DIY Dutch Door

Mimzy lombardo
by Mimzy lombardo
7 Materials
$20
2 Hours
Easy

In this tutorial and video I demonstrate how I cut my old wood door into a dutch door.

This is the door between my house and my workroom. I've been eyeing this door for years with the desire to cut it into a dutch door. I knew the door was solid wood, but I wasn't sure it would stay in tact if cut it in half.

First I took the door off the hinges and set it on two saw horses with 1x4's underneath for support from end to end.

I used a T-square to mark a line across the door evenly between the bottom of the glass windows and the hole for the door knob.

I used my cordless circular saw to cut the door in half, following the line drawn exactly.

I separated the door to inspect it for strength and stability. Fortunately, it's solid wood and is just as strong cut in half as it was whole.

I brought it back inside and hung it on the same hinges that were on it before, and added a fourth hinge because the bottom half of the door only had one hinge. Now the bottom and top both have two hinges.

Next I cut a small shelf for both sides of the bottom half of the door. I used my jig saw to cut curved corners and my circular saw for the straight cut.

I used my Kreg Jig to make pocket holes on the underside of the shelf, to fasten the shelf to the bottom half of the dutch door.

The pocket holes worked like a charm to hold the shelf securely. I wasn't sure it would be enough to support the shelf alone so bought L brackets, but they were totally unnecessary.

I painted the door and with some leftover charcoal paint from my hallway/foyer reno. I love how it turned out...

I wasn't sure this project would work from the start since I was unsure of the inside construction of the door and whether or not it would stay stable after being cut in half. And I wasn't sure it would still swing properly after re-hanging. It all worked out and I'm thrilled with the results.

It was quick and easy. Once again the painting and finish work took longer than the actual cutting and hanging.

Super fun, fast, and easy project. Of course one thing leads to another and now I need to paint the brick walls around the door.

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3 of 14 questions
  • Barb Barb on Apr 02, 2020

    How do you keep the top and bottom together so you can use like regular door when needed?

  • PENNY SIEWERT PENNY SIEWERT on Apr 03, 2020

    Did you add a lock to the upper door that would attach to the bottom door to keep them together when you don't want the top open?

  • Leslie Leslie on Apr 02, 2022

    I had a neighbor that had a Dutch Door when I was a kid. I fell in love with it and always wanted one but in todays world, depending on where you live people now have to add more and more security to their homes to try and keep them safe. Your door came out beautifully and I am jealous 😉♥️. Did you happen to put felt weather stripping under the top door in case you are in an area that has a winter? I am also thinking that if the door opens onto an area or a deck with no screening a simple latched screen could be made to keep the little buggies out.


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  • MJ MJ on Apr 03, 2022

    Very nice job! We did this to an interior door for the nursery when my daughter was born. We already had a large dog, and the Dutch door was a wonderful way to be able check on her in the crib or sit and feed her without the dog nosing in or having to keep the whole bedroom door closed. Definitely easier that fooling with a full door and a doggie gate.

  • Denyse Denyse on Apr 01, 2023

    My favorite type of door of all time! Great job!

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