A Home Reno Goes Wrong - How To Make Sure It Doesn't Happen To You

Home renovations don't always go as expected, but sometimes, the problems you encounter can leave everyone around you scratching their heads, wondering what went wrong. One common DIY fail that can happen to anyone is upside-down door installations. While everyone wants a beautiful entryway that makes a stunning first impression, if your door is installed upside down, it not only looks silly but it can also create a host of other problems. 

That's what happened to one couple who recently went viral on TikTok after showing how they had accidentally installed their door upside down. Creator victoria1mejia posted a video of her crying in frustration, explaining that she had just spent the entire day working on hanging the door. It took her hours of working outside in the cold, and as she took a step back to look at her handiwork, she realized that the door was upside down. You can just imagine her frustration and understand why she's so upset. However, her followers commented that she wasn't alone, with one person saying that this even happens to professional installers, and it can be fixed.

Generally considered to be an intermediate DIY skill, door installations typically take around 2 to 4 hours under ideal conditions. But if you're unskilled, working with an out-of-square door frame or installing a door that's not pre-hung, it can take even longer. Basically, if you don't get it right the first time, a simple door installation could eat up an entire weekend. 

An improperly installed door not only looks bad, but it can also impact how your door performs over time. This is because doors are designed so that the hinge side is structurally reinforced to support the weight of the door, transferring the load to the frame. When a door is installed upside down, the hinges, which are now attached to the opposite edge, often can't support the weight, and this leads to a sagging door that may even start to rub on the floor.

In addition to the structural reasons for an upside-down door being a bad idea, it's also unappealing visually and aesthetically. You want your entryway to be eye-catching, not eyebrow-raising. And, if you're using a feng shui design approach, you want the door to look its best so it can attract all that positive energy into your home. Remember that when it comes to feng shui for your entryway, the front door is considered to be the "mouth of chi" and the most critical area to pay attention to.

Whether you're installing a door yourself or hiring someone else, there are a few factors you should always pay close attention to so you can avoid putting it in upside down. First, always measure carefully before ordering a door and choose the best swing direction for the space. Then, before installation begins, double-check the swing direction and make sure the panels in the door design are in the right location. Some doors have longer panels on top while others feature shorter panels, so it's important not to assume.

If a door handle or lockset is already in place on the door, measure the height to determine which side is up. The midpoint of a door is about 40 inches, but the lockset is often installed a little lower, closer to 36 inches.

If you're using repurposed doors in your home, it can be even harder to tell which way is up or down. Just remember that in a standard door, the bottom rail is wider than the top rail. For example, on a typical stile and rail wood door, the bottom rail is usually about 10 inches high, and the top is about 6 inches high. The wider stile at the bottom helps support the panels above it. With these tips, you can easily avoid installing your door upside down or backwards.