the first picture you see the outside of my plywood "framing". In the framing, I routed through for the door except at certain points I only routed half depth. I then applied the engineered flooring for the interior finish. The door was rough cut with a jig saw. The second picture is the door before the edges were cleaned up with a router and pattern bearing bit. I also cleaned up the opening this way.





Gig'em, Tom

[mallymal]

Wow Wow Wow planovet,

Only just seen those close ups of your walls. What an AMAZING finish!!!

I assume that's epoxy, plus a zillion hours of sanding, then a sprayed finish? Abslutely STUNNING.

Sorry for hijacking door installation thread, but just had to jump in!