Sometimes, you may end up with a nonstandard door frame in your home, or you might install new, thicker carpet that a door catches on. In both cases, you may be forced to trim an interior door. This can be daunting, but adjusting or replacing interior doors can increase your home’s value.
When it comes to modern wood interior doors, you can typically trim them as needed. There are two main types of doors—hollow and solid. Solid doors are usually used in offices and upscale homes, as they’re solid slabs of wood from top to bottom. Hollow doors are commonly used in most homes, and they can come truly hollow or filled with insulation.
Hollow doors tend to have a strong outer block of solid wood around the frame's top, bottom, and sides. These frames are more forgiving of alterations than you’d think, but if you cut off too much of the bottom or the sides, you risk compromising the door’s structural integrity.
How Much of the Door Can You Cut?
It’s usually safe to cut up to an inch or so off a door. For more serious alterations, cutting down a hollow door isn’t advisable. Unlike cutting into a solid door, cutting a hollow-core door can damage the door, creating a lot of room for things to go wrong.
How to Cut an Interior Door
Cutting an interior door can be daunting, especially if you’re going to do it yourself. In most cases, you should contact a professional to do the task for you, but if you’re set on doing it yourself, here’s how:
- Get a tape measure and measure the required cut. Open the door and push it to the edge of the carpet or until they touch. Measure from the bottom to a point where you think there will be enough clearance, then use a pencil to mark it at that height along the width of the door, allowing for an error of one-fourth of an inch.
- The hinge pins can now be removed using a screwdriver. Set the door on a cushioned sawhorse to prevent scratches.
- Create a line connecting each marking with a straightedge–this is your cut line. To avoid chipping when cutting the door, score the line with a utility knife. Cut the wood about one-sixteenth of an inch deep, as a general rule.
- Starting from the cutting line and moving approximately six inches toward the middle of the door, tape off the door using masking tape—this will help avoid scratching the finish.
- Position your saw inside of your line. Calculate the distance from the line to the base plate's margin. Use a straightedge to make marks there along the door's breadth.
- Use the straightedge as a border by clamping it to the door across its line.
- Use a circular saw and cut the door along the straightedge. Make sure to use a saw with at least eighteen teeth.
Cutting an interior door can be a necessary step in remodeling or revamping your home, and it’s a lot easier if you follow some basic steps. Of course, for the best interior door options for any home renovation, be sure to check out 27estore’s wide range of options sure to suit any home!
Wondering if matching your front door to your interior doors is a good idea? Take a look at our latest post.
