How To Cut Down Doors (Shorten Door Height)
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- Опубліковано 8 чер 2019
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This short video will from The Honest Carpenter will show you how to cut down or short doors (especially interior doors) using common carpentry tools. If done right, this simple project can be carried out in 20 minutes!
It's frequently necessary to cut down or shorten doors for rooms where new flooring has been installed, changing the height of the finished floor. The amount of gap you want to create beneath a cut down door is a subject of debate. I like a 1/2" gap beneath interior doors to maintain privacy and light occlusion, but allow for some air flow between rooms.
Be sure to check out our other interior trim project videos:
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TOOLS:
Circular Saw
Straight Edge
Tape Measure
Clamps
Hammer
MATERIALS:
Painter's Tape
HOW TO CUT DOWN DOORS (SHORTEN FOR HEIGHT):
1) Remove the door by knocking out hinge pins. It can be helpful to put a few shims beneath the door to hold its weight while separating the hinge knuckles.
2) Lay door across saw horses or a work table.
3) Measure distance from blade tooth to edge of sole plate. Add this number to the desired amount you wish to remove from door bottom.
4) Set blade depth by laying circular saw on door with blade hanging down. Adjust blade until it hangs 1/4" past underside of door.
4) Apply painter's tape to all four surfaces of door bottom.
5) Place layout marks on door face with pencil at desired measurements form step 3.
6) Clamp straight edge to door at these points. Keep handles pointed away from cut pass.
7) Carefully, slowly make your cut with edge of sole plate in constant contact with straight edge. Allow waste piece to fall away.
8) Remove tape; lightly sand bottom edges to ease.
9) Re-hang door and check for fit.
That's how you cut down doors that don't fit their openings! If you enjoyed the video, please hit like and subscribe.
Be sure to visit us at The Honest Carpenter website for more tips, articles and tool links:
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Thanks much! I just did this project exactly as suggested and it worked brilliantly. I cut a pantry door 1/2 inch so it would open over a new rug. The blade on my handsaw was dull, yet I had no chipping at all. I clamped down a thick piece of wood on my workbench so I could press the saw rather hard against it as I cut, which I think was helpful in keeping it straight.
I just "fell" so to speak, onto your UA-cam videos. The Best. Thanks for sharing some great tips regarding carpentry and other skill sets in the Industry.
Nice video. Straight forward too. Surprising how many folk put up with a sticking door when really it’s straight forward to sort it. Thanks for posting 👍😊
Very pleased that your video helped me easily and successfully trim off a 1/4 inch from the bottom of my foyer’s closet doors. The double doors now easily swing open and clear the throw rug in front of the closet. Thanks 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼.
Thank you for these easy to follow instructions. Worked like a charm!
Just what I needed- thank you!
You make the most Professional and Informative videos ever. I absolutly love this style of videos. Straightforward and on point. The only thing you may think about adding is how much you charge to do specific jobs like this. GREAT JOB Ethan. Keep'em coming.
Thanks so much Scott! I really appreciate the positive feedback. I'm trying to put a lot more time and quality into the videos these days, so it's gratifying to get comments like yours :). Also, I think you're definitely onto something with the pricing. I think, even for videos where I can't work it into the script, I can probably still mention it in the description, where I can add some other info too!
@@TheHonestCarpenter You are definitely setting the bar for some of these other handyman channel guys. No such thing as too much information. I really hate having to watch a video and having to "Read between the lines" to figure out what is the point of the video. Keep'em coming Brother.
Thank you for the clear instructions, look forward to viewing your page first in the future.
Thanks for watching, Michael!
Thanks for this informational video. Just what I was looking for. Subscribed.
Very helpful video, thank you for posting!
Thank you! Clear and concise. Now on with my project thanks to you.
Thank you for this video! I finally got the motivation to cut our door after watching. Helpful tips and explanation.
I don't have a circular saw only a hand saw but looking at some of the comments it seems other people have used a handsaw. Like the idea of the tape to stop the grain splitting !
Great video. Paint on the bottom after cut, to help on humid areas to slow expansion
Thanks JC! Good call. Bathrooms can create a lot of their own humidity
Helpfull information, thank you for sharing!
