# trim bottom of bathroom door



## -Dman100- (Aug 31, 2009)

My bathroom door cannot swing shut because of a bath mat.  It needs to have about 1/8" to 3/8" shaved off the bottom of the door in order for the door to freely open and close without the bath mat getting in the way.  What is the best way to trim the bottom of the door?

It is my understanding that the door is hollow with trim around the edges that hold the door together.  If I cut the bottom, it can break the trim off and cause the door to split apart??

I'm trying to understand the best way to trim the door without breaking it apart and causing myself and ton of headaches.

Thanks for any help.


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## slownsteady (Aug 31, 2009)

True about hollow doors. But usually there is a couple inches of wood to deal with, so you shouldn't have to worry too much about a 1/2 inch. Do you know if the door has been trimmed before? You could probably use a stud sensor to get an idea of how much wood framing there is in the door.

Pop out the hinge pins and lay the door on saw horses or some other work surface. Put a strip of masking tape along the area that you're going to cut; this will help minmize chipping of the surface. Measure, set your your straightedge in place and make it beautiful.


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## glennjanie (Sep 1, 2009)

Hello Dman:
An altrenative to the masking tape is to use the straight edge and a utility knife to cut the door veneer about 1/16" above the saw cut. After the saw cut is made you could use a block plane to smooth the bottom of the door.
Glenn


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## 911handyman (Sep 6, 2009)

Make sure to lay tape or something on the sawhorses to prevent damage to the door, and use the tape idea it works great, and if you can use a saw guide made from wood, so that the saw can run against it. Nice and straight.


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## Nestor_Kelebay (Sep 6, 2009)

The way I do it is to remove the door and set it down horizontal on 3 or 4 chairs.

I measure the same distance down from the TOP of the door (cuz the bottom of the door may have been cut before) to ensure I get the bottom cut straight.

I put down two 2" wide strips of painter's masking tape along the door to prevent the circular saw shoe from scratching the door veneer, and clamp a straight edge on the door.

Then, I set up my circular saw to cut a 1/8 inch kerf depth just to remove the veneer on the top of the door without chipping it up.  (the most chipping occurs when the teeth of the blade are travelling perpendicular to the work.  So, by setting up the kerf depth so that the blade teeth are travelling almost horizontally when they enter and exit the work, the less chipping you'll have)

Then I apply 2 or 3 pieces of masking tape to the straight edge and set up my circular saw to cut a 1 3/8 inch deep kerf to just cut through the veneer on the other side of the door without chipping it up.  The masking tape holds the saw, and hence the blade, away from the previously cut veneer to prevent chipping it.

Then I sand the cut edges of the door to remove the sharp edge so it doesn't chip.

PS#1:  You're not likely to cut into the hollow core of the door, but if you do, you can take the door down to some lumber yards and ask to have it "re-styled".  What the guy will do is cut a piece of fir lumber to fit in the hollow bottom of the door, and glue it in place so you can cut another 2 or 3 inches off the bottom should you ever want to.

PS#2:  If you have trouble getting the hinge pins out (especially the top pin cuz it'll be rusted from the humidity), just grab onto the top of the hinge pin with a pair of locking pliers and TWIST back and forth while pulling upward.  That will cause the rust on the pin and the rust inside the hinge knuckle to wear against each other and smooth each other out, thereby allowing the removal of the pin.   And, some penetrating oil will also help, too.


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