How can I repair a square hole in a hollow core door?
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The former owners of my house installed a cat door in the lower part of the hollow core door between the basement and the kitchen. Can I patch that hole in some way? I think its about 20 x 30 inches. My thought was to cut a piece of 1/4" MDF slightly larger than the hole and then surround it with moulding, and then repeat the moulding in the area above to give the appearance of panels in the door. Will that work? I don't want to have to buy a whole new door.
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That could work. Do you have a ReStore near you? They have old doors and you might find a replacement for $20 or so.
Heres how we added trim to a hollow core door for a new look: https://www.frugalfamilytimes.com/2019/05/our-easy-hollow-core-door-makeover.html?m=1
By the time you’ve purchased all the materials you’ve mentioned, you’ve pretty much spent the cost of a new door... and the trouble you’re going to simply isn’t worth it. To be structurally sound and esthetically pleasing, it’s better to just give in and replace the door. If you don’t want to buy new, find a Habitat for Humanity store and purchase second hand.
Stuff with paper towels then use spray foam to fill in. Once dry, trim so that it is flat. Then you can paint & trim out.
You have a good idea that would work well! You would probably have to glue the MDF and trim on as nails aren't going to work in a hollow core door. Hopefully you have some good clamps that would hold your material down as it dries. You could probably use a brad nailer to hold the trim in place while any glue dries on the back of the trim.