Great video! Exactly what I was looking for.
I score the cut line with a sharp knife blade first to help limit blow out from the blade
Thank you sir Just what I needed 🙏
Great explanation!! Well done ✔ 👍 ...
Thank you! very practical.
Another professional and strait forward video Ethan. Glad you had enough meat on the bottom and didn’t have to reglue in a bottom sweep, hate it when that happens....
Ed Over50 Thanks Ed! Me too-I’ve had to pull out a lot of this pine plugs and glue them back into hollow cores 😅
Ed, maybe we're old enough to remember when you usually had 1 1/4" in the bottom of hollow doors. Nowadays the new crap they make has just 3/4" down there, so my standard price for cutting a door down has gone up to include re-gluing the wimpy thing back in place. The few cents saved by the door manufacturer adds several dollars to the cost- false economy if there ever was!
I used a compass and followed the floor while drawing a line on the door. Then hand planed the 1/4"-3/8" off. Done. Thx
Nicely done!
I'm in the 1/2" club too! I think it looks best and still allows for air flow.
I have a frosted door I need to cut. What do you recommend to secure the pane while cutting the excess wood? I was thinking a large duct tape “X” on the glass. Thank you.
Is the process different for an exterior door? Do you have a video on this? The door to my studio hits too loo on one side and the sweep broke off because of this. Thanks for the great videos!
good man!good man!excellent protocol!
Simple explanation thanks
An inch at the bottom?! Those people are crazy. They're probably the reason all our bathroom stalls in the US have those massive gaps so you can see people pooping.
😂🤣
Very good. If you can, I suggest you a video on installing “pins” or “security pin” for an out swinging door with hinge pins that can easily be tapped up and off.
These pins mount on hinge side door edge and hide in a hole drilled on frame side when door is closed.
Thanks Tony! That's a really good topic. I'm starting to group ideas together into videos, and that one would fit perfectly in a home security vid. Thanks for the suggestion!
Pro tip: Use the wide side of the toe plate on the workpiece, not the narrow side. This would ensure a square cut. :)
meh, I don't do it that way. if you have a strait edge clamped down, the body of the saw won't clear the clamps doing it that way. Just pay attention and keep the saw square on the surface. Better yet buy a track saw.
Y eah but if your just a home owner that track saw is a big chunk of money for something your only gonna use a half dozen times.
But don't get me wrong I live by the moto of he who dies with the most tools and toys wins.
@@chrisburns5691 you can use a wide piece of ply for the guide and clamp it outside the area of the saw.
Could I do this with a jigsaw?
@@genevievebonneau09doubt it
I found a need to do this due to the same reason you mentioned.
Going for one inch gap. Hope to find a straight thick ruler which you have.
I have a home with a chiltrex cooling system. Each room has a ceiling based air handler and no air transfers happens between rooms unless the doors are open. They are usually open until bedtime and we want the room sealed good so 1/4 inch is what I went with. No return air vents at all so for us it's a moot point. Sealed is better in our case.
This is great! Can you please show how to count a door to fit wide? Thank you
Im an hvac guy!! You had me at 1” gap 😁
What is the absolute best blade for this?
I was looking at some carbide-tipped finishing blades, but there are quite a few styles of them, some with small teeth and some with still much much smaller teeth.
Most of the time I just try to match what else is in the house. Also I use my level pretty often as a straight edge for a while I carried a 1by4 and a 1by6 so I could clamp tight and have a sacrificial board on the bottom to help with tear out. I just don't do as many backtrims as I used to so there not worth the space.
Good call, Michael. I've definitely used my level if I didn't have another straight edge
Agreed 1/2 “ is right. But I also score the 1/2” with a razor knife to lessen tear out on the top surface👍😎
I don't have a circular saw, only an electric plane. Can I use the painter's tape to protect the wood and use the plane without causing too much chipping of the bottom of the door?
I enjoyed the video
The tape was a good tip. Better than pre-scoring with a razor knife.
Can you do this to the top of a door as well? The house seems to have settled and the door frame rubs the door at the top to the point where it will not close.
