How To Create a Dutch Door

Dutch doors are charming but functional. The design splits a standard door into two pieces, allowing you to open the top half while keeping the bottom half closed. This provides the perfect lookout to keep an eye on the kids playing or simply enjoy some fresh air without leaving the whole door open.

In the video above, This Old House general contractor Tom Silva shows how you can transform a standard door into a Dutch door.

Getting Ready for Your Dutch Door Project

Careful planning and measurement are key to converting your door successfully. Here’s what you’ll need and how to prep.

Tools and Materials

You can find everything Silva used for this project, including the chisel, utility knife, hole saw, hinges, and latches, at local home centers. Here’s what you’ll need:

• Barrel latch
• Chisel
• Drill/driver
• Hinges (with screws)
• Hole saw (if removing hardware)
• Paint or finish (if needed)
• Palm sander
• Pencil
• Polyurethane glue (if removing hardware)
• Safety glasses
• Sandpaper, 80-100 grit
• Scrap cardboard (if needed)
• Scrap wood for filler
• Track saw
• Utility knife
• Wood glue
• Wood screws

Assessing Your Door

First, be sure the door isn’t damaged or warped. Then look at your door’s design. Some styles are better suited for becoming Dutch doors than others. The door’s style should allow for a clean cut without compromising structural integrity. Here’s what to check:

• Material: Wood doors are easiest to work with. Metal or fiberglass doors need special tools and skills.
• Solid core versus hollow core: Solid wood doors work best. Hollow-core doors are too flimsy when cut in half.
• Panel design: Doors with raised panels might be tricky. You want to cut between panels, not through them.
• Door thickness: Thicker doors (1 3/4 inches or more) are ideal. They’re sturdier when split.
• Existing features: Avoid cutting through locks, windows, or decorative elements.

Creating the Dutch Door

Follow these steps to turn your regular door into a Dutch door. Silva says it’s best to work outside to keep the mess to a minimum:

1. With the door still hung in the jamb, mark where the cut for the Dutch door will be. Use that as a guide to mark for two additional hinges above and below the cut mark.
2. Use a chisel to mortise the door where the new hinges will go. Err on the side of chiseling too little at first, then chisel more as needed. Score around the mark with a utility knife to help prevent chipping and cracking.
3. Once the hinges can fit flush against the door, attach them using a drill and screws.
4. With the new hinges attached to the door, trace where they’ll attach to the jamb. Mortise the jamb and attach the hinges.
5. Replace the old hinges with new ones, if needed, so all four hinges match. If the old hinges are thicker than the new ones, Silva recommends adding a filler piece of scrap cardboard behind both hinges before you install them.
6. Remove the door from the jamb.
7. Cut two pieces of scrap wood the width of the door and taper them on opposite sides.
8. Cut the door in half with the track saw to fit the tapered filler pieces.
9. Attach one filler piece to the base of the door’s top half using wood glue and screws.
10. Rehang the top half of the door, then the bottom. With the door in place, attach the second filler piece to the top of the door’s bottom half. Adjust as necessary with a palm sander.
11. Install a barrel latch to the top and bottom halves of the door to lock the top to the bottom.
12. Paint or finish the door as needed.

Refining the Dutch Door

These final steps will ensure your Dutch door works properly and blends seamlessly with your home.

Getting the Right Fit

To get a snug fit between the two halves of the door, do this:

1. Use tapered filler pieces to create a tight seal when closed.
2. Adjust the fit with a palm sander. Sand down any high spots for smooth movement.
3. Test that the door opens and closes properly.

Adding Finishing Touches

Complete your Dutch door with these final steps:

• Fill any unwanted holes. In the video, the homeowner wants an old deadbolt removed. Silva uses a wood plug, polyurethane glue, and sandpaper to fill in the hole and hide the patch. (See tip below.)
• Sand and paint the door to match your home’s look.
• Think about adding weatherstripping for better insulation.

Tip: Plugs for Doors

If you have leftover holes from removing hardware, first use a hole saw to cut a clean hole in the door. Then use a hole saw with a slightly bigger diameter to make a plug to fit the hole. Here, Silva uses polyurethane glue to secure the plug. After the glue cures, sand it smooth.