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
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How to fit a door: Trimming doors
1. After you install new carpeting, hang the door as usual.
2. 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.
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!
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!
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