If you have a Hollow Core Door, how much can you take off of the bottom and still have a structural piece left on the door? In other words, I need to remove about 1/2. Is that to much on a hollow door?
Good Job 👍🏿
Do you have a video of cutting some off a Metal exterior door? Thanks!
Hi! I have a French door I want to trim, how do I protect the glass?
I have a table saw but no circular saw. Would it be possible to do this with a table saw?
I guess it's the same scenario to cut it length wise as my door is slightly too wide and I need to shave off 3/16th or so, but should I cut the hinge side or the knob side ? I dunno .I just dunno yet. got to keep searching, but good tips here !
Thank you bro
Well done,👍👍 my phone must be listening to me, this was a recommend video.
I've got to do a solid core door that's fire rated on Monday. (Spooky!!) It must weight 200 lbs. I generally have consistently good results using a fence inserted in my trusty DeWalt 20v skill saw.
@JUrry3 Thank you! I get that feeling all the time from my phone too 😅. Those fire rated doors can be killers to move around. I've just about cut them out of my work routine to save my joints. Good luck with it. I'm sure that Dewalt fence does the trick!
Im wondering if your phone listens to what you say and uses that to make suggestions
Pretty good overall, but you can dispense with a lot of the cutting issues by using a home-made cutting board; just set it to the exact line you want to cut and it's base edge holds the veneer down against tear-out. I've cut down at least a thousand doors by now and I usually just cut very slowly to a drawn line with a sharp finishing blade. Nobody's complained yet and I get almost zero tearout but remember this takes skill and practice- one twitch with the saw alignment and you've got a mess, so use your cutting board. Helpful hint: When marking the door for cut height, lay a board of appropriate thickness on the floor with the door closed and trace across it; now you've got got a perfect cut-line with no chance of error.
Thank you
Thanks 😊
Hi there. Thanks for the comprehensive video.
Would the trimmed door be more susceptible to damage (swelling, bending...) due to the fluctuation in temperature and humidity at the bathroom? In particular in one with no windows, only extractors.
Would it be ideal to prime the edge that you trimmed and paint it? This for the long run.
I am truly interested in your opinion.
Thanks
Shouldn't bother it at all. That being said, if you have toddlers, grandkids etc splashing around it certainly wouldn't hurt. If you have an MDF / masonite etc product than any water will wreck it quickly.
Is that a hollow door? What if I trim down a hollow door? Would there be a hole at the bottom?
i had to do this for a client who had new, thicker carpet installed. I used a portable band saw, much cleaner cut than the typical circular saw. BUT....had to bring the door back to the shop to glue in a new bottom plug.
I always check the hinge hasn't come away from the jamb or door first causing the door drop. Then lay a builders pencil on the floor and mark the bottom of the door. If the house has moved the floor may have also.
is it ok to cut down an exterior door? we have a 77' tall door that needs to be replaced and not looking to spend $700+ on a custom for a door thats a side entrance
I always use a utility knife and score the top and end(where the saw will finish cutting) to prevent splintering......And I like to stay 1/2" to 3/4" with the gap
zeke112964 Utility knife is a great idea Zeke. I’m going to show that trick when I do a cutting tips video. And I think you can’t go wrong with 3/4” gap. Cuts down strain on your HVAC, and keeps air moving 👍
I used to do that but got splintering anyway unless I made the knife cut very deep. And more than a few times the knife blade turned off-line. It's really not necessary if you use a cutting board and cut very slowly.
@@P_RO_ yep, good finishing blade makes a huge difference too..
Good video though how is the length of the door cut? should it be done same as the bottom with a skill saw or a plainer if it is only 1/4" that has to be removed?
Hey Jerry! I'll often set up a longer straight edge and do it just the same for a 1/4" cut. The planer takes so many passes along the door length--the circ saw takes it all in one. Just be careful and keep your cut progress steady :)
Can you advise same method for fire doors please?
@The Honest Carpenter
In the links to Amazon, do you still get credit if I put item in cart and buy it later, along with other items not related to your videos? Or do I need to choose the "buy now" option for you to get credit?
