Dutch Door A Homeowner Remakes Her Front Door For Just 63

How to Make a Dutch Door

Acknowledging that it was a risky move, Lori decided instead to cut her existing wood front door in half, just above its two large lower panels. Before taking it down, she installed a fourth hinge to support what would become the door’s upper portion and added an extra dead bolt. Then she laid the door flat, made a jig using clamps and scrap wood—as she had seen Norm Abram do on TOH TV—and made a straight cut with a circular saw, despite never having used one before.

Exterior Dutch Door: Before

With both halves of the door rehung, she added a decorative ledge on the exterior and weatherstripping and molding on the interior to conceal the seam. Then she concealed the screw holes and touched up the existing paint. Lori is thrilled that she took the leap. “I feel much more hospitable now that I don’t have to talk to my neighbors through a crack in the door,” she says. “Most important, the dogs are safe.”

Exterior Dutch Door: After

DIY Dutch Door Costs

Installed a fourth hinge to support what would be the upper portion of the door $5 Purchased a dead-bolt jig and added a second dead bolt $30 Crafted a poplar shelf using a router with a 1/2-inch roundover bit and corbels detailed with a 1/4-inch Roman ogee $7 Attached the shelf using wood screws to conceal the seam on the exterior, then covered the holes with wood plugs $8 Hid the seam on the interior with weatherstripping and molding $8 Added a slide latch on the inside to join both halves of the door together $5

Total $63 For More: How to Create a Dutch Door