How to Make a Right-Hand Door Into a Left-Swing Door

If your door always gets in the way or simply won't open properly, you may need to reverse it. Doors are relatively heavy, so reversing a door is a two-person job. Simply keep track of all of your hardware as you go and measure carefully before making any cuts with your chisel -- and your door will open the other way with only a few adjustments.

Screwdriver
Chisel
Tape measure
Hammer
Spackle or similar filling agent
Paint and paint brush

Instructions

- 1
  Remove the door from its hinges, but leave the hinges attached to the wall. Measure the height of the hinges in the door jamb so that you can attach them at the proper height on the opposite side.
- 2
  Mark the opposite side of the door jamb where the new hinges will be screwed into place. Chisel out a rectangle to fit the hinges. Unscrew them from the other side, then screw them back onto the door, facing the opposite direction as before.
- 3
  Remove the doorknob from your door and reverse it. Measure the strike plate location in the door jamb, then remove and reattach it on the opposite side of the jamb. The steps involved in installing the strike plate mortice and strike plate depend on the type of doorknob you have, so refer to the manufacturer's instructions for installation.
- 4
  Hold the door in place where it will now hang while your partner taps the hinges into the chiseled-out rectangles with a hammer. While you hold the door, have your partner screw the hinges in place in the door jamb.
- 5
  Fill any holes in the door jamb where the hinges once were using either spackle or a comparable filling agent. Sand it down and repaint to match the rest of the jamb.

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Doors