Another very helpful video! Why I didn't look into this 2 years ago is beyond me. I've been putting off installing doors thinking I needed to custom order them for 2 basement rooms, one with a rough opening of 74 3/4"H. This is some very enlightening info!! Thanks again Shannon!
My man, You made it so simple. I'm a handyman with not a lot of experience with woodwork (Have over 20yrs painting) I always have doors that's damage or need to be hung and cut going to make me a cutting guide today and buy some claps and cut the door just the way you did thanks Glad I watched your video
I probably used a wrong glue but .. a couple days later i came home found the door fallen down on the floor.. the wood frame that we glued back in went further up by the pressure of the weight....
Great video. I have two doors I need to cut and have been dragging my feet to get it done.You have really helped me with your videos. My wife is happy. Thanks!
Thank You Shannon. I am about to do the same thing in my basement with a full size door and folding doors. And I almost signed off when you brought up the last item about drilling the 7/16 hole in the bottom of the folding doors. I am now more confident about the job after watching your video.
Great instructional video as usual. Clear, concise, and uncluttered. Good camera work, too. You're the channel I recommend when people have a project they've never tackled before.
Thanks Shannon, another great video and tip, I like to watch your videos, because you mainly use tools that most DIY guys have. thanks again for taking the time to make such good video tutorials.
Thanks so much! I actually have to do this to a solid core door to fit a smaller bathroom opening! Very helpful video and now I have more confidence I can do this!
Bought a house last year and keep seeing your videos. They've helped. With that accent you're probably not far from me. If I run into you I'll buy a round. 😂
pre cutting the veneer with a utility knife. Love that little trick. I usually tape it and that helps but pre cutting with knife is much faster. Great idea. Great little trick. I will be doing that from now on. Thanks.
Hi, We enjoyed watching you cut a door down to fit, my wife and I, had never seen that done , before, you make it look so easy, and we like the way you explain , the prosess, of what you are doing, thanks for sharing.Blessings! !!!!!!
I enjoy watching your videos and from you I have learnt a lot. One little tip though regarding inserting the mdf in the end of the door after cutting to size, if you hammer in a small pin at each end of the exterior edge, you are able to push/pull the mdf rail to fit flush. Once the glue is set, they can be easily removed.
Thanks for this. I didnt want to have to buy a $300 door just to have a shorter door. But now, I have figure out how to cut the hinges. Mine aren't pre-cut.
very helpful thank you! I have 5 doors to cut since installing laminate in my basement and i was feeling a little lost about it. Now i know exactly how to go about it!
love the jig. I agree, trying to reuse the mdf in the cut off just isn't worth the trouble. Takes much longer to remove it than to cut a new piece. Thanks for making this video. you do a good job of explaining your projects in all your videos. two thumbs up!
Thanks, this worked great for a split jamb, pre-hung door too! I just had to disassemble it first. And to trim the stop about an inch below the top of the side jambs after cutting. It was really easy to get the mdf piece out of the cutoff. I sanded the sides of the mdf a bit to get it to slide back in easier.
Exactly what I was looking for, thank you! I was nervous the doorknob would be too low but if you think it’s OK to drop it an inch or two I’ll take your word for it!
Nice vid with good information Shannon! Now a video on cutting down an exterior steel insulated door would be fun! :) I had to do this for my lean-to shed; cutting off both the top and bottom. Turned out great but took forever.
Another thing that's really helpful to keep edges from blowing out and chipping is a layer or two of quality painters tape right along where you intend to cut.
I gave you a thumbs up on this video but highly suggest that you should take into consideration that when a person comes to your UA-cam video is because he/she has NEVER seen it done before so it would be very helpful if you do the entire process on camera for a better and more complete teaching process. Remember they are here cause they want to see HOW it is done. Thanks
Thank you for this! Figured this was the way to go but wanted to be sure. Unfortunately all the doors in my home are 30x78 which is impossible to find replacements for. I'll just get some 30x80 doors and cut them down an inch on the top and bottom.
Great vid. I knew I remembered a utility knife 'score' for my type of doors, but wanted to double check. Back in the day I simply used green painters tape to protect the door from scratching, but your custom guide idea is much easier.
You’re not Dutch or you would reuse the filler strips. Your guide works better than my four foot level. I use three inch spring clamps instead because I have them in my bucket all the time. Very nice. High five. Slippery Pete.
Very well done. I appreciated how you explained each step and how you showed us the jig that you used to make a strait cut, while reducing tear out. Thank you!
