Cutting Solid Core Door
Find out how to cut off a solid core door.
Cutting solid core door. There is only about 1 inch to play with so you must be careful when cutting the length of the door. Custom sizes door prices are ridiculous and the wood core doors that are designed to be cut don t last very long on the coast. First mark the clearance needed on the door. Exterior doors are usually solid core and are much heavier than the interior hollow core doors.
Cutting interior doors is not the same as cutting exterior doors. Mark the cutting line on the top face and edges of the door and apply a 6 in. I ve got a couple to replace that are only about an inch short of standard height. If you cut material away from the doorknob side it will change the backset the distance from the doorknob to the edge.
If one is cutting down a solid core door clean out the core material as david described then use the cutoff piece to reblock the door. Get tips on using safety glasses and an old carbide saw blade which will cut right through the staples in the door. The theory is it still has some of the solid and sound proofing properties but with half the weight. The rails at the top and the bottom of the door are only 1 inch thick.
Then pull out the hinge pins and lay the door on padded sawhorses. Anyone ever try cutting an anderson storm door the solid aluminum doors not the wood core emco doors. You will need to clean off the skins but the piece should fit back in well. Wide strip of masking tape along the line to protect the door s finish from the circular saw s base plate.
Cutting down a door that does not fit its opening. Measure and make a mark on both sides where you wish to cut the door. Stretch a piece of masking tape centered on the marks across the door from side to side.