Dutch doors

What was pain in the assish about it?

What I seem to remember (it was so long ago) was that you'd open the top part for some reason, realize you had to either go outside or let someone in (the reason you had opened the top). Then you had to close it again, hitch them together, and reopen. Sometimes you wouldn't hook them together quite correctly, and you'd go to open the door to go out, and either only the top half or the bottom half opened, and if you were moving fast you'd walk into whatever half was still closed. Sometimes if you were in a hurry and the top was open, you'd just quick open the bottom to get out, but then you'd have these 2 halves flopping around independently. At times like that, it was inevitable that your arms were full and you couldn't just push the door closed with your foot or hip, but had to go put every down and go back and wrangle the halves back together.

Maybe that doesn't sound like a lot, but if it's a door you use a lot, it just doesn't seem like it's worth the effort.
Me? I like to eliminate steps, not increase them.

Thinking about it, it reminds me of my confusion over why these tiny apartments and houses that have special designs are getting so much press. You know, you can live in a small space because you pull out this and you have a table, put it back and pull something else out and it's a bed. Move a wall and there's your toilet. If I lived in something like that it would be a hot mess within 2 days...well, maybe 2 weeks.

There's a reason these doors aren't all that popular, except in barns, or maybe day care centers and such where little ones could get out a totally open door. Places where they aren't opened and closed much.

That makes sense and is something I really need to consider. Thanks!

Not trying to discourage you.

You sure can talk some common sense, Chai.

Good point.

I wouldn't put it in until your entrance way plan is jelled.

Someone thinks it inappropriate for me to compliment you, Chai. Go figger.

Thanks, Bobsal.

I said:

"You can mitigate the stresses by replacing all the short hinge screws with long ones that reach the framing members."

I should have also mentioned for anyone trying this - it can also be used to fix that door sag which causes the top of the door handle side to get too close to/touch the frame .

When you do this you have to drill out the material found within the hinge hole. Say you just want to fix a sagging door. One long screw is usually enough for this situation. But don't just replace the short screw with a long one.

Drill out the wood within the hinge hole so the long screw will slip thru the door frame material.

You don't want it to pull on the door frame until it has been screwed in til the head of the screw meets the metal of the hinge. Then you carefully turn the screw half a turn or so, checking door alignment after each small incremental turn.

So too in Boomer's case - the new door is actually mounted on the frame with the screws acting as the holders and the shims - were there no door trim already in place.

So too in Boomer's case - the new door is actually mounted on the frame with the screws acting as the holders and the shims - were there no door trim already in place.

Sorry. One more thing:

Only one screw in each hinge is used to set the frame alignment. The remaining hinge screws would only be screwed in until they are snug. They should not be tightened excessively so as to make the door frame wonky, if you catch my drift.