Put two doors together to increase height to 8 feet. Patio French door after installation switched swing in to swing out give more interior space to move around. Replace an existing exterior 30" to 36" door reframe all around including new headers, flashing and stucco to match. That was the last 3 DIY doors projects.
@@tylershubert1596 actually when I went to my local hardware store, he mentioned the houses my area were all had 78" doors installed in them when they were built.
Hi Shannon,Really enjoy how easy you make it look. Have a couple questions regarding steel exterior doors. Do you have a video showing how to cut out a window hole and can the steel doors be cut down as in this video? Thanks again for sharing your expertise.
@@HouseImprovements I have a solid core door but when I cut it down, inside is particles which is different than the wood on the edge. Do I need to take them off and put the solid wood in?
Thanks! So I made a 83 inch high opening for an 80 inch door! Now my only issue is I have an 83 inch ceiling right next to the door because of a duct I had to frame around. Any tips? Would I have to cut the door down an inch to accommodate the casing?
Hi just notice when cutting the edge of the door , you put the fingers under the cutting pass of the saw . Careful with the fingers under the cutting through saw.
Thanks for your informative videos. I have a question. I just had a similar door installed, and the guy didn't get it perfectly square. At the top left, about 3 inches or so, it gets so narrow, the door rubs against the door jamb. It still closes pretty effortlessly, but it honestly bothers me that it may be putting stress on the door and jamb. Would I be able to just trim it slightly in that top corner without damaging the door? I will be taking it off to cut a 1/2" off the bottom, so I figured I might as well try to fix that top corner while I'm at it, if I can. I see from the hollowed out part of your door that there's about an inch or so material along the edge. I would probably only need to trim off maybe 1/4". Any advice is more than appreciated.
Ok I’m cutting a bifold closet door like your demonstration here, BUT! I will also be cutting our the top arched recess area so we can back it with pattern glass for a more decorative feature. It looks like the door has two panels glued to the stick framework and so when I cut that arch panel, I need to use a very short blade throw so as not to jam into the other side? OR are those recessed arches Close together and I’d cut both sides at once?
No I don't. Simply used a piece of 1/8 or 1/4" plywood about 36" long and 12" wide I then attached a 4" strip of the same material to one edge as the guild the saw runs against. Then use your saw to run along the guild piece to cut the guild off in width to match your saw bed width.
A non related question, what microphone are you using ? The sound is great even with all the moving around. Is it part of the camera or is it hooked to your shirt?
Those door kits look like the same kind I like to use. I have found that most of them, the hinge positions on the jamb don't perfectly line up with the machining on the door. When I sit the 2 side by side at the start, I see one needs a slight adjustment. Do you ever get this also?
Yes but only very marginally on the handle side if the handle is already drilled and you can cut more on the hinged side but would then need to re cut the mortices for the hinges after.
Thank you so much! You made it look real easy... lol I have 2 brand new white closet doors I was going to use for my sewing room but they are too long. So I found your tutorial and I think I can get my husband to do this??
I had to cut a bifold door cause it was too wide..standing in front of it,,i cut the right side of the door where there is that 7/16 hole for the hardware..once installed, it didn't work right..the door side was jamming against the door jam..i learned my lesson...one has to cut the other side of the door...
I have a cut door in the basement, they only cut the top part off leaving the bottom 2x2 rectangular sections (cutting off the top two squares). The door handle height is still the same and it looks a lot better then the weird looking door you cut :)
For me... unless you absolutely need to have a 100% matching paneled door in the new opening, a solid-faced slab door is easy to fit by just cutting the top and filling the cavity (if needed - hollow door). I then add some external thin molding to fake the look of the panels, reduced in proportional ratio to fit the door face naturally. I just find the odd look of the panels on a non-solid-faced door after cutting it down to me irksome, as well as the odd position of the handle (if it was pre-drilled). That's just my preference, but a good video demonstration in any case.
Another very helpful video! Why I didn't look into this 2 years ago is beyond me. I've been putting off installing doors thinking I needed to custom order them for 2 basement rooms, one with a rough opening of 74 3/4"H. This is some very enlightening info!! Thanks again Shannon!
Thank you! You posted this 3 years ago and it is still helping people :)
My man,
You made it so simple.
I'm a handyman with not a lot of experience with woodwork
(Have over 20yrs painting)
I always have doors that's damage
or need to be hung and cut going to make me a cutting guide today and buy some claps and cut the door just the way you did thanks
Glad I watched your video
Thank you! I have an inch to take off a door and someone's been trying to explain filling the bottom with wood. This is EXACTLY what I needed to see.
I probably used a wrong glue but .. a couple days later i came home found the door fallen down on the floor.. the wood frame that we glued back in went further up by the pressure of the weight....
