# Door Height too Short



## CallMeVilla (Dec 17, 2014)

OK guys ... Here is the challenge ... Standard doors come 80" tall.  In this case, the finished opening is 24" x 77" so trimming is in order.

This is an exterior, hollow core slab door clad with Masonite and Type 2 (exterior grade) glue.  Yes, it will be heavily primed and painted.

BUT ... (there is always a Butt-Monkey) ... How would you trim the 3"+ off the door to fit the space?  Blocks in hollow core doors are typically only 1 1/2" top and bottom.

Since the hinge mortise and lockset holes have not been done yet, I plan on leaving the bottom alone.  I will trim all necessary wood at the top.  Then cut a new block to insert in the top of the door, gluing with exterior glue and shoot galvanized 1" nails.  Top gets capped with flashing and so does the bottom.

How does that work for you?

Butt Monkey says "Yeah, sure!"


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## bud16415 (Dec 17, 2014)

Cutting that much off the top will remove the joinery between the stiles and the rail completely. I would try and salvage the rail framing from the top by peeling off the skin and gluing that back in if I could. You won&#8217;t know till you get inside. 

How thin will the look of the top rail be when done. If it doesn&#8217;t look odd go for it.


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## havasu (Dec 17, 2014)

I thought all exterior doors needed to be solid core?


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## joecaption (Dec 17, 2014)

Why are you not reframing the opening so you can use a real 6' 8" exterior prehung door, or at least using a solid wood door?


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## nealtw (Dec 17, 2014)

Hollow does not mean empty, honnycomb. Sometimes hard to deal with.


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## CallMeVilla (Dec 23, 2014)

Reframing?  Stucco exterior, header ... could I do it?  Sure.  Is it in the plan?  Well, I could envision cutting away the stucco, cutting the existing header and cripples, reinstalling a new header 3" higher, then installing the door, then paint-matching the stucco color  .... more work than trimming and structuring the door.

"Hollow core" doors are filled with foam or corrugated ...  I suspect this one is foam by the weight.  Chiseling the foam out a bit will allow insertion of a close fitting block in the top which can be face nailed and side screwed.  I plan to cap the door with U-channel aluminum and to install flashing above the door on the wall to divert rain.  The bottom of the door gets a thresholdand sweep.

Will provide pics, hopefully to demonstrate the process.


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## beachguy005 (Dec 23, 2014)

Given that you brought primates into the equation, I'll ask about the 300 pound gorilla.....Why wouldn't you just get a solid core door and trim that rather than spend all that time altering a door that someone could easily put their foot through?


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## havasu (Dec 23, 2014)

beachguy005 said:


> Given that you brought primates into the equation, I'll ask about the 300 pound gorilla.....Why wouldn't you just get a solid core door and trim that rather than spend all that time altering a door that someone could easily put their foot through?



Thank you for asking this. I'm still scratching my head. In my area, solid core is mandatory for all exterior doors.


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## frodo (Dec 28, 2014)

CallMeVilla said:


> OK guys ... Here is the challenge ... Standard doors come 80" tall.  In this case, the finished opening is 24" x 77" so trimming is in order.
> 
> This is an exterior, hollow core slab door clad with Masonite and Type 2 (exterior grade) glue.  Yes, it will be heavily primed and painted.
> 
> ...



looks like someone i know  :rofl:


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## CallMeVilla (Dec 28, 2014)

beachguy005 said:


> Given that you brought primates into the equation, I'll ask about the 300 pound gorilla.....Why wouldn't you just get a solid core door and trim that rather than spend all that time altering a door that someone could easily put their foot through?



As usual, its all about the $$$  ... 

However, I re-inspected the door and I have a suspicion this model is made from a solid slab of MDF which has birch skins on the outside and an interior framing on the sides to hold hinges and lockset.  Thus, if I cut 3" off the top, there will be no damage to the structure and no gap to fill.

Should be on this soon.  Pics to follow


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