Altering victorian Architrave- Please Help!

[Blackeyez09]

Hi

So I just agreed to buy a reclaimed but done up door for my victorian terrace vestibule (so internal door). The vestibule fitting needs to be 81 cm approximately.

My problem is the door is too wide 89.5 and my joiner really does not want to have to take off any of the door.

He has suggested altering the architrave frame from inside the door (reducing it) as a way of fitting the door but cannot swear by it as not routinely done.

I really want the door as its a rare find already costing a lot to be honest (think 4 hundred). He is thinking it would cost 150 to alter architrave and hang door

Any ideas

 

[Deleted member 174758]

I think that your joiner is right not to want to take off 7.5 cm (3 in) in the width. That much reduction would look really obvious and might also compromise the mortise and tenon joints holding it all together.

Without seeing a photo I'm not sure what you are saying that he suggested, but I suspect that he may be looking to remove the architraves and reset the door casing to give you the extra width you need, assuming that the masonry opening (if any) will permit this. Doing that might result in you having to patch or replace the head of the casing (or possibly just the stop lath) as well as having to come up with a solution to having two architrave heads which would then be too short (and need replacing). Or have I got the wrong end of the stick, here? I've done something like this a couple of times on refurb jobs and it is doable, if a bit of a faff. What I wouldn't want to do is patch two lengths of architrave to make up a single head if at all possible - the joints are always noticeable IMHO

 

[Gerrydelasel]

A less invasive alternative would be to remove the architrave and build a new frame 'around' the existing one, on the surface of the wall. Add a pelmet and some really fancy architrave to make it look like a cool Victorian ornate feature, rather than a weird bodge.