+- Woodnet Forums (https://www.forums.woodnet.net)
+-- Thread: cutting down a door (/showthread.php?tid=7123518)
cutting down a door - GEB - 10-20-2015
Anyone had any experience cutting down a 34” solid core door to replace a 32” exterior garage door?
Bill
Re: cutting down a door - David G - 10-20-2015
No, but I have cut the top of a door twice while attempting to keep it from rubbing the floor.
Re: cutting down a door - DieselDennis - 10-20-2015
No.
Is the door otherwise plain? No patterns, windows, or fake moldings on the front or back?
Are you planning on just taking 2" off of the hinge side, and then remortising for the hinges ?
What kind of solid core door is it? What's on the inside? Particle board? Gypsum?
Were you planning on cutting a dado on the hinge edge and glue the hardwood strip back in?
Re: cutting down a door - JGrout - 10-20-2015
solid core like one of these?
You can do it but as above you have to replace the stile you cut off. If you are careful you can reuse the one you removed or just make a new one and glue it in.
If the door is frame and panel it is going to look funny with 1" removed on each stile and you may still have to re edge the unit
Why not just buy a 32" door they are a hundred bucks at the box stores...
JMO
Joe
Re: cutting down a door - Curlycherry - 10-20-2015
JGrout said:
Why not just buy a 32" door they are a hundred bucks at the box stores...
JMO
Joe
This is what I would do. That way when I screw it up by say putting the hinges on the wrong side or the drilling the door knob hole wrong I have a back up plan that can be implemented before my overlord finds out I screwed up. Not that I have ever done that.
Re: cutting down a door - GEB - 10-20-2015
The deal is I am replacing an exterior door to a garage. This a public service project by the Lions Club. So I have been persuaded to go to the H4H ReStore for a used one. I doubt they carry blanks. So why not buy the next size up and cut off the existing hinge and mortise mortise, plug what remains of lock set side, and cut new mortises. Yea, the stiles will be a little narrower but such is life.
Re: cutting down a door - Robert Adams - 10-20-2015
Done lots of those projects myself...
Just like Jgrout said is how I do it.
I would cut it down and put it in. However a replacement would be easier but solid core doors aren't available locally anymore as they are all special order. A steel door is the recommended door for garages and they are carried everywhere for around 100.
Check the restore then if nothing cut it to fit. Our restores are pretty bare these days as they don't get the donations they used to. Some are nice stores some not so. Ours has goofy hours being closed Sunday and Monday and any day touching a holiday.
Re: cutting down a door - Gary G™ - 10-20-2015
Probably get the right size free or cheap of CL
Re: cutting down a door - Bob10 - 10-21-2015
Not sure what you are working with but on occasion I have bought preframed doors tossed the frame as the hinges and everything else lined up with what was there. Might be a long shot but if it were me I would check. On occasion HD has solid doors on sale for the same as hollow. I have to say I would do what I could to avoid what you are planning as it is a bit of work and doesn't make sense other than the feel good going green type
Re: cutting down a door - JGrout - 10-21-2015
you are taking in to assumption that a 2'10" wide door is going to be readily available..
IME that is a custom size door 3'0" yes 2'8" yes 2'10" pretty rare in fact so odd that I can only recall making or hanging two doors this size in 20 yrs......
so if the door is solid core like the one I posted you can cut down a 3'0" door easily but just cut one side ( the lock side if bored) and just enough to clean the old mortises off the hinge side Why restile both sides when one will suffice
Now a F&P door you have a new issue and that one is that you will have to cut off 2" on both sides to keep the stile somewhat correct and then it is going to lose most of the structural integrity built into the unit.
Besides it also means you will be boring a new lockset hole into the lock rail now and dealing with part of a hole left from the old bore that has to be patched.
Service project or not, IMO you are asking for more trouble than a hundred buck door would cost to replace the door properly