Blocking up internal doorway

[ajay16]

1850s-ish house.

I'm going to remove this door, frame it internally and plastboard it.

I don't really want to remove the original doorframe (old house), so my idea is to cut back enough of the doorframe (like that inner lip on the second picture) with a wood cutting disc on an angle grinder to allow the plastboard to sit flush.

Then build the internal framework using the existing frame as the sides and top - putting in a base brace too.

To me, it seems pointless to possibly disturb/crack the rest of the walls on either side and replace them like-for-like with studwork. Or worse, disturbing the wall above.

Thoughts?

 

[Flyfisher]

I agree with the instinct to leave the existing door frame in situ and, preferably, not to mess around with it as far as possible. it's generally a good thing to leave things fully reversible where possible. Taking an angle grinder to the door frame seems a bit extreme.

It's hard to tell from the photos but in the second one it looks as if the door frame sits a a fair bit below the existing plastered wall level. If you used 9.5mm plasterboard only up to the edges of the door frame and if the level difference to the wall was only a mm or two, would this be noticeable when the board is skimmed and the gap where the architrave was removed is plastered over?

Alternatively, instead of plasterboard, would continuing the wall cladding on the side wall to block the door be an option? Just a random thought really and I guess it would depend on the overall room decor and layout, which we can't see from the photos.

 

[ajay16]

It's the skimming over the wood that I want to try and avoid so it doesn't blow in the future.
If I can cut back that wood to the depth of the plasterboard, I can butt it right up against the current wall, rather than:

plasterboard | wood frame | wall

Here's some pictures of the otherside, showing how little there is to play between the plaster and the current frame. It must be 3mm in places.

Ohh that's not cladding, that's a sliding door on the left.

 

[Cubist]

For something that shallow I would consider using a Joint Reinforcing Tape fixed to the timber and then a skim coat over that. Not much chance of blowing in the future and a darn sight easier than cutting a suitable rebate/seat for a plaster board.

 

[mardinor]

Agree with others, screw plasterboard to the existing door stops in the jamb, packing out behind as necessary with glazing packers or thicker plasterboard until flush with the wooden frame. Then skim over plasterboard and gap from missing architrave. If you want a thinner skim, set the plasterboard a mm or two protruding. It's totally normal to skim over wood - the precursors to rawlplugs were wooden inserts. It's an easy DIY job, especially if you buy a plastering straightedge or OX speedskim. You could add a horizontal noggin or two within the jamb if you want to support the plasterboard within the doorframe - depends on the location and whether anyone is ever likely to bump hard into it. But standard framing stud centres are 60cm, so this won't be much more.

 

[ajay16]

Cheers for the replies, those options would definitely be easier...

Will definitely go with my gut and leave the door frame in place rather than mucking about with it just to reframe.