1

I have a 1B1B apartment, for which I want to install an interior door at the entrance of the living room and convert it into a separate room. Please see the picture below for reference.

The wall is concrete and it takes a lot of effort to make holes in it, So I am thinking if it is okay to just use construction adhesive to attach the door to the wall.

The opening is about 1/2'' wider than the door on each side. So my plan is glue a wood frame on the wall, and attach the door to the wood frame. But I am not quite sure whether construction adhesive is strong enough to do this job. Can anybody give some suggestions?

enter image description here

Improve this question
9
  • 1
    How wide is the opening, how wide of a door? The RO (rough opening) for doors is larger because you need to be able to shim the door jamb so it is plumb and true. This leaves gaps between the RO and the jamb. You do not just Attach/glue the jamb to the sides of the RO. You can attach wood to the RO, with adhesive, to make it smaller for a smaller door and then install the door correctly.
    – Alaska Man
    Commented Jun 17, 2020 at 19:25
  • 1
    It doesn't take a lot of effort to mount things to concrete--just the right tools. Are you unable to acquire a hammer drill? Even a cordless drill with hammer mode would probably do.
    – isherwood
    Commented Jun 17, 2020 at 19:27
  • The opening is roughly 34'' and I am planning to install a 32'' door. But if more space is needed I can also accept 30'' door.
    – Harper
    Commented Jun 17, 2020 at 19:27
  • A 32" door plus jambs comes to about 33-1/2". What was your plan with the extra half inch? What if, as A.M. said, your walls aren't perfectly plumb?
    – isherwood
    Commented Jun 17, 2020 at 19:28
  • 1
    Studfinder for concrete?
    – isherwood
    Commented Jun 17, 2020 at 19:33

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
2

The short answer is that yes, construction adhesive alone could do the job, but it's unlikely to save you time or effort. Some caveats...

  • The opening would need to be just the right size and shape, or you'd need to come up with fillers. That means more joints to be glued and more points of failure. The effort involved would probably add up to more than just using shims and concrete screws.
  • Your walls aren't just concrete. They're also paint. Unless you scrape down to bare concrete you're relying on the bond of that paint to withstand the jarring forces of slamming doors.
  • Speaking of slamming... if your door is heavy or gets abused, the adhesive could fail over time.
  • Construction adhesive is very messy, and it doesn't come off. It's solvent-based and will be permanent on any rough or porous surface it touches. You'd need to mask the surrounding walls and floor to protect them.
  • You'll need to brace the whole works while the adhesive sets (around a day), and in the perfect position for margins between the jamb and the slab. Errors at this stage aren't easily fixed.
Improve this answer
2
  • Thanks for the detailed answer! I should fallback to screw then.
    – Harper
    Commented Jun 17, 2020 at 19:48
  • Good mention of it being messy and not coming off. So true and it's not mentioned on the packaging so you have to learn the hard way.+
    – JACK
    Commented Jun 17, 2020 at 21:59

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge you have read our privacy policy.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.