How to Reverse a Door Swing In Under 4 Hours
With the right tools, you can handle this project in an afternoon
- Drill
- Sawhorses
- Chisel
- Hammer
- Putty knife
- Hole Filler
- Wood Glue
- Sandpaper
- Wood Scraps
Swapping the swing of your door is moderately complex and requires the help of a friend—holding up a door alone is a bit unwieldy. But this home improvement project is manageable as long as your door is symmetrical and identical on both sides. It’s also much more affordable than the cost of installing a new door, especially if your tool shed is already stocked with all the DIY basics.
This guide walks you through the steps of how to reverse a door swing and put a latch on, all in just a few hours.
Remove The Door
Before you can work on the frame, you’ll need to remove the door. Use a hammer and chisel or nail to remove the hinge pins, then carefully lift the door off the hinges. Place the door on your sawhorses (or a table, if you don’t have sawhorses) and use a screwdriver or drill to remove the hardware.
When removing all hardware, note where everything goes and how it connects. You’ll install it similarly on the other side, just upside down. So if the hinges are currently facing up, you’ll install them facing down to reverse the swing.
Fill The Holes
Use wood glue and wood scraps, dowels, or toothpicks to fill the holes left from the old hinge set. Let the filler set until dry, and then cut any excess material so it’s flush with the door. Sand until smooth.
Reverse Hardware
Photo: nito100 / iStock / Getty Images Plus / Getty ImagesMany parts of a door require attention when reversing a door swing.
Hinges
Flip the hinges upside down and use a pencil to mark the spot for the screws. Remove the hinge and use a drill to drill pilot holes. Put the hinges back on and screw into place.
Lockset and Deadbolt
Most handles can simply be flipped so the latches match the new frame. Latches typically have a curved and a flat side, with the curved side being what pushes into the door. You’ll have to swap the hardware to let that happen. If your door has a deadbolt, you’ll also need to flip that too.
Use your screwdriver or drill to remove the hardware, flip it around, and reinstall.
Weather Stripping
If you’re swapping an exterior door, flip the weather stripping, too. If the weather stripping is faded or damaged, now is the time to replace it.
Update Doorframe
It’s time to give the doorframe some attention. This step requires a bit of patience and attention to detail, so make sure you’re locked in and ready to go.
Make New Holes
Before you tackle spackling the old holes, use them as a guide for your new swing. Measure the distance from the top of the frame to each hinge mortise on the old hinge side, plus the depth of the hinge area, and transfer these measurements to the opposite side.
The hinge should be flush with the door frame, so you need to remove a shallow portion of the wood to allow for this. Place your hinge on the marked area of the frame and trace around it with a pencil. Use a chisel or a router to cut out this area.
Fill Old Holes
Use wood scraps or even toothpicks to fill the holes left over from your old lockset and hinges. Then, use wood filler to fill the rest of the hole. Once the filler is dry, sand it down to get a smooth finish.
For a finished final product, prime and paint the area while your door and hinges are off.
Rehang Your Door
Finally, it’s time to hang your door back into place. Grab a buddy and align the hinges with new mortises. Start with the middle hinge, dropping the pin into place once it’s aligned. Then, drop the other pins in and screw hinges in place. Only once all the pins are in can you and your helper rest.
Make New Latch and Deadbolt Holes
Photo: vovashevchuk / iStock / Getty Images Plus / Getty ImagesExtend the deadbolt and close the door frame. Use a pencil to mark the frame where the top and the bottom deadbolt hits—this is where you’ll make a hole. Repeat the process with the latch.
Once both areas are marked, drill out the holes and use a chisel to cut out enough wood for the strike plate and deadbolt catch to sit flush with the frame. Screw them into place.
Test Your Swing
Open and shut the door a few times, paying attention to how it swings. If it’s not how you’d like it, try troubleshooting it:
If the alignment is off: Loosen the screws on the hinges and adjust the door until the fit is right. Once you’re happy with the alignment, retighten the screws.
If it won’t latch: You can adjust the latch slightly by loosening the screws and moving the strike plate. If that doesn’t help, you may need to go back to step four and try again.
If the door squeaks: Apply a lubricant spray to the hinges and moving parts. Open and shut a few times to make sure the lubricant gets into all the little nooks and crannies.
DIY vs. Hiring a Pro
You can DIY this project, but it’s definitely not an easy task. Luckily, you likely have most of the tools needed in your tool shed already, it’s just a matter of getting a friend to help and taking your time to get the right measurements.
If you’re not confident with your DIY (or math) skills, consider hiring a local door repair company to tackle this task. This is especially a good idea if your frame needs to be repaired or replaced, as they can do it all in one fell swoop.
Frequently Asked Questions
Look at the door from the outside, or the key side. If the hinges are on the left side of the door, it’s a left-hand swing. If the hinges are on the right side of the door, it’s a right-hand swing. You can also think of it as which hand you would most likely use to open the door from the outside when considering whether it’s a right-hand vs. left-hand door.
Outswing doors are more popular for exterior doors as they offer more room for moving items in and out of a home. And because the hinges are on the outside of the door, they’re more secure against potential break-ins. But, outswing doors are more susceptible to the elements and are more expensive. Comparing inswing vs. outswing doors depends on your budget, needs, and overall preference.
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