During the repair, it is often necessary to change the parameters of the doorway. Similar work is carried out in cases where a new door leaf does not fit in dimensions, if an arch was previously installed at the opening, and at the moment the owner wants to install a compact door of a standard size. Often you have to reduce the opening due to the upcoming redevelopment of the apartment.
Work on reducing the opening at first glance seems quite complicated, but understanding the technology, they can be performed by any owner who has at least the slightest idea about the repair. We suggest you figure out how to reduce the doorway and with what materials such changes are made.
Standard opening widths
Work on reducing openings should be carried out taking into account the basic dimensions, which correspond to most paintings in construction stores. So what is the standard door width?
This indicator depends on the type of room in which the opening is installed. For example, the width of the passage between the bathroom and the bathroom varies from 0.55 to 0.6 meters. Such parameters are due to the average human complexion.
The standard width of the interior door is 0.7-0.8 meters. However, in the case of using double-leaf or sliding canvases, the width of the opening can be increased to 1.2 meters.
If the parameters of the passage between the rooms are far from the listed indicators, it will be very difficult to choose a door. Of course, manufacturers can produce products according to your size, but when the budget is limited, it is cheaper to narrow the distance between the two walls yourself.
How to reduce the doorway. Available Methods
Before you make a repair of a doorway, you should choose exactly how you will adjust its size. Today, the following materials can be used for these purposes:
- brick (or foam blocks);
- drywall;
- wood;
- plaster.
Choose one of the methods based on the complexity of the upcoming redevelopment. If you need to make an even cut that does not imply a change in the shape of the opening, then you can use a brick.
If not only the width of the interior doorway is subject to reduction, but also its height, then drywall or wood is better for this purpose. In cases where the installation of the door is not at all in your plans, consider the option of reducing the height using the arch. It is not at all difficult to make a round design, besides it looks more advantageous than a rectangular design.
For minor adjustments to the opening parameters, plaster is excellent. With its help, you can reduce the passage by 5-7 cm.
Features of working with a brick
Brick is a versatile and durable building material. It is recommended to use it in those cases when you need to significantly narrow the doorway in the load-bearing wall. Since masonry is complex and painstaking work, you should not use it for minor changes.
To carry out such work you will need:
- cement mortar;
- a bucket for mixing the fastening mixture;
- building level;
- drill with mixer nozzle;
- putty knife;
- rubber mallet;
- putty;
- iron reinforcement;
- hacksaw for metal.
Please note that it is better to use bricks to reduce the width of the opening. If you need to reduce its height, use lighter materials. Otherwise, you will have to install additional struts and fixing elements made of iron or wood.
Brick reduction technology
So that the newly laid wall does not move away from the existing surface, it is necessary to snap from the reinforcement. To do this, every 2-3 bricks in the finished wall (in the horizontal direction) drive in rods, wire or fittings of a suitable diameter. This will ensure the reliability of your opening.
How to repair an opening with a brick? Follow the instructions below:
- Knead a solution of water, cement and sand.
- Place metal rods in the wall.
- Using a spatula, put cement mortar on the base, lay the brick. Periodically tap the blocks with a rubber mallet so that the composition penetrates into all voids between the masonry elements. So fill in all the necessary space.
- Leave the finished wall for a day so that the solution is completely dry.
Since the brick wall is not smooth, after the cement has hardened, it will need to be leveled. For this purpose use plaster or hard putty. After it dries, you can install the door frame.
Reducing the width of the doorway with drywall
Drywall sheets can be used to adjust the opening parameters both in width and in height. To begin, consider how to reduce the width of the doorway. When working with drywall, you will need:
- hammer drill;
- screwdriver and screws;
- building level;
- plumb line;
- metal profiles;
- a hacksaw for metal or a grinder with a diamond blade;
- tape measure, pencil.
First make markup on the base. Take the rule, attach it to the wall, draw a vertical line on both sides of the opening. Using a plumb line, create two verticals of the new surface. In this case, one of them is the base (along the main wall), and the second will indicate the edge of the new design. Mark the ceiling and floor. According to the given parameters, cut the necessary pieces of the profile.
Work execution technology
When the marks are set and the materials are ready for work, you can begin to build up the wall. So, how to reduce the doorway with drywall? Do the following:
- Take two pieces of the UW profile and cut to the width of the wall (leave space for drywall) and attach to the floor and ceiling along the drawn control line indicating the edge of the new wall.
- Fix the vertical CW profile in the horizontal bar. Fix one of its segments on the wall, and insert the other from one edge into the guide profiles of the ceiling and floor. Perform similar work from the other end of the guide rails.
- To ensure rigidity, connect the slats on the wall and in the rails using sections of profiles. Arrange them horizontally. This way you get the frame of the future wall.
- Cut the pieces of drywall of the required size and screw them to the frame using self-tapping screws.
At the end of the work, thoroughly coat the new wall with a primer, treat all joints on the structure with putty.
After that, you can start decorating the walls. Similarly, you can reduce the passage with wooden boards.
How to reduce the height of the doorway with drywall?
The standard opening height for the interior door is 2.0-2.1 meters. For rooms such as a kitchen or a bathroom, this figure can be reduced to 1.9 meters. If the parameters of the gaps in your room are different from the norms, this can be corrected using the same drywall.
To adjust the height of the doorway, you must correctly mark the base. Using a level and a tape measure, measure the required length from the ceiling and make marks on both walls. Next, cut the UD profile along the width of the opening (taking into account 4 cm per fixing seam) and make two segments corresponding to its height.
If the height of the future structure does not exceed 20 cm, then it is enough to fix on the side walls along a segment of the UD profile, and insert a horizontal bar between them indicating the lower edge of the structure.
For large structures, it is recommended to install 1-2 stiffeners. To do this, insert another vertical bar in the center of the opening. Fix one end to the ceiling, and the other to the bottom horizontal rail. Trim the assembled frame with drywall. Use self-tapping screws and a screwdriver for this.
Note! All joints of drywall and the old wall are preferably glued with a serpentine. If this is not done, cracks may appear at the indicated locations. After this treatment, you can begin to putty the walls.
Plaster opening reduction
If you need to only slightly adjust the parameters of the opening, use plaster mixes for this purpose. Moreover, both cement and gypsum compounds are suitable for work.
Consider how to reduce the doorway in this way:
- Take a board or metal profile of suitable width and screw on one side of the wall. The board should go to the base.
- Prepare a working mortar and a spatula, the width of which will correspond to the width of your wall.
- Apply the required amount of the mixture to the wall. Be guided by the installed board. So you get one flat corner.
- When the plaster has dried, tear off the board and place it on the back of the wall. Align the second edge of the opening.
If you need to reduce the height, first attach the board in a horizontal position between the two walls. After that, fill the space between the board and the wall with plaster mortar. Perform similar work on the other side of the opening. After the plaster has dried, tear off the board.
Conclusion
Before reducing the doorway in height and width, do all the calculations. Do not forget that the frame for drywall should be assembled taking into account the thickness of the sheet itself. If you are masonry, leave room for a layer of plaster or putty. It is necessary that the new wall strictly coincides with the old.