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How to Create a Dutch Door | Ask This Old House

Bathroom
By Quentin Peters
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Ask This Old House general contractor Tom Silva converts a regular door into a Dutch door.
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Time: 3 hours

Cost: $100

Skill Level: Moderate

Tools List for Creating a Dutch Door:
Pencil [https://amzn.to/2kSd1Ah]
Safety glasses [https://amzn.to/2mYd6mN]
Chisel [https://amzn.to/2lfWpTn]
Utility knife [https://amzn.to/2mWQ0gc]
Drill [https://amzn.to/2mSflaY]
Track saw [https://amzn.to/2lsdV6C]
Palm sander [https://amzn.to/2lseU6O]

Shopping List:
Hinges (with screws) [https://amzn.to/2lg2kYA]
Barrel latch [https://amzn.to/2loZQqH]
Scrap cardboard [https://amzn.to/2mPsi5k]
Scrap wood for Filler [https://amzn.to/2kRopw7]
Wood glue [https://amzn.to/2lfBnUS]
Wood screws [https://amzn.to/2kV9eCj]
80-100 grit sandpaper [https://amzn.to/2ls1wQ9]

Steps:
1. With the door still hung in the jamb, mark where the cut for Dutch door will be. Use that as a guide to mark for 2 additional hinges above and below the cut mark.
2. Mortise the door where the new hinges will go with a chisel. Scoring around the mark with a utility knife can help prevent the door from chipping or cracking.
3. Once the hinges can fit flush against the door, attach the hinges to the door using a drill and screws.
4. With the new hinges attached to the door, trace where the hinges will attach to the jamb. Mortise the jamb and attach the other side of the hinges the same as earlier.
5. Replace the old hinges with new ones so that all four hinges match. If the old hinges are thicker than the new ones, add a filler piece of scrap cardboard behind both hinges before installing.
6. Remove the door from the jamb.
7. Cut two pieces of scrap wood the width of the door and taper them on opposite sides.
8. Cut the door in half with the track saw to fit the tapered filler pieces.
9. Attach one filler piece to the bottom of the top half of the door using wood glue and screws.
10. Rehang the top half of the door, then the bottom. With the door in place, attach the second filler piece to the top of the bottom half of the door and adjust as necessary with a palm sander.
11. Install a barrel latch to the top and bottom halves of the door to lock the top half of the door.

Resources:
Everything Tom used for this project, including the chisel, utility knife, hole saw, hinges, and latches can be found at home centers.

Tom used wood glue [https://amzn.to/2mXkI8Y] and polyurethane glue [https://amzn.to/2mrJduD], manufactured by Gorilla Glue (https://www.gorillatough.com/)

The track saw Tom used is manufactured by Festool [https://amzn.to/2mWmB5Q] (https://www.festoolusa.com/)

Expert assistance for this project was provided by Woodcraft (https://www.woodcraft.com/).

About Ask This Old House TV:
Homeowners have a virtual truckload of questions for us on smaller projects, and we’re ready to answer. Ask This Old House solves the steady stream of home improvement problems faced by our viewers—and we make house calls! Ask This Old House features some familiar faces from This Old House, including Kevin O’Connor, general contractor Tom Silva, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, and landscape contractor Roger Cook.

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How to Create a Dutch Door | Ask This Old House
https://www.youtube.com/user/thisoldhouse/

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About The Author

Quentin Peters

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Comment (0)

  3. If I was Tommy I would of said just put on a screen door and be done with it. Now you got bugs to worry about. And the bottom door is going to have to stay open

  16. and thieves as well. letting the outside world in, dont leave them out. unless theres a way to lock the two halves together?, course this is her home, not mine nor anybody elses, shes free to do as she pleases.

  22. Absolutely love this project and love that you decided to do something unique to you and your home. Also really enjoyed how you and Tommy interact, it was just a fun and informative project and way more fun than “just opening up a window”! Thank you so much for sharing this!

  23. Very neat! Probably not much call for Dutch doors nowadays; they were pretty popular in CA tract homes in the 1950s (we had one in our kitchen). You'll need a screen door/storm door, to keep out the critters.

  29. Using a Dutch Door as interior bedroom door would be just the thing for an older relative, caregivers should consider. Less confusing as a full door, provides a window to family activity. It’s an activity opening and closing, it’s a signal —I'm ready for company. Kitty cat would consider the challenge, maybe the dog would stay out.

  40. Never understood why anyone would want a door cut in half open to the elements when a screen door works so much better. Is this just for HOA neighborhoods that ban screen doors?

  44. Tommy is the last of a true craftsman. Chiseling a hinge cutout is time consuming and VERy difficult to get right. Most ppl would use a router…amazing work.

  46. Turns out a Dutch Door is nothing like a Dutch Oven. I’m disappointed and have wasted ten minutes of my life that I could of been watching regular Dutch Oven related videos.

  55. Couldn't you just bevel cut the door the first time, then straight cut it the 2nd time.
    Now only make one beveled piece because the other side is already beveled.
    Using a screen in the storm door makes the most sense.

  61. It always amazes me that people install doors with those dinky little screws and wonder why it's so easy to kick a door in. Always use 4 inch or bigger screws to install hinges.

  68. Confused about the deadbolt removal in the door. I think she said "that's ok, we have one on the jamb".
    Huh? I couldn't see what she was talking about, unless it was something on the top half of the door..?

    It certainly didn't have an outside key entry, from what I could see…

  73. I wish there was some kind of extra exterior door that had like a full screen in it. Then you could listen to your kids and not have bugs. But sadly it's not been invented yet.

  75. Why a whole gang of people who commented, and don't even live in the house, think they have the superior solution to what the homeowner wanted, just baffles me. Smh

  76. Ridiculous. Just leave the door open what’s the point of keeping the bottom shut. The original idea was to keep the farm animals out of the house. Oh wait … never mind, kids.

  78. As a Dutch citizen…. I wonder why this is called a Dutch door…

    These split doors are mainly used on farms to keep horses or other animals in their stables but they can still have contact with their owners or eat.
    Also, many farms had these as a back entrance. But its not typical Dutch. Ive seen these in other country's to. Always at farms.
    Thats why we call these "farmers doors". Why isn't that the name?

  81. Attaching a plate that can be purposed as a service surface could a been another option. Say for serving the kids as they play outside so they dont have to come into the house to get drinks or food.

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