Trimming door length

[juststartingout]

Hi all,

Quick question, I have a solid core door that is currently scraping my wood floor in my home.  At first I thought it was due to the wood movement from the floor(it was raining), but it didn't seem to go away a few days after the rain stopped.  Then I noticed the hinges had some slop so I drove in some 3" screws to get more threads on the jamb.  STILL SAGS and scrapes the floor.  It's actually starting to scratch and damage the floor, so I need to trim the door.

My Questions are:
-Can I use the track saw or should I use a planer?  I don't currently own a power planer but I do own several hand planes. 
-I'm assuming the best way to trim the door is to take a pencil and put it flat on the floor where it's scraping and scribe a line, is that too high?

Thanks,

Oscar

 

[neeleman]

I normally use my TS 55 to trim a door.
I don't even take the door out of the hinges but just open it wide enough to attach a rail to it with the small clamps and cut it in place.
Normally interior doors have a threshold and when you open the door there will be enough space for your TS 55.
When using the TS 55 R you can cut it when gliding the saw across the floor at only 12 mm height. Normally the threshold is thicker.

 

[bigjonh]

Def can use your track saw. If you haven't noticed it sagging/ scraping before and it just started you might want to figure out for sure what's causing it.

 

[wow]

I normally use my TS 55 to trim a door.
I don't even take the door out of the hinges but just open it wide enough to attach a rail to it with the small clamps and cut it in place.
Normally interior doors have a threshold and when you open the door there will be enough space for your TS 55.
When using the TS 55 R you can cut it when gliding the saw across the floor at only 12 mm height. Normally the threshold is thicker.

Just FYI, interior doors in the US typically do not have a threshold.

Pre-hung doors (the most typically used) come with a strip of scrap wood nailed across the bottom, to form the last side of the rectangle and keep the bottom of the sides from flopping during transport. That strip of wood gets knocked off right before installation, leaving the bottom of the door with no threshold of any kind.

If the two rooms have different floor types - like going from carpet in a bedroom to tile in a bath - the transition may be made with a small threshold like a marble strip installed by the flooring guys. Or they may just make a seamline directly under the centerline of the door. If the flooring type is the same in both rooms, the floor is usually continuous from one room into the next with no threshold of any kind.

All that said, the worst he'll have to do is pull the hinge pins, pull the door, trim the door, and then set it back in the hinges and replace the pins. Should be a simple enough task. And - like you - I would definitely use my track saw to do it.

 

[Paul G]

Assuming it is a wood/mdf type door then yes it is easily cut with the track saw, I use the standard blade. But as others have mentioned it would be good to figure out why it moved in the first place. You may need even longer screws to tie into the studs

 

[DB10]

You should always remove the door when you trim it, takes two minutes and by doing it this way you can apply some paint or stain to reseal the bottom of the door. Once sealed it won't swell up in winter and shrink in the summer. I've seen a lot of moisture get into internal doors.
As for why its only just started to scrape, check there hasn't been any movement. has the door lining gone out of square.

 

[Larso]

here you go.This is the cordless saw with the standard blade.

 

[wow]

Larso:

Nice setup. I am envious that you have the TSC over there. It is the PERFECT choice for that job, isn't it?

 

[Larso]

Yes  WOW this is a great little saw and is track saw no5 in my toolbox.

BTW how many hinges are there on this door?A solid core door should have three 100mm hinges.I often find them installed with only two which works initially but over time they do sag.

Also any door hinge i install i always put a long screw in one of the holes to get through to the timber jamb stud.

I also  generally throw away any screws that came with the hinge/door hardware and buy specific hinge screws which hold up better.It has to do with the guage and thread pattern of the screw and therefore the holding power.

 

[juststartingout]

Thanks for all the replies.  I'll take the door of the hinges and take my TS55 to it. 

LARSO - It is a solid core door, and only has two hinges.  I also replaced all the screws when I first noticed it sagging.  I Suspected that it might be the fact that it only has 2 hinges as opposed to three as well, but installing a new hinge seems like more work than  it might be worth.  I will search for some 4" screws and put those in and trim the door.

I don't think I need any more than the saw kerf itself.

