Can I trim 6" off a timber door?

WillB77 · 9 Sep 2008

I want to put a door in for my attic room. As far as I can see (before ripping out plaster in the hallway) there is a solid wooden post about 2-3 steps up the twisting stairs. This would be the easiest place to mount it. This is 6" shorter than a standard door. I've read that you shouldn't really trim more than 2" off as this will weaken the door. Can I get away with it with a standard timber door?

The alternative may be to put a full length door in at the landing and then plasterboard / glass above, but this would require a fair bit more work adjusting existing stud-work.

Watchmaker · 9 Sep 2008

If the door is solid, ie, not made up with battens and hardboard etc, 3" off the top and bottom would give the size required. However, you do have to be careful in siting a door on a stairway, ie, with treads on either side. Stepping through a door, on the way down the stairway, without a clear, one level threshold as you exit the door, is a bit dangerous and, I think, would contravene safety regulations.

WillB77 · 9 Sep 2008

Watchmaker said:
If the door is solid, ie, not made up with battens and hardboard etc, 3" off the top and bottom would give the size required. However, you do have to be careful in siting a door on a stairway, ie, with treads on either side. Stepping through a door, on the way down the stairway, without a clear, one level threshold as you exit the door, is a bit dangerous and, I think, would contravene safety regulations.

Are you saying that a step down immediately after the door could be ropey?

It would be mounted so the outside would be flush with the end of a tread, however the treads I have in mind aren't full treads, they're like spiral staircase treads.

Thanks

^woody^ · 9 Sep 2008

A door should open onto a landing and not onto the stairs - you risk opening the door and falling down as you expect the floor to be flat, or someone struggling to open the door and knocking themselves backwards, or the door being opened in their face and knocking them backwards down the stairs.

Building regs require a landing at least as long as the door is wide. B/regs may not apply to this job, but its certainly a good idea to follow them in this case.

If you get a fire door or internal hollow door, then you can cut it to suit, and then insert the bottom timber (from the off-cut) back in to the door

If building regs do apply, then the door should be a fire door

WillB77 · 9 Sep 2008

Its an existing room so don't know if BRs apply

Stairs go all the way to the landing so to be compliant would mean moving other doorframes around.....

Not always as easy as it first seems

^woody^ · 9 Sep 2008

Put the door where you like taking into account its use, safety aspects, and ease to do. Just bear in mind the bits about doors near to stairs.

It's just common sense really

Watchmaker · 10 Sep 2008

"Are you saying that a step down immediately after the door could be ropey?"

Yes but, in an older house, or with narrow spiral stairs etc, sometimes a compromise has to be reached. However, as others have pointed out, there are dangers, especially where the elderly or children are concerned. I am a DIYer and I found that, as "Woody" has pointed out, building regulations require that short landing area when exiting or entering the door and my loft conversion stairs had to be constructed accordingly. Building regulations may not apply in your case (safety ones do though) but, Is it possible, in your case, to fit a light folding door ?

WillB77 · 10 Sep 2008

Thought of the folding door, again this would still be difficult to fit in to meet BRs. Would a folding door be better for safety regs as they're easier to open, or because you can't 'walk-through' whilst opening it?

Watchmaker · 10 Sep 2008

"Would a folding door be better for safety regs"
I'm not sure about that but, perhaps, the experts might advise. One aspect of a folding door is that anyone coming up the stairs, even onto the first or second step, would not get knocked over when someone opened the door from the other side.

^woody^ · 10 Sep 2008

There are no safety regs for work in the home. There is just the b/regs, and if these don't apply (as it seems in this case) then you can do what you like in your own home.

It just comes down to doing what is practical and safe/convenient.

If the OP wanted to, he could install the door at the top of the stairs, but he and others in the house would have to remember to be careful when using it. As we all forget things occasionally, then it would be sensible to allow for this and locate the door in a position where an accident is less likely.

Why would a bi-fold door be required - can't the door just be hung to open into the room?

WillB77 · 10 Sep 2008

Thanks, the room will be a bedroom so traffic going in / out and bunmping into one another will be minimal.

So I can take 3" off top and bottom and the door won't fall apart? Cool

awbcm · 10 Sep 2008

Any children in the house?

Children rarely think when running in and out of any doorways.

So a crash mat at the bottom of the stairs may be a good idea together with a direct line or private ambulance permanently parked out side your house to whisk you to the local A&E !!!!!

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Can I trim 6" off a timber door?

awbcm

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