I think it lasts for up to 90 days in the cart, Cesar. But if it times out, no sweat! I appreciate you watching and supporting the channel 🙂
Can I manage to cut my door horizontally to make it fit?@
I usually like to use my makita track saw
Seems like a circular saw might rip the grain, even with the tape. I'm planning to use a router with a straight bit, with several passes necessary. Usually does a very clean cut, if you have the patience.
Thank you. I’ve never done this before and am nervous! My husband has a circular saw that his dad gave him (he never uses it or does work around/on the house frankly) and we has a straight edge he thinks (tho it might actually be an extra long level that he says could be used as a straight edge?). Question: I need to buy two sawhorses and two offer clamps that would be a useful size for most future projects. Can you please tell me what I should look for when buying those (probably on Amazon)? Thank you!
@Ayram9 Almost any foldable plastic sawhorses will do--I've used cheap ones and expensive ones, and they function much the same. For clamps, I've just always loved Irwin Quick Grip clamps. The 12" ones are highly useful, and can cover a lot of different tasks. I hope that helps!🙂
The Honest Carpenter Very much so, thank you!
The Honest Carpenter Actually, there are multiple kinds that fit that description! Do you mean be one-hand bar clamp kind?
@@Ayram9 Any kind will do as long as they hold and the saw clears them. I use these bar clamps for most everything now because they're small and hold very well.
a carpet layer told me you need about 25mm / 1 inch from floor to bottom of door to allow for carpet.
Hey Ethan, great video, but quick question: Can you narrow a door in the same way as making it shorter? By using a straight edge and circular saw? The jamb for my front door is 32 1/4" inches wide. Cheers!
Finish carpenter here, depends on the door. If you do narrow it, do it off the hinge side and re mortise the hinges into the edge of the door slab. If you're raking a lot off of a hollow core door than you will have to re use the fill strip or make a new one to fit inside the recess created. Simply run a bead of wood glue on both inside sides of the door recess, slide the piece in, use "cauls" to clamp it for twenty minutes or so in a warm area and brad nail the top and bottom to hide the fasteners. Never had an issue.
One more note, mark out your hinges by transferring the line to the face of the door with a square, so when you cut it you know exactly where the hinges go back to. If you forget to mark, they should be about 1/8 difference than the hinge mortise on the door jamb. Good luck!
@@gregorymosher5008 That sir, is fantastic, detailed and completely understandable advice! I thank you for your time and expertise.
Anytime patrick! Carpentry and woodworking (and homesteading) are my passions. Any questions in the future message me on here and i'd happy to help!
If the door is hollow inside what do you do.
In my limited experience having work done with sub-contractors, if you let them all have their way you lose aesthetics. An inch height is crazy off bottom of the door. Unless it needs to clear that to work the door.
the only time I've heard that is for a home with forced air, with the outlets and returns. Still that is a bit much for me, no way i'd have an inch gap on a bathroom door lol..
Can you do this cut with a HOLLOW DOOR? I am dealing with that with a bedroom door.
Hollow core doors have a 1” plug on top and bottom of the door. You can cut down on top and bottom of the door as necessary but I wouldn’t cut more than a 1/2”. If greater cuts than 1” required you can cut the door down and you can actually pry off the door panel from the plug and reinsert the plug in the door bottom with carpenter’s glue.
I usually take a utility knife and score the line, which I'm going to cut and the sides of the door. I hardly ever see anyone else do this, but it helps avoid breakout and splintering. I allow for an 8-10mm gap. BTW, isn't time you guys converted to metric? Cheers
gsf67 Thanks for the tip! Pre-scoring is a great way to avoid splintering. And I’m willing to go metric, but it means I’ll have to stand there and stare at my tape measure for long time, counting silently 😂
I just think that metric seems more logical, but that's just me, and I guess it's just what you are used to. Have a great day.@@TheHonestCarpenter
I use both. Meters are too damn big, but millimeters offer a level of precision that inch fractions don't. so I tend to think in yards/meters, then feet, then inches, then mm. It's more math, but other fields of interest use both standards and I don't mind converting.
Would you score the line through the tape?