Great video. I have two doors I need to cut and have been dragging my feet to get it done.You have really helped me with your videos. My wife is happy. Thanks!
Excellent video.
1. Easy to understand
2. Detailed steps
3. Great close up shots
God Bless
I liked the presentation as I see the vidio am fixing to cut a door and it help me good demostration
I got a similar project coming up and I'm very new to carpentry. And this pretty much answered all my questions... Will update when it's finished 👍
I love the jig for your circular saw!! Something so simple can make a world of difference. Beautiful shop, by the way!!
Thank You Shannon. I am about to do the same thing in my basement with a full size door and folding doors. And I almost signed off when you brought up the last item about drilling the 7/16 hole in the bottom of the folding doors. I am now more confident about the job after watching your video.
You are so welcome!
Great instructional video as usual. Clear, concise, and uncluttered. Good camera work, too. You're the channel I recommend when people have a project they've never tackled before.
ArtemiaSalina ! Spamount was an interesting game 2
Thanks Shannon, another great video and tip, I like to watch your videos, because you mainly use tools that most DIY guys have. thanks again for taking the time to make such good video tutorials.
Thanks so much! I actually have to do this to a solid core door to fit a smaller bathroom opening! Very helpful video and now I have more confidence I can do this!
Bought a house last year and keep seeing your videos. They've helped. With that accent you're probably not far from me. If I run into you I'll buy a round. 😂
Very helpful video, as always! You're shared knowledge is appreciated. What I like is your teaching method. It's to the point and not condescending.
pre cutting the veneer with a utility knife. Love that little trick. I usually tape it and that helps but pre cutting with knife is much faster. Great idea. Great little trick. I will be doing that from now on. Thanks.
I also love that saw jig template. I’m making myself one of those. Great info all around. Thank You!
Hi, We enjoyed watching you cut a door down to fit, my wife and I, had never seen that done , before, you make it look so easy, and we like the way you explain , the prosess, of what you are doing, thanks for sharing.Blessings! !!!!!!
Fred Woods 100005210260625
And you, Fred, uses WAY too many fuckin commas.
I enjoy watching your videos and from you I have learnt a lot. One little tip though regarding inserting the mdf in the end of the door after cutting to size, if you hammer in a small pin at each end of the exterior edge, you are able to push/pull the mdf rail to fit flush. Once the glue is set, they can be easily removed.
Thanks
You the man shannon, had to cut down my little brothers door but was unsure so I found this video, had a much better idea of what I was doing after
Thanks for this. I didnt want to have to buy a $300 door just to have a shorter door. But now, I have figure out how to cut the hinges. Mine aren't pre-cut.
much love to canadian and midwest bros making DIY content like this 24/7
Saskatchewan
This video is exactly what I was looking for. Nice work !
very helpful thank you! I have 5 doors to cut since installing laminate in my basement and i was feeling a little lost about it. Now i know exactly how to go about it!
One of the better DIY project videos I've seen.
love the jig. I agree, trying to reuse the mdf in the cut off just isn't worth the trouble. Takes much longer to remove it than to cut a new piece. Thanks for making this video. you do a good job of explaining your projects in all your videos. two thumbs up!
Right on
It feels like I know you Mr. Shannon. You have a vid for everything.
Thanks, this worked great for a split jamb, pre-hung door too! I just had to disassemble it first. And to trim the stop about an inch below the top of the side jambs after cutting. It was really easy to get the mdf piece out of the cutoff. I sanded the sides of the mdf a bit to get it to slide back in easier.
Exactly what I was looking for, thank you! I was nervous the doorknob would be too low but if you think it’s OK to drop it an inch or two I’ll take your word for it!
Love the saw template idea! A cheap and practical alternative to a track saw!
Nice and simple circular saw guide and it fits exact. I really like this idea.Thank you.
This video is exactly what I'm planing to do in my basement , great job ,thanks.
Nice vid with good information Shannon! Now a video on cutting down an exterior steel insulated door would be fun! :) I had to do this for my lean-to shed; cutting off both the top and bottom. Turned out great but took forever.
That was a great help video,i don´t know where you guys are,but i´m watching it from Europe,just carry on the great work...!!!
I just have a standard rip blade on my circular saw. Do I need a finer blade to avoid chipping?
it would be better with a 40 tooth blade
The more teeth the less breakout
Another thing that's really helpful to keep edges from blowing out and chipping is a layer or two of quality painters tape right along where you intend to cut.
