Replace your builder’s grade doors with a custom interior wood door. Follow our easy instructions to learn how to install a custom wood door.
Disclaimer: This post is brought to you by Woodgrain. Thanks for supporting the brands that support this blog.
Our laundry room is the first room we see when we come into our home from the garage.
And we always come in through the garage!
The room is fine…it’s a dedicated space just for laundry which is great but it isn’t super pretty. I like to call it builder’s grade basic. LOL
So after 12 years we finally decided to give our laundry room a much-needed makeover!
I started this project with an inspiration board for my new laundry room so I could see my ideas come together in one place.
A modern farmhouse style laundry room calls for a new pretty door don’t you think? Especially since it’s the first thing we see every day and you know what they say about making a good first impression!
I’ve always loved the look of doors with glass windows for laundry rooms and pantries. So when we started working with Woodgrain I knew exactly what kind of door I wanted.
I ordered my new door directly from Woodgrain since we were collaborating with them on this project. But you can order custom doors at one of their dealer locations.
When ordering your door you can choose the exact size, style, and wood you want. They have so many wood choices and door panel styles you can create your perfect door. Woodgrain also has many glass finishes if you want to add glass to your door too.
I ordered my door the exact size as our old laundry room door so that we didn’t have to remove or refit the door frame.
Easy Peasy installation!
My door is solid oak with 2 raised panels at the bottom and a clear glass window at the top. The door came unfinished and I finished it with stain before installing it.
Supplies To Install a Custom Wood Door
You’ll need just a few tools to get this DIY project done right!
Scroll to the bottom of the post for shoppable links for all tools used.
Tools Needed:
- cordless drill
- square
- sawhorse with adjustable clamp
- router
- wood chisel
- wood door lock installation kit
- door latch installation kit
- door hinge template
- hammer
You’ll also need some supplies to finish your door. Stay tuned for a blog post with all the details on how I finished my custom wood door.
Supplies Needed:
- door (I used Woodgrain #559 in oak)
- hinges
- doorknob
- sandpaper
- paintbrush
- rags
- paint or stain
Removing the Old Laundry Room Door
We replaced the boring builder’s grade interior door with a brand new custom wood door from Woodgrain.
Just wait until you see it hanging in my new laundry room!
The closed door in the photo above is our garage door and the open door leads to our laundry room.
Removing the existing door is easy to do with a cordless power drill. Just remove the screws to unsecure the door from the hinges.
Custom doors are different from doors that come ready to hang as they don’t have the holes cut in them for the doorknob, door latch, or hinges.
Use Old Door as Template
If you’re replacing an existing door using the old door as a template allows you to be absolutely sure you install the new door correctly.
Line up the doors being careful to put the correct sides back to back.
You don’t want to find out later that you cut the holes for the door knob in the wrong side of the door.
We used old towels to protect the door since we were working outside on my driveway.
Holding the old and new doors together with a clamping adjustable sawhorse helped keep them in place while we worked on the door.
Once the doors were secure and perfectly lined up we were able to use the old door as a template for the new custom wood door.
Using a small square I measured the door latch from the old door and traced it onto the edge of the new door.
Then I traced the hole for the door knob through the original laundry room door onto the wood door.
Creating the Doorknob and Latch Holes for Installation
This was a super fun group project!
Anne’s husband Kevin had all the tools from preparing their new custom laundry room door so he came over to help Chris and I get our door ready to hang. And Anne took photos of each step.
We attached the door lock installation jig with screws so that it would stay put while we drilled the holes in the wood door.
I used a cordless drill with the door hole saw attached to drill the create a hole needed for a door knob.
You’ll need to do this on both sides of the door as the saw isn’t thick enough to go through the entire width of the wood door.
Next we used the smaller hole saw that come in the kit to create a hole for the door latch.
You can see how easy the door installation kit is to use and get your custom door ready for installing a doorknob and latch.
These tools aren’t expensive but are necessary to accomplish this project if your door doesn’t come ready to hang.
After the holes for the doorknob and door latch are done it’s time to notch out a spot for the door latch plate.
A door latch installation kit will be needed for this step.
Once the jig is lined up and attached to the door edge you can score the wood using a hammer.
Here you can see the the wood is scored and ready.
Isn’t that so cool!
After the wood is scored we used a wood chisel to carve it out.
This makes a spot for the door latch plate to fit.
Preparing the Wood Door for Hinges
Now it’s time to get the wood door ready for hinges.
Attach a door hinge template to the edge of the door where you previously marked your door against the old door.
With the door hinge template in place use a router to remove the wood.
This creates the space to attach a door hinge.
The door hinge template comes with a router bit and guide stop to make sure you carve out the exact depth needed for your hinge.
You’ll repeat this step for all three hinges on your door.
Then you’ll want to attach your hinge to your new wood door to be sure it will fit perfectly.
By attaching the hinge you’re also creating pilot holes for when you’re ready to hang your wood door.
Hanging Your Custom Wood Door
Now comes the fun part when you actually get to hang your custom interior wood door!
I stained my door before hanging but you can choose to hang first and then stain or paint after.
This is a two person job…one person holds the door up and the other attaches it to the hinges.
Starting with the middle hinge & screw helps to secure the door and balance the weight as you’re installing the wood door.
Continue with the other two screws on the middle hinge.
Then you can screw in the middle for both the top and bottom hinges.
Once your door is hung on the hinges you can install your doorknob.
We bought new hinges and doorknobs in matte black which looks perfect with the stained door.
And before you know it you’re all done!
The door is hung, your hardware is installed and you’re grinning from ear to ear while you admire your new gorgeous custom wood door.
This post includes some affiliate links which means we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. You can read our full disclosure policy here.
Tools Needed to Install A Custom Wood Door
Click on any of the images below to buy
If you have any questions or suggestions, contact me or leave a comment!
Don’t miss any of our tips, tricks, or stories! We’d love for you to follow us on social media! You can find us on TikTok, Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook.
Pin it to Remember it:
