How to Resize an Interior Composite Hollow Core Door
Have you ever needed to resize an interior composite hollow core door? More often than you may realize, a standard replacement interior composite hollow core door, from your local home supply store, will need resizing to fit an existing door frame. Standard interior door widths typically vary from 24" - 36" wide by 80" tall. Allowing for a threshold, carpeted or tiled floor, you may only need 77" or so. Shortening these doors is a relatively simple process, providing you have about half an hour and access to the right tools.
![]() 1. Transfer the measurement to the door, after you have measured the frame opening and allowed for a threshold and carpeted, tiled or hardwood flooring. Remove the excess from the bottom of the door, using a circular saw with an edge guide for a straight cut. To keep your cut parallel to the floor, clamp a straight edge to the door to guide the saw.
![]() 2. Fold the cardboard back approximately 3/4 of an inch, if you have removed enough wood to expose the core, to allow for the wood trim you will need to replace.
![]() 3. Carefully remove any rough or torn edges from the composite board after you have folded the cardboard back up inside of the door, using a razor knife.
![]() 4. Use a 5 in 1 tool and your razor knife to remove the composite board from the 3/4" x 1-1/8" wood trim. Knock off the blocks left over from the door edges. You should remove as much of this excess material as possible, leaving smooth surfaces.
![]() 5. Apply wood glue to the inside of the door as well as to all 4 narrow edges of the wood trim. Reinstall the wood trim using a hammer to tap it in flush, from one end to the other.
![]() 6. Apply several clamps, to hold everything tight until the glue cures. Wipe away any excess glue, with a damp cloth.
![]() 7. Keep in mind that there is only 15/16" of wood frame on the hinge side and only 1/16" more on the latch side. If you need to remove more than 1/2", split the difference and take some from both sides. If you need to remove more than that, go with a solid wood door. A solid wood door will cost more now. But, replacing a weakened hollow core door will cost you later!
Tips
* If you are short on time or patience, or have more than one door to resize, buy a length of wood trim 3/4" x 1-1/8" to replace what you removed from the bottom of the door. * Prime all bare wood, to keep it from swelling. * Hang the door on its hinges, before painting and installing hardware. Warnings * Hollow core doors offer no security or weather protection and, therefore, should never be used as entry doors. Copyright 10/25/2009 All Rights Reserved. Questions? Comments? Contact Me |
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