No
I gave you a thumbs up on this video but highly suggest that you should take into consideration that when a person comes to your UA-cam video is because he/she has NEVER seen it done before so it would be very helpful if you do the entire process on camera for a better and more complete teaching process. Remember they are here cause they want to see HOW it is done. Thanks
Once again great tips! Thanks Shannon.
Thank you for this! Figured this was the way to go but wanted to be sure. Unfortunately all the doors in my home are 30x78 which is impossible to find replacements for. I'll just get some 30x80 doors and cut them down an inch on the top and bottom.
Did you end up cutting your doors? Did it work? Ours are 30x77 so same issue for us.
Thanks. I had to cut a bifolding door. Now i know how to fix it professionally.
8:00 ALWAYS mark orientation of the door! (Top & Bottom) Specifically on slab doors. Sucks to mortise hinges on the wrong side.
You make it look easy, thanks for sharing your expertise Shannon, stay safe, God bless.
Not knocking your skills. You are very talented.
I do this all the time with a 4' level and saw. You rock!
Thanks Shannon! This was exactly the information I needed.
Very well articulated video. It helped immensely. You are a true professional. Thanks a Million.
Great vid. I knew I remembered a utility knife 'score' for my type of doors, but wanted to double check. Back in the day I simply used green painters tape to protect the door from scratching, but your custom guide idea is much easier.
You’re not Dutch or you would reuse the filler strips. Your guide works better than my four foot level. I use three inch spring clamps instead because I have them in my bucket all the time.
Very nice. High five.
Slippery Pete.
Man this is awsome. And i have the exact masonite door and jam kit, but i was like awe man i dont have a table saw.
You saved me thanks
Nice video, very helpful. Question, why would you cut both ends? I only ask because i have doors that i need to cut an inch off.
Very helpful easy voice to listen too. Great instructor. Rock On !
Glad it was helpful!
Excellent video! I am new to this task and your video makes the job look easy. Thank you 😀
Very well done. I appreciated how you explained each step and how you showed us the jig that you used to make a strait cut, while reducing tear out. Thank you!
Thank you Shannon. You’re the man. Hope all is well 😎💪
Really well explained - and shown. Good job!
Thank you
Very clear and thorough. Thank you.
Put two doors together to increase height to 8 feet. Patio French door after installation switched swing in to swing out give more interior space to move around. Replace an existing exterior 30" to 36" door reframe all around including new headers, flashing and stucco to match. That was the last 3 DIY doors projects.
Thank you for another great video. I enjoy watching you work.
You make it look easy. Fingers crossed for us
great video! I like the tip using a knife to score it before cutting
Exactly the video I was looking for. For some reason all the interior doors in my home are 78"
They might have been 80 at one point if someone installed new floor over old. Could add a few inches to it.
@@tylershubert1596 actually when I went to my local hardware store, he mentioned the houses my area were all had 78" doors installed in them when they were built.
Shit your lucky I’m working with 76 inch doors. Mind you
I already went through three doors trying to get the right fit fml 🤦🏽♂️
You do a fantastic job, you helped me because that is a project I am working on..Thanks
Hi Shannon,Really enjoy how easy you make it look. Have a couple questions regarding steel exterior doors. Do you have a video showing how to cut out a window hole and can the steel doors be cut down as in this video? Thanks again for sharing your expertise.
Great explanation, thanks for being specific, I can fix my doors now.
great video, curious as to how this would differ on a preframed steel door
Everybody does it diffetently it seems. I guess Im just going to keep watching videos and make up my own mind which way is easier for me to do.
For the solid core is easier right? It doesn’t need put the MDF back?
correct
@@HouseImprovements I have a solid core door but when I cut it down, inside is particles which is different than the wood on the edge. Do I need to take them off and put the solid wood in?
Thanks, I’m cutting a door down to use in the basement for a under the step closet.
The HVAC is in the way and I can’t use a standard 80 inch door.
Good luck!
Thanks! So I made a 83 inch high opening for an 80 inch door! Now my only issue is I have an 83 inch ceiling right next to the door because of a duct I had to frame around.
Any tips?
Would I have to cut the door down an inch to accommodate the casing?
Great video, No wonder you almost have 1/2 million subs!
Quietest skill saw ever👍
exactly the info I needed! thanks!
Could you do a video of how to shorten a Steel entry door? Thanks!
we will add that to our list, but it won't happen soon.
Thanks for this man I needed this
Excellent video Broski 👍
Thanks and keep up the great videos!
Hi just notice when cutting the edge of the door , you put the fingers under the cutting pass of the saw . Careful with the fingers under the cutting through saw.
Great information...I'm not a carpenter...will give it a try...easy explanation...
