Doors are the woodwork you touch every day. A good door closes quietly, does not stick in the monsoon and keeps its shape for years. This page covers wooden door frames, door shutters and wooden window work in Lahore homes and offices.
What's included
| Item | What it covers | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Door frames (chokhat) | Solid wood frame fixed into the wall opening | Often fixed before plaster; needs termite treatment |
| Main entrance door | Solid wood or heavy panel door, often carved or grooved | Security, weather exposure and weight matter |
| Internal room doors | Flush, panel or veneered shutters | Lighter; finish usually matches wardrobes |
| Bathroom doors | Moisture-resistant shutters | Avoid plain MDF where water splashes |
| Window frames and wooden shutters | Frames, wooden or glazed shutters, jali or louvres | Many homes now use other materials; wood is used for traditional looks |
| Hardware | Hinges, locks, handles, tower bolts, door stoppers, closers | Ask for exact type and quantity per door |
| Fitting and finish | Hanging, alignment, polish, lacquer or paint | Gaps should be even all round |
When you need it
- Your grey structure is ready and openings are final
- Old doors are warped, sagging, rotting at the bottom or attacked by termites
- You are changing the look of the house during renovation
- Doors do not lock properly, which is a security issue
Step-by-step process
- Confirm opening sizes. The carpenter measures each opening. Openings in the same house are rarely identical, so each door is measured.
- Choose the design. Flush, panel, grooved or carved. Keep a printed photo and a hand sketch with sizes.
- Agree the wood and board. Name the species for frames and the core and facing for shutters.
- Inspect the timber. Ask to see the wood before cutting. It should be dry, straight and free of borer holes.
- Fix frames. Frames are treated, aligned with a level and fixed. Check that they are plumb before masonry sets.
- Make shutters. In the workshop. Ask to see one sample shutter before the rest are finished.
- Hang and adjust. Doors should swing without rubbing and stay where you leave them.
- Finish. Polish or paint after fitting; protect the floor while finishing.
- Snag list and final payment.
Approvals and documents
Internal woodwork does not normally need an approval from LDA or a housing society. If you are changing the size of an opening in a structural wall or altering the front elevation in a society with design rules, ask your society office or engineer first.
Keep the written quote, drawings, receipts for advances and any warranty on the final invoice.
What affects the cost
- Wood species and grade. Hardwoods cost more than local softwoods.
- Seasoning and treatment. Properly dried and treated wood costs more but moves less.
- Shutter type. Solid wood, panel, flush or veneered.
- Size and thickness. Taller and thicker shutters need more material.
- Design work. Carving, grooves and inlay add labour.
- Hardware. Lock and hinge quality varies widely.
- Finish. Melamine polish, lacquer, PU or paint.
- Number of doors. A full house package may get better terms than one door.
- Removal of old doors and frames and any masonry repair afterwards.
Quotes are usually per piece for doors and per running or square foot for frames. Compare the same specification across at least three written quotes.
Questions to ask the provider
- Which wood will you use for frames and shutters, and where is it seasoned?
- What is the shutter core, and what is the facing?
- How will you treat frames against termites?
- Which hinges and locks are included, and how many per door?
- Can I see a finished door and a sample shutter before full production?
- What happens if a door warps after fitting?
Red flags
- Wet or freshly cut timber delivered to site
- Frames fixed without checking level and plumb
- "Solid wood" quoted at a price that looks like board
- Hardware left out of the quote, then added later
- No sample shutter before mass production
- Full payment demanded before fitting
FAQs
Which wood is best for a main door in Lahore? A seasoned hardwood is the usual choice for main doors because of weight, security and weather. Ask the carpenter to show the actual wood and explain how it handles sun and rain at your entrance.
Should door frames go in before or after plaster? Frames are often fixed before plaster so the plaster finishes neatly against them. Shutters are hung later, after flooring, to get the right bottom gap.
Why do wooden doors swell in the monsoon? Wood takes in moisture through unsealed edges, especially the bottom. Ask for all six faces of the shutter to be sealed, including top and bottom edges.
Are flush doors good enough for bedrooms? Many homes use flush or veneered doors internally. Quality depends on the core and the facing, so ask for both in writing.
Can old doors be repaired instead of replaced? Often yes: re-hanging, new hinges, planing and re-polish. Replacement makes sense when the frame is rotten or termite-damaged.
Sources
This guide is based on general trade practice and does not quote rates or standards. Get written quotes for current prices.