New linings and doors in paramount partitions

[LEH]

Hi,

I want to replace the linings and doors in our house as the doors themselves are beaten up and were very badly hung, not to mention the linings are fire damaged (previously painted over at some point).

When I went to measure up I realised these are between 'paramount' partition walls - i.e. two bits of 9.5mm plasterboard joined by cardboard honeycomb. As such they're very thin - about 57mm.

Currently there are 57mm wide 'Storey' door frames with glazing above the door. I'd like to frame and plasterboard over the top where the glazing currently is for a more modern look, then fit a new lining and hang new doors - I want to put 'Safe n Sound' core doors in.

Obviously I can't buy linings for this off the shelf, but my thoughts were to get the timber yard to cut down two linings to fit from one off-the-shelf lining. Walls are being skimmed so new width will be 57mm + 3mm + 3mm I suppose so I could increase the lining width up to 63mm (perhaps 65mm to be safe?) Thickness would be the standard 27.5mm which is what they are now.

The main thing I'm worried about now is whether these linings will be strong enough to take heavier doors? I think we're talking about 28kg. I suppose the main stress will be when the door is open at 90 degrees - but presumably that will actually be on the fixings to the partition wall? These walls have what I think is 38x38mm 'studs' at each end, so it would be fixed on to that.

Is this sufficient or is there anything else I could do to strengthen it up? I'm not in a position to replace the walls with proper studs...

Alternatively I thought I could reduce the opening by fixing 'door studs' from floor to ceiling alongside the paramount studs then install 27" wide doors instead of the current 30". However maybe it's not great to have narrower doors for bedrooms - also I suspect that falls foul of building regulations. On the upside it would also provide space for architraves - at the moment one side of the frame is right up against a return wall so there is no room.

Finally - if I keep it as it is, do I just fit architrave to the one side and top and butt it up against the wall?

 

[Diver Fred]

Hi,

>> Snip
Currently there are 57mm wide 'Storey' door frames with glazing above the door. I'd like to frame and plasterboard over the top << unSnip

You have 'Borrowed Lights' (The glazing above the doors) - is this into an unwindowed passageway or landing? If it is you need advice from the BCO at the council on safety grounds.

 

[LEH]

Ah - yes it is, mid-terrace house so no natural light on the landing.

 

[Doggit]

These walls tend to have a thin batten in between the plasterboard, going from floor to ceiling, and it's often only about 25mm thick, so the tricks going to be can you get it out, and replace it with a piece 2" thick, and then glue it back into place, fixing it at the top and the bottom into the floor and the ceiling to provide more strength for the heavier doors. Beyond that, you're on the right track.

 

[chappers]

You have 'Borrowed Lights' (The glazing above the doors) - is this into an unwindowed passageway or landing? If it is you need advice from the BCO at the council on safety grounds.

whatever for?

 

[Doggit]

There are no safety grounds as to borrowed light, as it can be reinstated by switching on the landing light, or you could install a pir that activated the lights, or even install a sun pipe to bring in natural light again, but it's not a BC issue at the end of the day.

 

[LEH]

From my experience with the borrowed lights so far, they don't provide any benefit - already enough light in the hallway during daytime, at night that's what the hallway lights are for. On the other hand the bedrooms light up whenever someone turns on the hallway light...

Getting back to the carpentry - I'm not so sure about digging out the end batten in the partition. I was going to make a lining the width of the finished wall (about 65mm and 27.5mm thick) and secure to the batten with lots of fixings.

From digging around in old manuals it seems storey frames were used to provide extra rigidity to such walls so it seems to be the sensible thing to do would involve building a new storey frame, so the verticals are fixed to the ceiling joists. I'd have to rebate either side of the vertical above the transom to allow plasterboard to be fixed flush either side.

I can't see any other way to get thicker timber in without narrowing the opening and I think I'd rather keep the standard 30" door size.

Do you think this will work?

 

[chappers]

Do you think this will work?

Yep

 

[LEH]

Cool. For finishing with the architraves - like I mentioned, one side is right up against the wall, so only the frame thickness of 27.5mm, so no space for architrave. I suppose you just put them on the other two sides and finish by butting up against the wall?