Thanks a lot for this amazing video. I wonder how to stop the squeaky sound of my bi-folding closet door. It makes very annoying sound.
Thanks for your informative videos. I have a question. I just had a similar door installed, and the guy didn't get it perfectly square. At the top left, about 3 inches or so, it gets so narrow, the door rubs against the door jamb. It still closes pretty effortlessly, but it honestly bothers me that it may be putting stress on the door and jamb. Would I be able to just trim it slightly in that top corner without damaging the door? I will be taking it off to cut a 1/2" off the bottom, so I figured I might as well try to fix that top corner while I'm at it, if I can. I see from the hollowed out part of your door that there's about an inch or so material along the edge. I would probably only need to trim off maybe 1/4". Any advice is more than appreciated.
a portable power planer , belt sander or circular saw can do the job the easiest.
if you use a circular saw you will want to mask off or protect the door surface so the saw does not maker it when you slide it across the surface.
in the door frame hinges in the middle screws replace with a 2 inch deck screw
Ok I’m cutting a bifold closet door like your demonstration here, BUT! I will also be cutting our the top arched recess area so we can back it with pattern glass for a more decorative feature.
It looks like the door has two panels glued to the stick framework and so when I cut that arch panel, I need to use a very short blade throw so as not to jam into the other side? OR are those recessed arches
Close together and I’d cut both sides at once?
I would cut a blade off short so you cut only one side at a time.
Do you have a video showing how you made that template for your circular saw? It looks incredibly helpful.
No I don't. Simply used a piece of 1/8 or 1/4" plywood about 36" long and 12" wide I then attached a 4" strip of the same material to one edge as the guild the saw runs against. Then use your saw to run along the guild piece to cut the guild off in width to match your saw bed width.
@@HouseImprovements Thank you!
Shannon, what part of Canada are you from, just curious. I'm also from Canada I used to live in New Brunswick, btw we love all your videos
do you have to cut both sides or could you just cut one side to make the door fit.
A non related question, what microphone are you using ? The sound is great even with all the moving around. Is it part of the camera or is it hooked to your shirt?
Sorry can't remember the brand?? It is wireless,hooked to my shirt.
Thanks for video! Helped me out a lot
Those door kits look like the same kind I like to use. I have found that most of them, the hinge positions on the jamb don't perfectly line up with the machining on the door. When I sit the 2 side by side at the start, I see one needs a slight adjustment. Do you ever get this also?
Yes they can be slightly off ,usually I find most doors are off.
Thanks man this was very helpful
Hi, thanks so much for this video but can one also cut the width? Thanks
Yes but only very marginally on the handle side if the handle is already drilled and you can cut more on the hinged side but would then need to re cut the mortices for the hinges after.
Thank you so much! You made it look real easy... lol I have 2 brand new white closet doors I was going to use for my sewing room but they are too long. So I found your tutorial and I think I can get my husband to do this??
Glad I could help!
One day I would love to have a beer with you.
Great video man! Thank you 👍🏻
I had to cut a bifold door cause it was too wide..standing in front of it,,i cut the right side of the door where there is that 7/16 hole for the hardware..once installed, it didn't work right..the door side was jamming against the door jam..i learned my lesson...one has to cut the other side of the door...
Generally cutting both outside edges equally is best.
Would a table saw with a 60 tooth work well? I'm getting ready to do this.
Thank you so much for this video!!
Or set your saw to very shallow and back cut by pulling the saw backwards to make a groove so the wood doesn’t blow out.
I have a cut door in the basement, they only cut the top part off leaving the bottom 2x2 rectangular sections (cutting off the top two squares). The door handle height is still the same and it looks a lot better then the weird looking door you cut :)
That will work fine if you do not have to make the door shorter than what you can cut off the top only.
5:33 I always reuse that end piece 😝 it’s a headache to remove!
For me... unless you absolutely need to have a 100% matching paneled door in the new opening, a solid-faced slab door is easy to fit by just cutting the top and filling the cavity (if needed - hollow door). I then add some external thin molding to fake the look of the panels, reduced in proportional ratio to fit the door face naturally. I just find the odd look of the panels on a non-solid-faced door after cutting it down to me irksome, as well as the odd position of the handle (if it was pre-drilled). That's just my preference, but a good video demonstration in any case.
Fair enough.
I need to fit a shorter entrance door to an rv I'm building on a 16 ft box truck. Can't buy a short door. This will solve my problem. Thamks
if you use a metal clad door you could cut it down much like this or you can order a custom size.
can u srill do that with an exteror door made of metal and wood?
THANKS VERY MUCH NICE EXPLANATION