All wall finishing work is completed by installing trim on the doors. If they were dismantled on purpose, there are no problems - they are installed in the reverse order. If the repair work was accompanied by the replacement of the door block, then very often the question arises about how to install trim on the door with your own hands.
At first glance, nothing complicated. However, in the process of work, moments arise when knowledge of the nuances cannot be avoided.
It is unlikely that anyone will agree to live for a long time in an apartment with such doors.
Below we will consider what material and what shape of trims to buy, as well as how to install them correctly - advice from professionals will help you do the work yourself quickly and beautifully.
Kinds
To correctly install platbands on interior doors, you first need to select the appropriate elements. First of all, pay attention to the material of manufacture:
- Products made from natural wood are considered universal. The strips can be painted to match the color of the doors. The wooden elements are fastened with nails without heads. If the walls are well aligned with the door frame, the platbands are placed on an adhesive composition - “liquid nails”.
- Laminated MDF planks resemble natural wood in appearance. Decorative elements are matched to the color of the door. The platbands are secured with adhesive or nails without heads, having previously drilled blind holes.
- PVC cashing is more suitable for plastic doors. The planks are glued or mounted on the mounting profile.
- There are also aluminum and steel cash registers, but they are usually installed on entrance doors.
Most planks are given a standard flat, rounded or curly shape .
Depending on the mounting method, cash can be overhead or telescopic. The first type of elements is fixed directly to the door frame. The second one is equipped with mounting grooves.
Design Features
When planning how to sheathe the front door opening, it is useful to take into account the recommendations of the Guardian designers:
Decorative elements must be selected in the same style as the decorative panel.
You can choose the color of the decorative elements the same as the panel, or give preference to a shade that will highlight it.
The general style of the interior of the room may impose its own requirements on those elements that are placed on the inside of the door.
Non-standard openings require special attention. You can adjust certain elements to their size on the spot (trimming). But not every decor option will be possible if the size of the opening is too different from the standard.
Tools for work
To ensure that the installation of door trims is successful, the tools must be prepared in advance.
- To make accurate markings you will need a pencil, tape measure, plumb line, square and level .
- A miter box will help you cut the workpiece perfectly evenly at an angle of 45 degrees .
- It is better to cut the planks with a miter saw . If you don't have one, you can use a hacksaw . The fine teeth of the blade will not leave chips on the product.
- A hammer is used to drive nails or tap cash elements .
Arrangement of telescopic frame elements
The simplest and most technologically advanced way to frame a doorway is to use a telescopic “cashing”. Each plank has a special ridge of a complex profile, and the end of the extension has a groove of the same shape.
To install the platband, its ridge is aligned with the groove and snaps into place mechanically according to the principle of the designer. As a rule, such elements come from the factory complete with interior door parts.
Rice. 10. Arrangement of telescopic platbands
How to cut off the platband?
After marking the angle of the cut and the length of the workpiece, the trim is cut with a miter saw. A special feature of the power tool is the adjustable table, which is installed at the desired angle. In order to saw off the door frames correctly and without chipping, the side edges of the workpiece are pressed tightly against the stops on the frame. If a gap occurs, the cut will be uneven.
If you don’t have a power saw, a miter box will help you cut the edge of the casing at 45 degrees. It is better to buy a quality tool. The cheap one made of plastic has deformed thrust elements that distort the size of the angle. A hacksaw for cutting is used with fine teeth that do not leave chips.
Stage 1. Control measurement of the opening after door installation
We make accurate measurements of the actual dimensions after installing the door - even if we know the exact factory dimensions. It is necessary to measure the width, height of the vertical and length of the horizontal extension.
Door trims are decorative strips that cover the walls of a doorway. They are installed if the opening is wider than the door frame. Most often, MDF panels are used for this.
Photo 2. Measuring the width of the extension
It is necessary to measure at three points vertically on each side and at two points horizontally (from above).
Photo 3. Measuring the length of the horizontal extension
The additional element must necessarily be adjacent to the door frame, so we measure the length along the width of the door.
How to attach platbands to interior doors?
Simple fastening of flat platbands is performed at an angle of 90 degrees. The vertical planks fit tightly at the top with the horizontal one. When installing wooden or MDF elements of complex shapes, the ends are cut at an angle of 45 degrees. There are 4 methods of fixing the planks.
Using finishing nails
Wooden or MDF door casing is easier to nail with nails with flat heads. The fastening is reliable, and if necessary, the planks can be easily dismantled. You can use nails of a different configuration, and so that the heads are not visible, they are removed with side cutters. The length of finishing nails for platbands is about 40 mm. The size can be calculated individually, taking into account the thickness of the cash. Having passed through the bar, the nail must enter at least 20 mm into the body of the door frame.
Attachment points are marked on the workpieces, maintaining the same distance. Typically, a pitch of 500 mm is maintained. Using the markings, drill through holes with a diameter corresponding to the thickness of the nail. After joining to the door frame, the platbands are carefully nailed. For aesthetics, hats are painted over with a wax pencil.
