When a door is installed properly there is only a fraction of an inch between it and the frame. To seal out weather, insects and dirt, it is important to properly size your door. How to Trim Accordion Doors. The versatility of an accordion door gives homeowners the option to install a self-contained door that does not disrupt the floor space on either side of the door. Cutting a door to size can be a little intimidating if you have never done it before, but no worries, it’s actually pretty simple. Next, score the cutting lines 1/16 in. deep with a utility knife. Apply a strip of painter’s masking tape along the edge of the door. We like to clamp a metal straightedge to the door on top of the masking tape along the cutting line. This type of door is mounted on a barrel hinge, which allows the door to be lifted out of the door frame. Cutting the height will be easier. Make that the same. A. Q. On occasion, however, the house may shift or settle and the space between the door and the frame may change so that the door will not open and shut properly. This helps to guide the knife, and then if the knife slips, it only scars the waste side of the cut. Match the look of the rail and stiles on the old door with new, matching wood. The width is going to be more work. Leave the door closed forever, buy a new door or cut the door to size. My least favourite choice of tool for door trimming is a hand-held circular saw. Fix an interior door that's been cut too short with this simple repair. Most people tend to go with option number three, cut the door to size. Cut 1/2" off the hinge side and re cut the hinge mortises. This helps to make the tightest seal possible while the door swings freely on its hinges. A handsaw is a perfectly good option for cutting a door, and the presence of masking tape along the cut line will eliminate (or greatly reduce) chipping. I'd pull the hinge pins and lay the door on some saw horses and pull the weatherstrip off the bottom and assess if it would be easier to modify the top or bottom of the door. A flush door falls entirely into the door frame and is mounted on hinges. Practice cutting on some thick scrap wood to get a feel for the saw if using a jigsaw is new to you. Lay a sheet of cardboard or plywood on the floor that is the same height (or higher) than the floor register you need to overcome.
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Where as shortening a hollow door is not exactly ideal, it is often done when times call for a shorter door. How to Fix a Too Short Door. Now that you have cut the bottom off, you will need to get the bottom support board out of the scrap and put it back in the bottom of the now shorter door with wood glue and a few finishing nails. By carefully matching thickness, wood grain direction and stain, you can make the door look almost like new. Measure from the top of the old door (if it was fitting ok) to the center of the strike hole. How do I shorten an interior door to clear a floor register? Then cut the bottom to the final size. You don’t need to score the underside of the door. If so, then you can get by just cutting the door to be shorter, either from the top or the bottom. An overlapping door falls partly into the door frame with a lip that rests on the outside of the door frame.
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