How to trim a quarter inch off a door from top to bottom vertical.?

take the trim off of the closing side, including the jamb and tap it over a quarter inch. most door frames aren’t the same size the finish jamb and frame are and they are adjusted by shims. matter of fact all of the trim on one side of the door is attached once the door unit is slid into place. it’s usually the side opposite the hinge side so take the vertical piece of trim off of the place where the door closes and see how big the gap is between the rough frame and the jamb, then all you have to do is take some of the shims out and adjust, put back the trim. you may not even have to readjust the exterior trim at the tops because the jamb is usually not flush with the trim to begin with. if she didn’t get a solid wood door you won’t be able to cut it. if you had a hand plane you could plane or sand on both sides easily an eighth of an inch.

check your door frame first to make sure it’s plumb. if the frame is not plumb and square it could be the reason the new door doesn’t fit.

Source(s): used to do punch work for a builder making adjustments and repairs to houses before they closed.

Remove the pins that hold the old door to the jam. Next remove the hinges from the old door, normally there are . If it’s still in one piece as far as the hinges go, good. You can cut a strip off the old door to practice and using the strip you cut off mark where the hinges go on the new door.

Lay the door down flat such that the Hand-saw blade will not cut anything below it. Clamp a very straight board onto the hinge side of the door such that when you place the edge of the saw onto the door and up against the board the edge of the saw blade is a quarter inch in from the door edge. (remember to take into account the thickness of the saw blade!!!!)

Double check all the way along the door to ensure you are only a quarter inch from the edge.

Next using painters tape put a stripe onto both sides of the door so that the blade has to cut though it. That will keep the door from chipping.

You will want to cut from the outside door side (hallway side). Since there is a stripe of wood on the outside of the door jam it will cover any chips that do occur.

Double check the clamps making sure they are tight. Blocks of wood under them will even the pressure from the clamps so you don’t get a dent in the door.

Start the Hand-saw before the blade hits the wood. Making sure you keep the Hand-saw pressed against the guide board cut the quarter inch off the door. Don’t destroy the piece if it’s from the old door.

Using the piece you just cut off the old door mark on the new door where the hinges were inlet. Using a chisel cut out the wood to accept the hinges. Screw the hinges to the new door and mount.

Hanging a door from scratch is a lot of very detailed work as described by my fellow writers.. ordering a custom prehung door I dont believe is very expensive and is much easier to install than trying to rip or plane a ft straight line on a door slab and then mortising your hinges, drilling your door knob..ect..and What do you have when your done unless your a seasoned door man…a butched up door that sticks… not much more than what you have now..except you bought it/cut it/and own it.

Tell HD the exact size of your door and which way it swings.. pop off the molding around the door.. i use a sawsall with a big blade. to cut the nails, a claw hammer will work… buy some builder shims with your door and when you install your door..use the shims to adjust your distance around the frame to the studs… nail or screw the new frame, I try to go through the shims to hold them.. make sure your square front and back and left and right.. reinstall the original molding and door hardware.. brand new door.. Im sure there some easy videos you can catch on Utube to give you a better visual…

I wouldn’t use a table saw unless you have easy access to one.

I’d use a planer

http://www.ryobitools.com/catalog/power_tools/plan…

All doors need to be planed anyway whether you buy a custom size door or you cut a quarter inch off a door.

Even if you purchase a cheap electric planer and DIY it will probably be cheaper then hiring someone to fit your door for you.

Besides, It’s a handy tool to have. Most all houses settle and the doors need planing from time to time.

A quarter inch is a big cut (almost too big for a planer) but it is also a hassle to use a table saw and then use a planer afterwards

Even if you don’t know how to use a planer you will probable run into a friend that can but only if you have the tool.

Source(s): Built my house

Trim A Door

Source(s): https://shrink.im/baBEt

Easy enough to do. remove the hinges if it has any . Clamp a board to the edge of the door on the hinge edge as a saw guide. Use a circular saw with a new sharp plywood blade. Keep the saw tight to the guide board as you go. You will have to chisle out the hinge mortises to get the right fit for the hinges.

Source(s): btdt

Best if you have a table saw. Barring that, a portable circular saw using a straight edge. Probably best to cut off from the bottom. Least visible. But if the door already has all the hardware on it like hinges and lock then you’ll have to centre it first and measure/cut from that.

I would rent a power planer from home depot rentals.They remove about / with every pass and they will not chip the bottom of the door.You can use the circular saw if it is a masonite door and not solid wood.Just sand the edge after you cut or plane it to take the sharpness off the edge.

You need to remove the door to do this. Do not try it with the door in place.