Liquid nails
To attach cash to interior doors without nails, use an adhesive - liquid nails. The advantage of this method is that there is no visible fixation site. The downside is the weak fastening, as well as inconvenience during dismantling. In addition, liquid nails are only applicable if the adjacent walls are perfectly level.
The door frames are installed after sawing and fitting of the blanks. The plank is lubricated on the back side with adhesive and pressed tightly against the wall. To glue platbands for interior doors, it is enough to hold each strip pressed for no more than a minute.
Fastening with self-tapping screws
The method is similar to fastening with finishing nails, only instead of them, wood screws 25 mm long and 6 mm thick are used. Places for holes are marked on the workpiece in increments of 500 mm. A drill of the same diameter or with a margin of 1 mm is used.
It is advisable to recess the hats into the body of the plank. On the front side of the workpiece, the hole is expanded with a drill of a larger diameter to a depth of 1–1.5 mm. Now all that remains is to attach the trim to the interior doors with self-tapping screws. You need to tighten the hardware so that the head fits into the recess. The place of fixation is painted over with a wax pencil.
Attachment by beaks
The method does not require the use of screws, nails or adhesive. The cash box is equipped with a beak-shaped lock. The connecting pin is inserted into the recess on the box and pressed until it clicks.
The advantage of this method is ease of installation and invisibility of the mounting location. A negative point is the delamination of MDF trims during dismantling. Over time, spontaneous destruction of the joints may occur, which requires additional treatment of the joints with glue.
Finishing nails
Wooden and MDF trims are easier and better to fasten with nails with flat heads. Then, if necessary, they can be easily dismantled. And so that the platbands do not dismantle by themselves and hold tightly, the nail should be driven into the door frame at least 20 - 25 mm. It is better to make the distance between the nails the same. To simplify the task, you can pre-drill through holes in the lantern. At the end, so that the nails do not disturb the appearance, they can be painted over with a wax pencil.
You can also drive nails into the door frame first. Then use pliers to remove their caps. The length of the visible part of the nail without the head should not be greater than the thickness of the strip. Next, having placed the platband against the nails, a wooden beam wrapped in fabric is applied to the plank at the location of these nails, and with a few light blows of a hammer the plank is pressed onto the nail.
How to install platbands on interior doors?
When installing interior doors with your own hands, glue, nails or self-tapping screws are used to fasten trim made of wood or MDF. However, the evenness of the walls and the shape of the planks are taken into account. There should be no gaps at the joints. If the walls adjacent to the end of the door frame are uneven, then it is better to refuse gluing.
Installation of cashing begins from the side where the interior door opens. This is due to the presence of hinges that prevent the strip from being fixed flush with the box element. You will need to make the same indentation, and on all three sides for symmetry. Where there are no loops, there is no need for mandatory indentation.
If the door is in a corner, installation is carried out using the letter G. If desired, you can saw the element vertically and use a narrow strip.
The platband on one side is installed when the slopes on the other are decorated with tiles or other wall materials.
Docking at an angle of 45
When it is necessary to install trim on the door at an angle of 45 degrees, use a miter box for marking. This joining of elements is usually used for shaped and rounded planks. If there is no miter box, the markings can be made with a protractor.
The installation procedure consists of the following steps:
- The height of the vertical elements is measured from the floor. The planks from below are placed on the floor covering, which is why the joints of the baseboards and door frames are on the side. When installing cash on the door from the hinge side, take into account the width of the indentation. The indicators are measured on the workpiece and a mark is placed. This will be the bottom point of the 45 degree angle.
- Having inserted a bar into the miter box, mark a cutting line at an angle from the set point. The excess part is sawed off.
- First, the blanks are baited in two places so that they can bend from above. The heads of the nails are removed with pliers and hammered into the door frame: one just above the floor, the other at a distance of 1 m.
- The length of nails without heads should not be greater than the thickness of the strips. It is optimal to make the protrusion of the pins 5 mm. The platbands are attached to the door frame. At the location of the nail, a wooden beam wrapped in fabric is applied to the workpiece, and vertical strips are placed on the pins with light blows of a hammer.
- To properly make platbands for the entire door, the corner must be given an even shape. The upper unfixed parts of the cash are folded back, and a horizontal element is placed under them. At both ends of the workpiece, mark lines at an angle of 45 degrees with a pencil, after which the excess part is cut off.
Docking at an angle of 90
The platbands are fastened at 90 degrees with horizontal or vertical seams. The choice depends on the preference of the owner. When installing a door cashing with your own hands at a right angle, only flat-shaped blanks are used. The cut areas are treated with varnish or acrylic-based paint.
To install platbands on interior doors with imitation lintels, the upper element is extended. The joining is obtained at an angle of 90 degrees with horizontal seams. The top bar extends beyond the vertical.
Telescopic trims
Telescopic trims are attached to interior doors without nails. Decorative elements are equipped with a special lock consisting of a slot and groove. Fixation occurs at the end of the box. The main requirement for proper installation of platbands is the presence of a protrusion. It forms when the door frame is narrower than the thickness of the interior partition. The adjacent walls must be level, otherwise you will get an unsightly gap.
