Trimming down door help!

[milkythecactus]

help! We had a new flooring fitted in our bathroom and the man who did it advised we would need to take the door off the hinges and sand some off the bottom so it would open properly. However my partner decided to leave the door in place and chisel off the bottom instead. The door now does open properly but has a terrible jagged edge and large pieces have splintered away. How can I fix this and what tools will I need? I don't want to have to take too much more off as there will be a big gap under the door. Thanks in advance

 

[DaveHerns]

New doors ! I think that's beyond any satisfactory repair.

 

[London Mike 49]

Your best bet is to buy a cheap jigsaw ( screwfix do one for under £20 with a wood cutting blade ) and clamp a piece of straight edge wood to the door as a guide for the saw and take just enough wood off to get a good edge.
You can buy a couple of F clamps for about £7 and you can use a long spirit level as a straight edge or a bit of wood.
Here is a guide on how to do it ; http://www.instructables.com/id/How-To-Cut-A-Straight-Line-Using-A-Skill-Saw-Or-Ji/

Mike

 

[geraldthehamster]

It's never going to look perfect, but I would trim the bottom straight (using a circular saw and a clamped guide), then make good the bits that have split off with two-part wood filler. For the avoidance of doubt, this can't be done without removing the door.

Cheers
Richard

 

[DaveHerns]

There'll be a massive gap under the door unless they glue a strip to the bottom of the door.

 

[JohnD]

A jigsaw doesn't cut a straight line. Even if you run along a batten on the upper surface, the blade will wander as it cuts through. A circular saw would be the right tool, as Gerald says. You could do it with a panel saw, just more effort and time. Support it on trestles or a workmate

I think I might look for some kind of moulding to hide the damage. On an external door you could use a kickplate, but they are not normal on an interior door.

 

[Doggit]

At the end of the day, the easiest thing is to accept that the doors been Donald ducked, and then get a new one, but If you start trying to cut it down, you risk causing more damage. If you want to repair it, then I'd take it off, and build up the repairs using 2 part wood filler, and trim and file it down before it goes too hard.

the blade will wander as it cuts through

Depending on the quality of the jigsaw, and the thickness of the blade, if you make sure it's not on pendulum mode, and you run it slow, there's a much better chance it won't wander.

 

[JohnD]

The door has a ledged and braced look about it. Stand back and show up the whole door, back and front.

 

[big-all]

keep in mind iff you have an extractor fan in the room you need about a 12mm gap at the bottom off the door to draw in warm air to allow the extractor to work propperly

 

[Chud]

+1 for what Gerald and JohnD said - the best method is to shave off the bare minimum with a circular saw, failing that a jigsaw taken slowly will kind of do.

A piece of flat(ish) trim attached to the bottom of the door might make it look a bit more acceptable.

I recommend using gyproc easi-fill to fill the holes in the wall where presumably you've stapled your partner to the wall with the chisel.

 

[Bosswhite]

You could leave the doors as they are and take up the hobby of Limbo Dancing.

 

[Ian H]

A mate of mine needed the bottom skimming off a door.

He took it off and his brother cut 10mm off the top

 

[Robbie uk]

That's what happens when you don't follow professional advise !

 

[Belboz]

Fit some draught excluder strip to the back and a moulding to the front. Covers a multitude of sins...

 

[shagster]

A piece of flat(ish) trim attached to the bottom of the door might make it look a bit more acceptable.

Use D4 wood adhesive to glue the trim. I've used it on doors in the past, and it will take some kicking. Watch out for spills though and wipe away excess thoroughly before it dries, you won't easily get it off later!