I've not done this before so I thought Id come and ask you lot.
I need to fit a new external door - Brick to brick I have an opening of
920mm I have a nice new hardwood door frame 934mm.
I assume its better to take 7mm off both sides of the frame? Whats the weapon of choice for such a task? The frame is 70mm deep so my circular saw wont cut it cleanly. It also appears to be glued and screwed, I dont think it would come apart so I could cut the sides on the table saw. 7 mm seems an a lot of material for the plane or router.
Does anyone have any suggestions on how to cut the 7mm without making a complete mess of the frame?
Last time I trimmed a door was a couple of years ago. Bought a cheap Black Spur circular saw for £20. Has a cutting depth of 38mm. Should be okay for your frame if you attack from both sides but that might not give a clean cut and using it at maximum depth it might jam.
Failing that you could use a smaller saw and take several 5mm slits a couple of mm apart down the full length of the door frame and chisel the rest off.
Set your circular saw cutting depth to 5 or 6mm. Set the guide to cut
2 to 3 mm in from the edge. Run your saw down the full length of the frame. Do the same to the other long edges. Move your cutting guide so the blade is cutting 8 or 9mm from the edge. Cut along frame. Repeat moving blade in until you have thin wafers of wood along both sides of the frame. Carefully chisel off the wafers or use the saw to get rid of the outer layers and chisel off the inner ones.
Finish with a plane for a neater job and to get the correct size
If you want to reduce the frame by 14mm, you COULD plane 7mm off each stiyle of the frame, but it would be better to reduce the length of the top rail and remake the joints if that is possible.
Then you will have to make the door narrower, taking a bit off each side, and making it fit the opening, which mght not be square and true! I would do this with a sharp hand plane, but i am old fashioned, some would prefer a power planer, or you can use a router running along a straightedge if you have one of these, to keep the door edge square and true.
So gettin back to the question, he prefered tool for reducing a door frame is a tenon saw, followed by a chisel, for remaking the joint. Depending on the joint design you might need a coping saw as well.
Depends on the design of the joints, could be very simple in parctice?
This was my main concern - I dont fancy snagging the saw, I've got an old
184mm B&D saw with a 40 tooth TCT blade in (dont ask) the max depth is 60mm but I really wouldnt like to try it. I hadnt thought of making a couple of shallower passes to create a clean hole - it would certainly stop the blade binding.
My plane and I dont see eye to eye on neat finishes, but I can cover a small amount of wobble with a bit of render.
Many thanks for the suggestions I'll go and try it on a bit of scrap softwood.
Its a composite door I dont think I can trim it can I? The door itself is the 'right' size (The size of the old one )but it would appear somewhere down the line some bright spark has changed the width of the frames - (either that or I bought the wrong size) and Im left with 1/2 an inch excess. The hall walls stop me from "fitting" the brickwork instead of the door frame.
Had the door have been solid wood I think you're probably right.
If the door is the "right" size, that is for the rebate inthe finished frame, then you dont have much choice but reduce the thickness of the frame so it fits the gap with the correct opening. The only other way would be to trim the door. You should be able to take a bit off the edge of a composite door, because they are manufactured to fit in bildings that are neither square nor particularly accurate.
If I had to reduce the thickness of the frame timber I would probably put it across a bench planer finisher, but i assume you dont have one of these. It is an expensive investmant unless you do cabinet work orsimilar as a hobby.
Personally i would remake the frame, and reduce the door. This is offered COMPLETELY WITHOUT PREJUDICE! on the basis that even a door the correct width wont fit accurately because of the frame finished size i keep harping on about!
Once you get the frame in place, fastened in, with a suitable layer of chewing gum between itself and the brickwork (for weather tightness and draught proofing) is the time to measure (twice!) the door opening, and make the door fit.
There are a few good books on trim carpentry around that will tell you more. Although basic door hanging is fairly easy, its more of a black art than most people imagine if you want a good well fitting door. If its an external door you want it well fitting! Make sure you use decent hinges, and that tey are properly aligned, or you will regret it later.
From previous posts I presume that the frame is too wide but the door will be the correct fit once the frame is reduced to the correct size - (the following advice is based on that presumption and reading your other posts)?
Then unless your actual wall to wall measurements are straight, parallel and plumb (unlikely) which will allow you to cut your frame accurately ( and remember you have to cut more than 14mm off to easily fit the frame and allow for plumbing, mastic etc) - then I would do the following:
1 - Carefully dismantle the frame down to its four components (presuming that there is a hardwood sill).
2 - Measure your actual opening in three places - top, bottom and centre, find the narrowest point and then deduct 6mm (for ease of fitting and adjustment) - I presume that the height is correct.
3 - Re-cut the mortises in the head and sill (on one side only) so that the overall width is that of your measured size and then re-assemble the frame using a waterproof glue and drive either nails or screws (remember to make allowances for the end grain [for the purists here]) through the head and sill in a 'dovetail' shape into the stiles.
4 - Once this is done, square the frame and dry-fit it to the opening (and if all went well, you it should be a snug fit with a small amount of play for adjustment and mastic).
5 - Remove the frame and lay it flat on the floor, recheck it for square and then dry fit the door into the rebates as a simple 'check for fit' - it will also give you an idea of what has to trimmed off the door (if needed).
6 - Fix the frame using whatever method you want - if it was me on a hardwood frame, I would use screws and work out where the fixings are going and then drill a pilot hole and countersink this to fit pre-formed hardwood plugs over the screw heads - making sure that all is plumb and square. [TIP] (a) If you want the door to stay open at every point through its arc - make sure that everything is plumb. (b) If you want it to be self closing, tilt the frame slightly out of plumb *outwards*. (c) If you want self opening, then reverse the tilt inwards (obviously).
7 - Plane the door to fit (taking an even amount off both stiles, head and bottom) and take the 'leading' edges off into a very slight bevel into the rebates so that you have the proverbial 'penny joint' on the head and stiles - if its a flush type door, then make sure that the 'lock block' is on the 'slamming' side of the frame.
8 - Fit the hinges and hang the door, check for fit and adjust as needed.
9 - If you are using a patent metal water bar such as a 'Stormguard' fit the lock and furniture first, then closing the door, mark the position of the waterbar, remove door, trim as needed, re-hang door and dry-fit said waterbar - if all is well, apply the mastic to the waterbar and fit.
10 - One the door is fitted to your satisfaction, apply any internal cover strips and mastic around the wall to frame joint - let the mastic dry and apply your finished decoration.
Long winded, but it may give you a better idea to base your decisions on.
Yep thats about the sum of it... I should also add that the door and frame are matched and that its "pre-hung", sill, waether guard, draft seal and all hardware already installed.
Plumb or parallel - here, you have to be kidding. The house was thrown up in the 60's and it looks like all the buiders were stoned at the time.
Id allowed for a 4mm as a "fitting" but that will be covered by the render from the left hand wall.
Its difficult to describe the doorway but the frame doesnt sit in a flat wall. The current frame butts up against 1 wall half way along the wall, on the hinge side (right hand) and into a junction where 2 other walls meet pertendicularly on the other side, with a render finish covering the wall and 1/2 the left hand stile.. The door forms a corner. --- Well I know what I mean :-)
..... SNIP - saved and printed - thats a really helpful guide.
Im not a big fan of mastic or expanding foam. I'll drill/screw and plug then repoint / re-render and replaster the internal bits.
Im sure it'll also come in handy for refitting the windows too. They're in a worse state than the door !!!
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