Replacing your door hinges without removing the door is a quick, easy way to give your doors a new look in a very short amount of time. The key to doing this is to work on one hinge at a time, that way the entire door stays in place throughout the process.
For our home renovation, I was initially leaning towards spray painting the door hinges to save money and I actually removed one of the doors to try it out. The process of removing the door and waiting for the hinges to dry wasn’t terrible, but once I realized how many door hinges we needed to replace, I decided that we would purchase hinges to save some time.
Below is the method we used to replace our door hinges without removing the door.
Supplies:
- Door hinges with matching screws
Tools:
- Drill or screwdriver
Instructions
Step 1 – Purchase Door Hinges
It is important that the type of door hinge that you purchase is the same size and shape of the door hinge you are replacing. This will ensure that the door will continue to fit in place properly. For example, some door hinges have rounded edges, so be mindful not to replace it with hinges with a square edge.
Step 2 – Remove the Existing Door Hinges
Once you are ready to install, you’ll need to remove the existing hinges. However, you will only remove one hinge at a time for this process. Use your screwdriver or drill to remove the screws from one of the existing hinges. You may have to pop the hinge out if it doesn’t fall out itself once you remove the screws.
Step 3 – Replace with New Door Hinges
Line up the new door hinge to the existing holes. Use your screwdriver or drill to install the screws. Make sure that the hinge open and closes properly before securing all of the screws, you may accidentally install it incorrectly if you don’t check how it folds/closes in relation to the door.
Step 4 – Repeat
Once you’ve finished one hinge, you’ll repeat steps 1-3 until all of the door hinges have been replaced.
Helpful Tip: If you find out you have a stripped screw hole or your screw seems to be a bit loose, you can fill the hole with a small splint of wood and then try the screw again to make sure the screw is secure.
And that’s it! Replacing your door hinges is an easy way to give your door a new look with only a few tools and short amount of time. If you are ready to try your hand at another quick home project, check out our beginner DIY for installing closet rods.
