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>Home >Basement construction >How to trim a door to fit

Trimming doors: How to trim a door to fit

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Fitting doors

Trimming a door to fit can be a challenge. Suppose you have existing doors, but then you change the flooring? You may go from tile to carpet, or from linoleum to ceramic or stone tile. Or what if you buy new carpeting and it's thicker than the old stuff? In any of these scenarios you'll need to refit the door so it doesn't rub on the carpet or flooring. To do this you need to trim the bottom of the door. Here's how…

What you need to trim a door

  • Pliers (to remove the hinge pins)
  • A metal yard stick or other stiff straight edge. (I use a drywall square.)
  • Irwin quick clamps (or similar)
  • Sawhorses
  • Circular saw
  • Masking tape
  • Pencil
  • Hammer & punch (to remove the hinge pins.
  • Safety goggles
  • Medium grit sand paper or sanding block/sponge

How to fit a door: Trimming doors

1. After you install new carpeting, hang the door as usual.

marking door2. Close the door. Lay your straight edge flat on the carpet near on the handle side of the door. Using your pencil, make a mark at that location.

3. Move the straight edge to the hinged side of the door. Make a mark at that location.

4. Use your hammer & punch to remove the hinge pins. Remove the door and set it on your sawhorses.

5. If your straight edge is thicker than 1/16 inch or so, you'll want to make a new line on the door the same distance below the marks you made when the door was hanging. This will ensure you don't cut the door too short.

6. Draw a pencil line between the two new lines you've marked in the door.

7. Measure the distance from the blade on your circular saw to the edge of the saw guide. Mark this distance on both sides of the door.

8. Use your quick clamps to secure your straight edge to the door at this point. Make sure they're tight so they don't slip while you're cutting. Also make sure they won't be in the way when you cut the door.

Clamps in place- ready to cut

9. Put a piece of masking tape along both sides of the door (along your cut line). This will help prevent the door from chipping away as you cut.

10. Carefully cut the door along your guide. BE SURE to use SAFETY GOGGLES!

Trimming the door

Sanding doors

11. Remove the tape.

12. Use your sand paper to smooth any rough edges on the door. This will prevent the door from snagging on the carpeting.

13. Hang the door.

A perfect fit!

 

Construction Topics

Tools you'll need

The 3-4-5 rule

How to frame a wall

How to attach walls

How to install insulation

Drywall estimating

How to hang drywall: Step-by-step

How to cut drywall

How to cut around outlets and openings

Drywall installation tips

How to frame a door

How to trim a door to fit

How to finish a door

How to frame around poles

How to finish drywall

How to sand drywall

Tips for buying, finishing, & installing baseboard molding

How to fix squeaky floors

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