Cutting down a solid wood door

18 years ago

Hi. Hubby and I are finishing off our basement family room which has a 12' wet bar and home theater - so far so good. We have a doorway leading into the family room that is only framed out - no door or jamb yet.

I have a solid oak door from a very old Victorian mansion that is 38 3/4" wide, 96" tall and the upper half is beveled glass. This door is so heavy that to get it from our garage down to the basement will be a major effort. Our son and a friend will be enlisted for their brawn. This door will look magnificient when installed because I'm going for a "stuffy men's club" look in the family room.

My idea is to enlarge the doorway opening to accomodate the width of the door. My finished floor to ceiling height is 93 1/2" (suspended ceiling - need to access pipes and wires above!).

I think that 2" can be cut off the top of the door and 7" from the bottom and still work in the opening. Hubby is resisting because he wants to work with a pre-hung door. I think we are good enough renovators that we can build our own jamb and get this door hung straight.

Any thoughts or warnings before I either push for my door or give in to a new pre-hung?

Featured Answer

kudzu9

18 years ago

tom999-
To install a dowel, you would drill a hole (maybe 3/8" diameter) through the top edge, the bottom edge, or either side so that the dowel spans a joint in the door. You may need an extra length drill bit to do this. Then you would get a matching size dowel, and plane a little off the side so there is space for glue and air to escape when you drive it in (if you don't do this, the dowel can act like a piston and split the frame due to the pressure of the trapped air and glue).

Then coat the inside of the hole lightly with wood glue using an artist's brush, then coat the dowel, and drive it in with a hammer or mallet. After it's all dry, cut off any excess dowel that protrudes, and sand it flat. Does that make sense?

Comments (9)

betsyf
Original Author
18 years ago
Forgot to mention that this door will be in a non-loadbearing wall.
baymee
18 years ago
Old doors used mortise and tenon construction. Cutting 7" off the bottom of the door might and probably will get into the tenon area and would weaken the door. If so, at least screw substantial lag bolts into the remaining bottom stile and rail to strengthen it and cover the holes with plugs.
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User
18 years ago
If the door is that heavy, screws mounting it should all be long enough to penetrate the rough framing on the hinge side. That means at least 3" long screws. And the framing on the hinge side needs to be at least a double 2x4. If there are holes for the bhandle/latch in the old door and you have to narrow it, take material off the hinge side.

Actually, using the old door is the better idea, as a prehung will take much more reworking and may well be impossible to cut down that much.
brickeyee
18 years ago
"If so, at least screw substantial lag bolts into the remaining bottom stile and rail to strengthen it and cover the holes with plugs."

If anyone ever tries to wrk the door they are going to curse you when a router or saw hits a lag screw.

Cutting from both the bottom and top preserve the ratios and keeps the door looking better. If any weaknese occurs use 1/2 inch wood doweles to strengthen the door.
tom999
18 years ago
How are you going to get dowels in a door, that is already assembled ?
baymee
18 years ago
Using a wooden dowel that way can be problematic. Seasonal movement of the stile (upright) will work against the horizontal dowel. If the door is as heavy as is stated, 3/8 probably won't cut it. Use 1/2" at least. I've had great success with the lag screws and by the way the homeowner described, the door won't be worked on again after it's been cut. Another approach with a heavy door is to make it a pocket door. They slide effortlessly and aren't in the way. I have a heavy oak door of 7 foot height and 42" wide in a pocket and it moves with one finger.
betsyf
Original Author
18 years ago
Thanks for all of your advice. I think I have my husband convinced that this door is the only one I want. Period. And with you guys affirming that it can be done certainly helped my argument.
Using the door as a pocket door sounds great but there would be too much demolition on the existing wall to get the frame in. Drywall is already up on both sides of the wall and as it is, we'll have to cut out the existing 2x4 frame to widen the doorway & make it higher.
brickeyee
18 years ago
"I've had great success with the lag screws and by the way the homeowner described, the door won't be worked on again after it's been cut."

It wil be sooner or latter. Leave out the metal.