Period Internal Doors: Restore or Replace?

The panelled timber doors in an Edinburgh tenement, townhouse or villa do a lot of the work in making a period home feel right. Over a century or more, they pick up layers of paint, loose joints, sagging hinges and the odd crude repair. When you renovate, the question comes up quickly: restore them or replace them? Here is how to decide.

What you probably have

Most Edinburgh period homes have solid timber panelled doors, often four or six panels, with mouldings around the panels and sometimes glazed upper panels. Many were made from good-quality slow-grown softwood that is more stable than a lot of modern timber. Architraves, skirtings and door linings were made to match.

Signs a door is worth restoring

• The frame of the door (stiles and rails) is sound, even if the joints are loose.
• The panels are intact, or only split, not missing.
• It still fits the opening, or could with some easing.
• It matches the others in the house. Keeping a consistent set is part of the character.

Loose joints, sticking, paint build-up, missing ironmongery and small splits are all repairable.

When replacement makes sense

• Rot or serious damage, usually from long-term damp or leaks.
• The door has been badly cut down, for example to clear a raised floor, and cannot be pieced back.
• A missing door in an opening that needs one.
• Fire safety requirements where the door must meet a specific standard, such as some doors in escape routes. In a tenement, the flat entrance door onto the common stair can have fire safety requirements; check with building standards before changing it.

Even then, a joiner can make a new door to match the profile and panel pattern of your existing ones, so the set stays consistent.

What restoration involves

1. Removing the door and labelling it, with its hinges, so it goes back in the same opening.
2. Stripping paint where needed. Older paint may contain lead, so stripping should be done in a way that controls dust. Many owners choose to strip only where paint build-up is affecting fit or detail.
3. Repairing joints. Loose mortise and tenon joints are cleaned out, re-glued and clamped.
4. Repairing panels. Splits glued, missing mouldings replaced with matching profiles.
5. Piecing in new timber where a section is damaged, for example at the bottom rail or around old lock positions.
6. Easing and rehanging. Planing to fit, with new or restored hinges, so the door swings and closes properly.
7. Ironmongery. Restoring or replacing knobs, latches and finger plates in a style that suits the house.
8. Finishing. Ready for painting, or painted.

Things to check in a tenement

• Title deeds and factor rules may cover the flat entrance door, as it faces a common area.
• Fire safety. Changing the entrance door or doors in a protected escape route can be subject to building standards. Check before you replace them.
• Listed buildings. Many Edinburgh tenements are listed, and listing covers the interior. Replacing original doors may need listed building consent. Like-for-like repair is usually the safer route.

Glazed doors

Doors with glazed panels need care: old glass may be original and decorative, but it is not safety glass. Where glazing is in a "critical location", such as low down in a door, building standards expect it to be safe if broken.

Cost: restore vs replace

Restoring a sound door keeps an original feature. An off-the-shelf door rarely suits the proportions of a period opening and often looks out of place. The price depends on the scope. After a home visit we give a fixed written quote for the agreed work.

Frequently asked questions

Is it worth restoring old internal doors?

Usually, if the stiles and rails are sound. Loose joints, splits, paint build-up and missing ironmongery are all repairable, and you keep an original feature that suits the house.

Can you make a new door to match my old ones?

Yes. A joiner can make a new door to match the panel layout and moulding profiles of your existing doors.

Should I strip my doors back to bare wood?

Not necessarily. Stripping is mainly needed where paint build-up affects fit or detail. Old paint may contain lead, so it needs to be removed carefully.

Do I need permission to replace doors in a listed building?

Replacing original doors may need listed building consent, because listing covers interiors. Like-for-like repair usually does not change the building's character.

Are there rules about my flat's front door?

The entrance door onto a common stair can have fire safety requirements and may be covered by title deeds or factor rules. Check before replacing it.

Restore your doors with joiners who know period homes

We restore and make panelled doors for Edinburgh period homes. See our home renovations service or book a site visit.

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