Doors doors doors

[Ian]

I'm planning to replace the internal doors in my house:

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1. Several of the room doors will be 4-panel 35mm thick. I'm thinking of the Cadeby wood grain effect range (as sold in B&Q). Two problems:

a. Although most of the doors will be the standard 1981mm high, some will be significantly shorter, down to 1955mm. I contacted the supplier, who told me it is only acceptable to shave up to 6mm off the top and bottom of the doors, otherwise their strength will be compromised.

b. One door is only 680mm wide, which is not available in this range. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1. The remaining doors are for cupboards (cloaks cupboard, general storage cupboard etc). These need to be plain ply, 25mm thick, standard height. Problem: all I can find anywhere are doors that are 35mm thick. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Solutions/comments anyone? (The room doors don't necessarily have to be Cadeby -- we are just looking for substantial 4-panel doors).

[Cash]

Just had a quick look on the B&Q website at this door and I would suggest that you can cut the door down to the height that you require using a saw (important), keep the off-cut, carefully remove the remains of the two faces off the bottom rail (leaving this clean and intact) - and then refit the bottom rail by applying glue to the original two faces and cramping (or clamping if you prefer) and skew-screw through the bottom rail into the two stiles.

This would be far more difficult to overcome (having to cut around 75mm off a (presumably) 760mm wide door - so you'll either have to contact the makers of the door to see if they will do a purpose made one or widen the opening (if you can or want too) to fit the smallest standard door width.

If these are essential, then (presuming they are simple flush doors to be painted) either make them yourself [1] or ask a joinery shop to do it for you.

[1] Simply make a simple frame of the required thickness, butt jointed and using glue and corrugated fasteners (wriggle nails) to fix the joints (don't forget to include a 'lock-block' of sufficient size, and the cut some thin plywood sheet or hardboard to size and then glue and pin [2] the sheets to the frame - and finish with the desired decoration. [2] You can use heavy weights to hold the ply/hardboard until the glue dries, or use temporary 'tacks' and remove one the glue has tried or simply glue and nail (punching the nails below the surface) - and then fill and paint as required.

There may be other and better suggestions, but I hope this is of some help.

Cash

[Tony Bryer]

Strength issues apart, taking 75mm off the width is almost certainly going to screw up the proportions of a four panel door. 686mm (2'3") is a standard door width. The OP needs to go to a timber merchant or door specialist.

[NT]

you can certainly take a lot more than that off. Of course strength is reduced to some degree. If you cant find what you want, make your own. There's an endless array of styles to choose from... take a peek at the first 4 links here:

if you arent skills confident, there are some low skill ways to make doors too.

NT

[Cash]

More or less what I said I believe - and if the OP wants the same pattern door with a non-standard width, then the manufacturer would be the best to ask, as they may have the facility to make the odd non-standard door [1]. Just like the manufacturers of IG doors will do if asked.

[1] Or they may even start a 680mm (2' 3") range as this is also a standard size, internal door used on may door sets.

Cash

[PeterC]

My bathroom door is about that size.

[Ian]

From: Cash

[Stuart Noble]

[NT]

If its cheap and painted you're after, perhaps after trimming remove one edge of the beading round the panels and add some extra timber & bead to get it to better proportions. Another of several options... ITs hard to recommend anything without knowing what you are and arent prepared to do and what exactly you want to get.

NT