Installation instructions for plastic trims
Glue is used very rarely, the connection is unreliable. Basically, plastic trims are installed on interior doors using a profile. This installation method consists of the following steps:
- A special profile is cut to fit the dimensions of the door frame. The blanks can be made 5 mm shorter. This will not play a significant role; they will still hide under the cash.
- 4 long and 2 short elements are cut off on two sides of the interior door. The connecting ends are sawed off at an angle of 45°.
- Fix the mounting profile with self-tapping screws to the door frame. This option will not work with cheap Chinese doors. The box is made of thin metal; it is impossible to tighten the screws firmly. In this case, the mounting profile is fixed to the wall, but it must be strong, preferably without plaster.
- They begin to screw the profile with self-tapping screws from the middle, moving in both ends. Using a plumb line or level, correct any distortions.
- After installing the mounting profile, measure the height of the side cashing elements and saw off the ends at an angle of 45 degrees. The process is identical as for planks made of wood or MDF. The workpieces are inserted into the groove of the vertical mounting profiles, where they can move.
- Connectors - corner fittings - are placed in the cut of the platbands. The top bar is measured and sawed off at both ends at an angle of 45 degrees. The workpiece is joined with connectors to vertical trims, snapping into the mounting profile. Corner fittings completely hide the joint, even if there is a gap.
If the plastic cash is placed on a wall lined with clapboard, then a wooden strip is fixed around the perimeter of the doorway, and the profile is already attached to it.
Installation is possible using special nipples and screws.
Methods for finishing slopes
You can trim slopes in different ways:
- Cement and carefully putty;
- Install slopes from a sandwich panel. This is an inexpensive type of finishing. But sandwich panels are fragile and short-lived.
- Install MDF slopes. This is a more expensive and at the same time reliable method of finishing. MDF slopes are more durable. In addition, they can be matched to the color of the door. Torex produces slopes that fully match the selected door model in color and texture.
You can perform any of these options either independently or with the help of professionals. You can order the installation of MDF slopes from a certified Torex team. In this case, we guarantee high quality of work performed. Since installing MDF slopes is the most complex and time-consuming, you need to know a number of nuances. If you decide to do this yourself, use our instructions.
Elimination of defects
An unpleasant moment is the visibility of the nail head or screw. They are slightly recessed into the body of the cash, and sealed on top with sealant of the desired color. You can use a wax corrector.
On uneven walls, due to the curvature of wooden planks, joints diverge. During installation, the joining elements are additionally connected with a finishing nail.
Wide strips from 100 to 120 mm help to hide large defects around the door frame.
Attachment by beaks
This one is different in that it does not use any of the above mountings. The casing itself is equipped with a latch, shaped very similar to a beak. Hence the name. This fastener is inserted into a recess on the door frame. Thus, the fastening is not visible from the outside. But over time, the joints may collapse, and then they will need to be treated with glue.
How to join the plinth with the platband?
There is no need to cut the door trim; it should reach the floor. Otherwise it won't look very nice.
The plinth itself is adjusted, the method depends on the material.
- The plastic ones have decorative plugs, with the help of which you can neatly and beautifully join the end of the plinth and the door casing.
- A cut is made on the wooden one at 45 degrees to align the adjacent side of the plinth with the thickness of the door casing.
Advantages of using accessories, materials
Additional strips are a universal way to solve the problem when the opening and the door frame do not match.
- You can make any width of the extension;
- variety of options, have different shapes, textures;
- door extensions can be made by hand;
- with its help you can correct uneven door jambs;
- ease of installation;
- resistant to moisture and temperature fluctuations;
- look aesthetically attractive.
An additional strip can become not only a connecting element, but also an interior decor item.
For these purposes, the following materials are used:
- Wood is perhaps the most beautiful and comfortable material. In addition, it is a good heat insulator.
Scheme for installing a wooden panel
To finish the jambs for leveling, you can use plaster of the opening, but this method is rarely used. If the sides of the canvas on both sides of the doors are different in color, then the tone of the finish is selected at your discretion. More often the color matches the inner surface.
Dismantling
Removal of platbands is usually required when cash is replaced. There is no need to worry about their safety, but the work is done carefully. Taking an ax with a sharp blade and a hammer in their hands, they begin to dismantle:
- To remove the trim carefully, the interior door is placed in an open position. Positioned in the doorway, the tip of the ax is inserted in the upper corner between the bar and the frame.
- The hammer is used to hit the butt of the ax until the blade plunges under the cash.
- By pressing the handle on the ax, the bar is separated from the box. The further procedure consists of similar actions. They use an ax in a circle until the dismantling of the platbands is completed completely.
The procedure must be carried out carefully so that no dents are left on the door frame. Instead of an axe, homemade sharpened strips of durable metal or other similar devices are suitable.
Liquid Nails
For a flawless appearance, without visible fixation elements, use a special glue - “liquid nails”. However, this method is characterized by weak fixation and difficulty in dismantling. In addition, it can only be used on perfectly smooth walls. But if you decide that this mounting method is the most suitable for you, then apply adhesive to the back side of the casing and lean it firmly against the wall. In the case of an interior door, it is enough to hold the bar in this position for about a minute.
