Fitting a door which only needs the top planed

[WoOt]

There are tons of videos out there for how to do this, but they all describe how to do the whole side of the door. I've got a new door to fit in a very old doorframe and the top is narrower than the bottom. How do I plane this so it doesn't look horrible?

1. Plane from the top until where I marked it and stop there, then levelling out the square with a file or rasp
   
2. Plane the whole thing and have a larger gap towards the bottom
3. Something else

Also, do I really need to plane both sides of the door? I only need to take a small amount off.

 

[mcluma]

how much is the gap vs the bottom, how much needs to be planned down?

and is the gap on the hinge side all the way down equal - how is the top of the door fitting - IS your door frame square??

 

[WoOt]

Just getting in to DIY, so I'm not sure how much the gap is as I've only got a regular tape measure which isn't that accurate. But we're likely talking 2mm as I tried just pushing the door in, and it almost fit. I can fit the bottom in up to about 1m, then the top starts getting stuck.

The fitting height-wise is OK. Ever so slightly smaller than the previous door, but that won't be noticeable. I doubt if the frame is completely square.

 

[mcluma]

So that doesn't look to bad. but... is the gap on the hinge side even, or is it more at the top?

 

[WoOt]

I believe it is almost even, yes. Although I guess I won't find out until I've fitted it (as I said, complete novice here). I was hoping to leave the hinges side alone and just plane a bit of the top on the other side. Not sure that would work though - nor whether it would be visible that I only planed the top half.

Then again with a 17GBP door, I'm keen to give it a go. If I can do it with this one, I can try the other more expensive doors as well.

 

[mcluma]

Sorry i thought you had already hung it on it' hinges.

No place the door in the opening and mark it, I would have probably hang it first (nice if you have hinges where you can pul the hingepin out)

are you using an electric or hand plane?

 

[WoOt]

Planning to buy an electric plane tonight for this. So you would hang it first and plane it second?

 

[mcluma]

I would hang first, mark it out perfect, take it down and plane it whilst its down, and make sure you hold the planer straight (level) and put the planer on its thinnest level, if you can? transfer the line to both sides of the door, so you are 100% sure you do it straight. its so easy to go deeper on one side

 

[gregers]

this is where shooting a door becomes an art.
do you have a decent long level or straight edge?this is to check whether theres a bow on the linings etc