Metric is communist.
How do you fix a mobile home entrance door that won’t clear a rug
This is great! Can you please show how to cut a door both sides to make it fit wide? Thank you!
That’s a trickier task, Gabriela, because of the hardware placements. But I’ll try to get to it! 😄
Is shortening the wide ness the same proccess
I use an electric planer. Works beautiful.
Is this possible to do without removing the door? What about using a hacksaw? If I need to buy all of this equipment I may as well pay someone to do it professionally.
No and no. I suspect you would create a hell of a mess if you tried, you can remove a door in minutes if you under the hinges.
What if it is hollowed?
Can I do this to an exterior door as well?
MA Giobbe Yes, it’s really pretty similar with wooden doors exterior doors. Though you may have to address the sweep to account for any gaps
Are doors solid all the way inside?? My guess is not! Well the really heavy ones might be!
There are both solid-core and hollow-core doors widely distributed in the building materials market, Ax 🙂
It's a metal strip on the edges of most newer style doors that will not let you start cutting at the edge. I needed to see how to remove the metal strip first. NEXT VIDEO!
DIYers may want to use the long side of the saw shoe against the door to help keep the cut square.
That’s a good point, Johnson
I’ve heard about the tape trick, but are you cutting through the tape? Or are you cutting to the edge of the tape? Seems like you’d get tape stuck to your saw blade if you’re cutting through it.
You cut through the tape.
Seems like you'll end up with cooked on gunk on your blade, no?
No, it doesn’t stick to the blade for whatever reason.
It’s just painters tape so no gunk. It’s designed to come off any surface easy
Very odd. I just took my door down for cutting the length. As I was not very sure how to measure and cut, I have opened UA-cam and without even searching, this clip showed up at the top of the list. Is Google reading our mind these days? lol. Anyways very helpful video.
Thanks, New York! I wonder that all the time myself 😆
Who started this trend?? Cut the door?? Cuz people see these videos and are are like mint!! Fuck cut it!! Now this is always the suggestion for everyone.
This doesnt look like a hollow door though? Need to shorten a door for rugs
You're going to end up with a little less than 1/2" clearance, if that matters, since the door wasn't clearing in the first place. I would have added another 1/8" or so to where I put the mark.
Boss!! i need 7 cut
4” gap is best
That door looks like it needs replaced or least striped down & repainted.
Wouldnt big teeth on the circular blade cause much splintering of the wood?
Always thought a fine tooth blade gives better clean cut with less chance of wood splintering generally its a fine 132 tooth blade for a circular blade wouldnt you say fine tooth blade is better then the big teeth blade used in this video?
yes, a finer finishing blade, 40 tooth at minimum, is best for this..
Used a 60 tooth today and edge finish was very good
What if I don't have a power tools?
handsaw... or ask your wife's boyfriend if he will let you use his tools while he supervises..
nothing easy ~!
The hardest part of the whole thing is realigning the door hinges by yourself without any help .. thanks for showing that.. not !!!!the other procedures are pretty basic but good explanation... Being careful not to nick the door paint when tapping the hinge pins back in for those who are not so adept with a hammer as it is a tight space....using a nail set or something else to tap it in works real good..
Get a track saw. No need to tape and it’s way faster
@David Brent I’ve never used one. How does it prevent against tear out?
The Honest Carpenter the blade runs tight to the rubber seal on the track preventing any tear out, I can cut laminate sheet good with it and no tear out. And no need to set the saw back to suit the fence
Not cheap and you can do as well making your own.
There's no point to cleaning the hinge pins if you dont't also clean the inside of the hinges.
There is no information on triming it without removing the door
Wouldn’t do it, Tommy
lol it takes 30 seconds to remove the door..
1" is WAY too much. Might as well just leave the door so that it doesn't shut.
I agree Peter. Just what the HVAC guys recommend
This is a good way to ruin a door. You are not using the saw correctly. The way you are cutting will produce a wobbly not square cut. The wide part of the saw is supposed to insure the cut is square and you have it precariously hanging off into the air.
Can you just come over and do this for me? I'll give you a like.
Paint on the hardware = lazy