How to Swap the Swing of an Entry Door | Ask This Old House

Ask This Old House carpenter Nathan Gilbert helps general contractor Tom Silva change the swing of an entry door

Time: 4 hours

Cost: $100

Skill Level: Moderate

Tools List for Swapping the Swing of an Entry Door:
Hammer
Nail Set
Saw horses
Drill driver
Utility knife
Wood chisels
Tape measure
Pencil
Combination square
Miter saw
Brad nailer
Air compressor
Forstner bit

Shopping List:
Wood dowels
Scrap wood
Wood glue
Superglue
100 grit sandpaper
Spray primer

Steps:
1. Start by removing the door. Use the hammer and a nail set to remove the pins in the hinges. Place the door on saw horses so it’s easier to work on it.
2. Remove the hinges from the door using the screwdriver.
3. Fill in the holes from the hinges using wood dowels. Use a utility knife to shave them down to size, cover them with wood glue, and then hammer them into the holes. Give them a chance to dry, and then hit the excess pieces away with a chisel and hammer.
4. Sand the filled holes down with 100 grit sandpaper.
5. Flip the hinges upside down and drill new holes for them so that the door flips the opposite way.
6. Screw the hinges into their new position.
7. Flip the door upside down to start tackling the hardware. The door handle and deadbolt should be easily removed by unscrewing them. Keep track of any screws or other small parts.
8. Unscrew the striker and flip it upside down so that the door knob will fit the other way. Screw it back into place.
9. Screw the doorknob back into the striker.
10. Repeat this process for the deadbolt.
11. Flip the direction of the door sweep using a chisel and a hammer. Adding a bead of super glue will help it to stick in position.
12. Use a tape measure to measure the distance from the top of the door frame to the top of the hinge mortises. Transfer those measurements to the opposite side of the door frame using a pencil.
13. Use a combination square to ensure the hinge mortises end up at the correct depth on the other side of the door frame.
14. Patch the old hinge mortises using some scrap wood. Use a miter saw to get the wood to the correct depth and size.
15. Apply the patch with wood glue and brad nails, then sand it smooth.
16. To help the patch blend in, spray paint it to roughly match the color of the rest of the door frame.
17. Repeat this process for the striker and deadbolt mortises.
18. Mortise the new hinges on the other side of the door. It will go faster if you use a drill with a forstner bit and then chisel the excess out.
19. Drill and screw the hinges into their new position.
20. Rehang the door using the pins.
21. Take the pencil and color in the striker for the door handle and the dead bolt. Open and close the door a couple times to transfer the mark to the door frame.
22. Chisel out the new mortises for the door handle and dead bolt. Use the drill and forstner bit to get the hole for the striker.
23. Drill and screw the striker plate into the new position.

Resources:
Depending on the type and material of the entry door, the process will be different. Nathan was working on a fiberglass door that had equal details on both sides.

All the tools Nathan used to change the swing of the door, including the drill, spray paint, chisel, and hammer, can be found at home centers.

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How to Swap the Swing of an Entry Door | Ask This Old House

[peterputnam]

As a carpenter of 42 years always keep a bag of golf tees for filling old screw holes. Much easier and faster than whittling small pieces.

[diamondtran]

Instead of buying a whole new set of door in order to swap the swing side of my bedroom door, I used this technique and it was fun to do such thing by myself. Thanks for posting.

[Mark-ggxx]

Man, this guys attention to detail was top notch.

[patrickc]

Good on ya Tommy, baptism by fire. Get right in there and sweat it out with the homeowner looking over your shoulder kid, best way to learn. You guys are class acts and I love watching your vids. Nathan has a very bright future ahead of himself in the industry. As minor and simple as this job may seem there’s plenty of detail to handle there and he knocked it outta the park. Thanks and keep it up. From a Canadian Carpenter

[logandouglas]

Thank you! Exactly what I needed, not difficult at all with these instructions and the right tools. Just swapped our front door and makes a world of difference.

[mmeter]

Looks like Norm is retired, Tom, Rich and Roger are headed that way too. TOH must be starting to use new guys. Hope the show continues in some format and Kevin stays on. Been watching since the 70's so must be time for a new generation.

[saanchip]

Nice touch adding tools and steps in the description!

[ericfrancis]

As always, This Old House has the video that shows me how to do the project I need to do! :) Thanks!

[stephenboyd]

These videos are best in class!! Thanks again

[henryhu]

excellent video. I'd planned doing the exact same thing for my bedroom door. your video touched on nearly all points that I would have had to watch out for. i'm no pro so this video is helpful in knowing i was going down the right path.

[Guardducks]

I agree with Tommy a couple of things i would have done different. 1 get rid of the old evidence marks on the door from the old hardware looks tacky. 2 The chiseling of the new hinges, I would made cuts across first so my jamb didn't run and wind up with a cut to deep. 3 longer screws on the hinges..

[captjack]

Nobody's going to mention the tactical carpentry chest rig?? Haha I kind of dig it.

[djamelazerty]

Greetings to you, Canadian people ... work well and beautifully

[anewhope]

My house is over 130 years old and has a similar setup. However, if I were to switch the direction of my door, it would get in the way more, especially whenever I want to move any large items in and out. It’s a bit of a hassle- along with not having closets- but typical for an old New England home.

[EMTdrummer]

This seems like a crazy idea to me... it makes exiting from the stairs easier, but from the rest of the house more difficult as you get caught between the newel post and the door ....

[woutor]

The screws he uses are a bit short aren't they? I would use like 2 inch long ones...

[samyhady]

I remember when my ( teachr ) ( master ) ( leader ) left me for the first time to finish the whole job my self I missed him so much, we were like friends hanging out at the work site, I will miss you Tom, will miss these useful tips about almost anything in the work site,

[mele]

Great practical video! Thanks for sharing.

[japan-ej]

Beautiful.... really casey you in good hands

[marioq]

Tom don’t retire! Don’t pass the rings onto Nathan. He don’t have the professionalism and enthusiasm like you. He only had the homeowner help him move the door and apply pressure on lock part. Tom has everyone involved and makes it fun and educational.