Can't get a front door the right size

[High Voltage]

Width wise our house has a "standard" width frame, so an 838mm wide door is spot on

BUT

Height wise, even on the shortest doors I can find, we'd still need to loose 60mm+ and given that most of the doors I've seen can only be trimmed a maximum of 25mm it would appear that we have a problem

With even solid wood doors being made of engineered wood filling with veneer over the top or a mortise and tenon joint on the hardwood frame - taking too much off top and bottom will, at best weaken the M&T joint or at worst, expose the engineered wood to the weather

Do I have to get a bespoke front door made?

or is there a recognised wood joinery way of taking more off a door that won't fuck the door up

 

[Pickman's model]

Yes

 

[High Voltage]

Would you care to expand on this method Mr P?

 

[DownwardDog]

Cut the veneers off the top and bottom of the door, trim the door then glue and clamp the veneers back on. Reinforce the M&T joints with dowels if you're feeling really keen.

 

[bi0boy]

Get a plastic one.

 

[Cid]

Get a plastic one.

That will not be easier to cut down.

 

[bi0boy]

That will not be easier to cut down.

No but it'll be made to fit the gap in the first place, just like plastic windows are.

 

[Pickman's model]

Would you care to expand on this method Mr P?

yes, going by what you've said you need to get a bespoke door made

 

[Cid]

No but it'll be made to fit the gap in the first place, just like plastic windows are.

Funnily enough you can do the same with wood/engineered wood doors. But I assume the OP wanted to buy one off the shelf... Not that it costs much more to get one custom made.

Also uPVC does just look shit. Not much you can do about that.

 

[Pickman's model]

Width wise our house has a "standard" width frame, so an 838mm wide door is spot on

BUT

Height wise, even on the shortest doors I can find, we'd still need to loose 60mm+ and given that most of the doors I've seen can only be trimmed a maximum of 25mm it would appear that we have a problem

With even solid wood doors being made of engineered wood filling with veneer over the top or a mortise and tenon joint on the hardwood frame - taking too much off top and bottom will, at best weaken the M&T joint or at worst, expose the engineered wood to the weather

Do I have to get a bespoke front door made?

or is there a recognised wood joinery way of taking more off a door that won't fuck the door up

what you want to do is find someone who has a door the right size for you and then take it off its hinges and fit it. job done.

 

[bi0boy]

Funnily enough you can do the same with wood/engineered wood doors. But I assume the OP wanted to buy one off the shelf... Not that it costs much more to get one custom made.

Also uPVC does just look shit. Not much you can do about that.

It's a matter of opinion I suppose but it doesn't have to look like a £99 job from B&Q:

 

[The Boy]

Do you have a neighbour? Is their front door the same size?

Steal their front door if so.

 

[fizzerbird]

what you want to do is find someone who has a door the right size for you and then take it off its hinges and fit it. job done.

Things must be very simple in Pickman's model world...

 

[Pickman's model]

Things must be very simple in Pickman's model world...

let's put it this way, my front door fits the frame.

 

[The Boy]

You could knock the door frame into a more suitable size?

 

[Pickman's model]

Do you have a neighbour? Is their front door the same size?

Steal their front door if so.

yeh but yer neighbour might well notice and track down the culprit. ime best to do it a couple of streets away.

 

[Pickman's model]

You you knock the door frame into a more suitable size?

i i didn't need to because i made sure the door was the correct size.

 

[fizzerbird]

let's put it this way, my front door fits the frame.

...and you know how simple a task it is because you fit it yourself?

 

[peterkro]

Solid door blank 8*4 cut it down to whatever size you want.

 

[fizzerbird]

My front door doesn't fit properly...but then technically it isn't my front door so I don't care

 

[Pickman's model]

...and you know how simple a task it is because you fit it yourself?

no, i know how simple a task it is because i watched someone else do it.

 

[The Boy]

i i didn't need to because i made sure the door was the correct size.

That one was aimed at the OP.

 

[Pickman's model]

That one was aimed at the OP.

then quote the op, dear boy, quote the op

 

[danny la rouge]

Do I have to get a bespoke front door made?

Probably best.

or is there a recognised wood joinery way of taking more off a door that won't fuck the door up

Yes, you remove the stiles and trim the panels rather than the stiles, then extend the tenon on the rails and slide the stiles back in.

 

[High Voltage]

Cut the veneers off the top and bottom of the door, trim the door then glue and clamp the veneers back on. Reinforce the M&T joints with dowels if you're feeling really keen.

That's what I thought would have to be done. I will be feeling especially keen as it won't be me that's going to do it

Get a plastic one.

Don't like plastic doors

That will not be easier to cut down.

Correct

No but it'll be made to fit the gap in the first place, just like plastic windows are.

And the best I could hope for would be a well fitting plastic door that I didn't like

yes, going by what you've said you need to get a bespoke door made

Damn I'll see what "my man" says

Funnily enough you can do the same with wood/engineered wood doors. But I assume the OP wanted to buy one off the shelf... Not that it costs much more to get one custom made.

Also uPVC does just look shit. Not much you can do about that.

I might have to explore this custom made option

what you want to do is find someone who has a door the right size for you and then take it off its hinges and fit it. job done.

We live in a stone mason's cottage dating back a couple of hundred years or more there's not a straight line in the place and all our neighbours houses are all different to each other probably done this way to stop the very thing your suggesting

It's a matter of opinion I suppose but it doesn't have to look like a £99 job from B&Q:

Not really what I'm after but for a plastic door not too bad granted

let's put it this way, my front door fits the frame.

Oh that things were always this easy in life

no, i know how simple a task it is because i watched someone else do it.

This is what I intend to do as well

 

[tim]

You should try making yourself fit the size of the door

 

[quimcunx]

Cut the veneers off the top and bottom of the door, trim the door then glue and clamp the veneers back on. Reinforce the M&T joints with dowels if you're feeling really keen.

Probably best.


Yes, you remove the stiles and trim the panels rather than the stiles, then extend the tenon on the rails and slide the stiles back in.

And when you fuck this up? How do you fudge it?

asking for a friend.

 

[DownwardDog]

And when you fuck this up? How do you fudge it?

asking for a friend.

As long as you can cut a straight line with a circular saw it should be quite hard to fuck it up. If it's the front door I think I would take the time to build a jig for the veneer reglueing operation and do the top and bottom as separate procedures.