# Too much material to be removed from solid slab door



## tk3000 (Jan 3, 2016)

Hello Folks, 

I have two solid slab doors that I recently bought. And due to the unusual  size of the opening for the door I normally have to cut the slab door to fit. The problem is that sometimes I have to cut too much of the material, and most of these doors are simply filled up with particle wood. The following is a door that I installed recently, but did not to have to remove much material (probably 2" from the height [1" from bottom + 1" from top], and 1" from sides ): 

Ready to cut:






Partially installed: 






The next one (similar to this one shown above [ 6 panels ]) will need to have 8" removed from its height  which seems much, and since it has panels it will have almost no smooth surface between the panels and its bottom and upper portion.  I got these door for a low price and was trying to make the best use of them, but was wondering whether or not this would be an acceptable compromise in terms of looks. 

thks


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## nealtw (Jan 4, 2016)

What is the reason in not making the hole bigger?


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## JoeD (Jan 4, 2016)

I would try and find a door closer to the correct size.


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## slownsteady (Jan 4, 2016)

This may be a case where the cost saving isn't worth the effort. The old expression is "penny-wise, pound-foolish". Problem is the door opening may not fit any stock door, so you may need to rebuild the doorway.


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## nealtw (Jan 4, 2016)

How much wood work do you want to get into. The panel size can be changed with some simple tools and some imagination.


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## tk3000 (Jan 5, 2016)

nealtw: 
Making the hole bigger would likely entail much more work, and I have not tackled that task yet (besides it is too cold now). And that is part of the reason I choose a slab door instead of a prehung door, it is more work but you can customize the door for your needs to some extent. 

As far as wood working goes, I have not done  much in terms of furniture (I am starting to lean towards it and learn more about it though); and I have the most basic large tools: table saw, circular saw, miter saw, jig saw, router, etc. Previously I would use a chisel to make most of the indentations in a slab door (mortisee, etc), but now with a router I do most of them with a router.

"The panel size can be changed with some simple tools and some imagination. "
You mean the door itself by adding material instead of removing it? How would you approach it? It seems lots of work. 


slowandsteady & JoeD: yeah, that seems to be the more reasonable approach... Buying a door with an approximate size.


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## nealtw (Jan 5, 2016)

1. I believe that some one had a good reason to make the old doorway that small but I would still like to see it or hear about it.

2. 75 years ago you might be able to just order the door to fit from the local door outfit, have you checked with used building selvage companies to see if they have something closer to size.

3.  Are these 2 door in the same area where you want to look simular or do you care.

4. How big is the bottom frame peice. Top frame peice and the one next to the top. And how tall is the top panel.


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## tk3000 (Jan 10, 2016)

nealtw said:


> 1. I believe that some one had a good reason to make the old doorway that small but I would still like to see it or hear about it.
> 
> 2. 75 years ago you might be able to just order the door to fit from the local door outfit, have you checked with used building selvage companies to see if they have something closer to size.
> 
> ...



Yeah, there should be a good reason, so I better off not fiddle with it too much; besides apart from being non-stock size it is perfect good door size. The door opening is about 72x36.

 Ideally I would like to have all doors the same style but that is not a requirement. I guess considering how much material I would have to remove from a stock door, a completely flat  door (no panels) would be ideal. 

The thing about the door framing is that it is a cinder block wall for most part, so likely not easy to change anyway. The good thing is that the frame is pretty much square and plumb, the bottom and top frame has a width of 36". The height of the door opening is 72" (the slab's door  height that I got is 80", so quite a big difference in height)

Guess, I will better off buying another door: a flat one. I wish they would make doors that are actually made of of wood (maybe plywood) instead of solid ones filled up with particle wood.

thk! 

thks!


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## nealtw (Jan 10, 2016)

Two sheets of 3/4 plywood 80x42, glue and screw around the edges and cut to fit, removing all the screws that are just around the edges.


