Fitting door in narrow hall

[chr1s1]

Hi all,
I'm looking to make my bathroom larger by moving the doorway into the hall and opening the bathroom into an existing cupboard and hallway.
The challenge i have is that the part of the hallway where I would like to add the door is already very narrow/low (81cm/191cm) and is at a weird angle (photo attached).
The bathroom and cupboard are in an extended part of the house. I'm looking to add the door at the point that would have been the back wall to the house (where there is a step down in the photo).
Does anyone have any suggestions?
Thanks,
Chris

 

[Deleted member 174758]

Can you actually get a made-up casing or lining (i.e a standard off the shelf one) into that hallway where you want the doorway to go? Bear in mind that the casing ideally needs to be installed as a single piece, already made up with the legs spaced apart using a lath fixed between the legs at the bottom.

Walls are rarely truly straight or plumb, so the casing or lining will therefore probably need to be slightly undersize of the measured opening to accommodate this, or you will need access to a power planer to make the required adjustments. Also the skirtings will need to come off before you start, and be reinstated once you are done (i.e. casing/lining installed, door hung, any packing or filling around the casing/lining done and architraves fitted both sides). Hopefully it won't be necessary to take out the existing door and casing visible in your photo to get the new casing/lining installed

Lastly, what are the walls made of? Before starting you will need to ascertain how and where you are going to be able to get a fix for the casing/lining legs (4 or 5 fixing screws per leg as a minimum).

It is possible to install door casings or linings in narrow hallways, but mark that aligning the legs so that the casing isn't "cross legged" requires the use of pins and a string line to get it right.

Good luck.

 

[chr1s1]

Thanks for your reply!
I've now bought a premade kit. Out of the pack, the top is too wide for the hall,but it's made for two different door sizes and I can cut it down a little.
This may be a bad idea, but to make some extra space I've removed the plaster from the brick wall on the left. The legs can now be recessed into that channel. I think I can do the same on the right (likely sandstone beneath the plaster).
It looks to be a concrete lintel above the new door way.. I don't want to drill into this.

 

[Deleted member 174758]

As you say, that type if kit is made with two housings in the head on opposite sides so you can make it up for one of two different size doors.

So make up the lining at the appropriate width, glued AND screwed together at the head (I use something like 5.0 x 90 to 6.0 x 120mm screws for this task). This must be done on a flat surface to avoid warping and introduced inaccuracies.

Then make up TWO 2 x 1in or similar softwood battens - the first the exact length of the door opening (width) at the head, the second about 70 to 80mm longer. The exact length batten is used to set the bottoms of the legs at the correct distance apart as well as to check the width of the opening during installation. The longer batten is pinned to the face of the legs to hold them in place whilst you manhandle the lining into position.

Once the glue has set, use a sharp saw to trim off the horns at the top of the lining as well as any overhangs of the bottom where the batten is. That batten needs to stay in place on the lining until the lining has been levelled at the head and both the legs have been plumbed up and firmly fixed to the masonry. Always fix the hinge leg before the lock side leg; start by packing the lining off the masonry near the top and bottom and plumbing it first before adding intermediate packers and screws (use a 6ft level or at the very least a 4ft level taped onto a straight 6ft length of timber). I always try to pack just behind the hinges (150mm down from the head, 225mm up from the floor), marking the hinge positions on the lining before I start so that the screws securing these first two packers are beneath the hinges, but are positioned to miss the hinge screws. Use the door width batten to position the lock side leg relative to the hinge side leg. Get your door swinging and properly gapped before spraying foam into the gaps!