THANKS FOR ALL THE HELP FOLKS!  ;D

 

[Larso]

A new hinge is really prettty easy although i remember i did have problems when just starting out so if you dont think you need to add one, the trimming and new screws will probably do.

If you want to add a hinge make one of these door clamps from an offcut of 90 x 45 (2x4).

The wedge and one side of the cut out need a one in four slope for it to grab the door well enough for chiseling out the recess.

Cut a couple of extra wedges when doing it as these are great with help positioning the door when removing or replacing.

 

[Brent Taylor]

I use the FS clamp on the rail & cut the door in place. There is a good vid on the net but, they are using a DeWalt TS. My TS is the Makita so it locks into the track, which is quite helpful.

 

[jmbfestool]

Not trying to be funny but I don't know how you guys can be cutting a door while still in place with a TS55.    The gap under the door once you have cut it must be MASSIVE!!!!   

I always try and do a 5mm maximum gap below a door when closed.

If a door catches when opening I would mark the required amount needed to be taking off with a pencil.  Then close the door and get a scriber or packer and mark across the entire bottom of the door so that to make sure the gap stays parallel to the floor when closed. 

Hate seen gaps on bottom of doors out of parallel with floor once closed. 

 

[Brent Taylor]

Most of the time I have to cut doors down because of a change in floor thickness(ie: new carpet or hard surface), but some of the time it because of throw rugs, 5 mm would be nice to look at but not good if the client wants warm toes or to keep the cat's tail from getting caught. ( had it happen on two different jobs, who would have thought)

 

[waho6o9]

[attachimg=1]

Simple Scribe springs to mind and works well

cost effective too.

[big grin]

 

[jmbfestool]

Most of the time I have to cut doors down because of a change in floor thickness(ie: new carpet or hard surface), but some of the time it because of throw rugs, 5 mm would be nice to look at but not good if the client wants warm toes or to keep the cat's tail from getting caught. ( had it happen on two different jobs, who would have thought)

The 5mm I was referring to was for hard flooring tiles or wooden flooring etc. not carpets
and I said maximum.  I would do it smaller but if you go to small you can a little stone stuck under the door or something and put a nice scratch along a wooden floor.  So you do require a gap to avoid this .

Carpet I like it to just brush nicely across with out making it stiff to open and close.

I'm not sure how close the TS can cut but I know its no where near 5mm or less and miles off for getting it running along carpet.

So I don't know how the other lads who are saying they cut the door while still in place get away with it

 

[Deansocial]

5mm aint enough to get cold toe or catch the cats tail lol. I think 4-6mm is spot on. In uk it is supposed to be 10mm, something to do with air movement. Most do it alot less

 

[andyman]

Most of the time I have to cut doors down because of a change in floor thickness(ie: new carpet or hard surface), but some of the time it because of throw rugs, 5 mm would be nice to look at but not good if the client wants warm toes or to keep the cat's tail from getting caught. ( had it happen on two different jobs, who would have thought)

The 5mm I was referring to was for hard flooring tiles or wooden flooring etc. not carpets
and I said maximum.  I would do it smaller but if you go to small you can a little stone stuck under the door or something and put a nice scratch along a wooden floor.  So you do require a gap to avoid this .

Carpet I like it to just brush nicely across with out making it stiff to open and close.

I'm not sure how close the TS can cut but I know its no where near 5mm or less and miles off for getting it running along carpet.

So I don't know how the other lads who are saying they cut the door while still in place get away with it

12mm I think.
Big gap looks rubbish

 

[juststartingout]

Thank you all for the replies.  I'm just getting started(as is stated in my login name)in woodworking and general carpentry. I took a pencil  scribed a line and cut to the line on the mft with the ts55.  It was a great example of an amateur woodworker over analyzing what needed to get done, instead of just doing it.  After cutting the line and remounting the door the door has enough clearance and no longer scrapes.

Thanks for all the hints and not passing judgement.  I do believe that if I had asked this in other forums I might have gotten more snickers and trolls than honest advice.

Cheers FOGGERS!

Oscar

 

[waho6o9]

You're wise to ask questions and doing it correctly instead of

learning the hard way and messing up material.

I'm glad you worked it out to your satisfaction plus you're

gaining experience and having a little well earned

confidence is always a plus.

Good job!

[smile]