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## Snoonyb (Jan 10, 2016)

tk3000 said:


> Guess, I will better off buying another door: a flat one. I wish they would make doors that are actually made of of wood (maybe plywood) instead of solid ones filled up with particle wood.
> 
> thk!
> 
> thks!



They have been mfg. doors from wood, and still do.

The name, (how you would order them), for the doors you have been discussing, are panel doors and are ordered by the number of panels.

A slab door is 2 single panels mounted on a frame. The frame determines the door thickness. The core is either a cardboard wafer or a solid fill.

You can, at your leisure, order from any vendor a wood slab door, in which the outside panels are mahogany, or birch, or walnut, or pine, or what ever species of lumber you desire and/or your wallet can stand.

Here's a place you can peruse; http://www.tmcobb.com/


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## beachguy005 (Jan 10, 2016)

Raised panel doors generally have the door knobs on the center rail and about the middle of the stile.  When you cut them down that much, it moves the bore holes all over the place and looks messed up.
You can mitigate that some by lowering the strike plate but you can't change the location in the stile.


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## bud16415 (Jan 11, 2016)

I don&#8217;t know for sure but I think I would take the 8 &#8220; out of the middle of the door. I&#8217;m not sure how your door is made but if you made your first cut right at the top edge of the top inset panel and then the second cut 8&#8221; down you could then cut a mortise with a router at 3 places and glue in three splines putting the door back together. I bet a guy could do that and you could hardly tell.


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## tk3000 (Jan 19, 2016)

nealtw said:


> Two sheets of 3/4 plywood 80x42, gluje and screw around the edges and cut to fit, removing all the screws that are just around the edges.




That really sounds like a door project from the ground up... I would do it just for kicks if for nothing else. Maybe some wood dowels would be in order too.


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## tk3000 (Jan 19, 2016)

Snoonyb said:


> They have been mfg. doors from wood, and still do.
> 
> The name, (how you would order them), for the doors you have been discussing, are panel doors and are ordered by the number of panels.
> 
> ...



I realize that if one has an unlimited amount of funds almost anything is possible, like a massive solid pure rare mahogany door made by an artisan... The point is that it close to impossible to find any realy solid wood (even plywood would suffice) in any home center; they simply do not exist. 

Probably  two plywood panels of good grade and smooth surface would  be an inexpansive option as nealtw pointed out. Maybe birch plywood would a nice option too. 

thks!


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## Snoonyb (Jan 19, 2016)

tk3000 said:


> I realize that if one has an unlimited amount of funds almost anything is possible, like a massive solid pure rare mahogany door made by an artisan...






tk3000 said:


> The point is that it close to impossible to find any realy solid wood (even plywood would suffice) in any home center; they simply do not exist.



While they may not be a "stocked" item, it is absolutely false, because I can walk into any home center and tell them what door I want and the species of wood and I can guarantee they will get me a price and a lead time.

If thats too cumbersome, just go to a lumber yard and it'll more than likely be stocked.

And the point is, they are readily available.

But if I want it sooner, I'll order it from a lumber yard. 



tk3000 said:


> Probably  two plywood panels of good grade and smooth surface would  be an inexpansive option as nealtw pointed out. Maybe birch plywood would a nice option too.
> 
> thks!



The number of plys will dictate the results, and the cost.


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## tk3000 (Jan 20, 2016)

beachguy005 said:


> Raised panel doors generally have the door knobs on the center rail and about the middle of the stile.  When you cut them down that much, it moves the bore holes all over the place and looks messed up.
> You can mitigate that some by lowering the strike plate but you can't change the location in the stile.



I realize that now. The door whose opening was about 76" (so I only needed to cut  about 4" [2" from the bottom, 2" from the upper portion]) shown installed in the first post has its door knob at an odd position and I had to cut another mortisse in the door jambs to accommodate it. And yeah I could move the strike plate too an even lower position but that would look even stranger. I also had to remove material (probably 5") from length of the door,  which then shortened the width of the door and made it more difficult to install the door lock/knob (a plain flat door would have avoided most of these issues)

But the second door that I  was planing to install would have even a larger amount of material removed (specially vertically), so I install another door (likely a flat one)

thks!


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## tk3000 (Jan 20, 2016)

bud16415 said:


> I don&#8217;t know for sure but I think I would take the 8 &#8220; out of the middle of the door. I&#8217;m not sure how your door is made but if you made your first cut right at the top edge of the top inset panel and then the second cut 8&#8221; down you could then cut a mortise with a router at 3 places and glue in three splines putting the door back together. I bet a guy could do that and you could hardly tell.



Yeah, that make sense. I guess that is how most real solid wood door are manufactured anyway: with mortise and tongues/tenons joints. But the one I have happen to be filled mostly with  particle wood, so that would not be an option.

thks


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## nealtw (Jan 20, 2016)

We see doors made for attic access all the time.The door company starts with the cheapes slab door, the kind that have 1/8" mdf skin over cardboard filler. They just cut it to size, dig out the cardboard and glue in a filler strip.
I have done this with a few bi-fold doors and it is a pain but I got them done. I think you could order that if you find the right supplier.


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## tk3000 (Jan 20, 2016)

Snoonyb said:


> While they may not be a "stocked" item, it is absolutely false, because I can walk into any home center and tell them what door I want and the species of wood and I can guarantee they will get me a price and a lead time.
> 
> If thats too cumbersome, just go to a lumber yard and it'll more than likely be stocked.
> 
> ...




My experience with home centers associates knowledge about the product they have in stock and sell otherwise (special orders) is not really good. For instance, these doors that I bought (shown at begining of the thread) had a listed  price of about $85 each (I bought for half that price) and the associate was not certain whether or not the door was real solid or had particle wood filling, but he was almost sure that it was really solid (wood which clearly was not).

thks


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## Snoonyb (Jan 21, 2016)

tk3000 said:


> My experience with home centers associates knowledge about the product they have in stock and sell otherwise (special orders) is not really good. For instance, these doors that I bought (shown at begining of the thread) had a listed  price of about $85 each (I bought for half that price) and the associate was not certain whether or not the door was real solid or had particle wood filling, but he was almost sure that it was really solid (wood which clearly was not).
> 
> thks



Believe me, I understand your frustration in "home centers" simply rotating in a sales person, which they determine to be, customer service.

It's why if it is anything other than a "book door," I'll go to a lumber yard.

However, had you posted your plan for using these 6 panel SC doors, before you purchased them, or made a cut, there are many here who would have shared with you, the make-up of these doors and the method of achieving the end results you are seeking.


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## slownsteady (Jan 21, 2016)

Snoonyb said:


> Believe me, I understand your frustration in "home centers" simply rotating in a sales person, which they determine to be, customer service.
> 
> It's why if it is anything other than a "book door," I'll go to a lumber yard.
> 
> However, had you posted your plan for using these 6 panel SC doors, before you purchased them, or made a cut, there are many here who would have shared with you, the make-up of these doors and the method of achieving the end results you are seeking.



basically covered 16 posts ago.


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## Snoonyb (Jan 21, 2016)

slownsteady said:


> basically covered 16 posts ago.



Imagine that, a 1 page solution, instead of 3 and counting.


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## tk3000 (Jan 21, 2016)

Snoonyb said:


> Imagine that, a 1 page solution, instead of 3 and counting.



I believe that all posts added to the discussion. I certainly failed to the foresee the difficullties related to the removal of too much material from these slab doors, especially the layout part of it (as mentioned by beachguy). But the first  door works really well and apart from a knob at an odd position it is great fit.  The second would be door is another story... I will not even try to install it. 

Anyhow, I will look for a lumberyard near me soon where I can find a door that is solid and made out  of some type of engineered wood (like plywood) and is flat.  

thks


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## nealtw (Jan 21, 2016)

I see no problem with a discussion going off in several directions so the OP) can have lots of ideas to work with so he can weigh all the options.


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