Planing the bottom of a door

Yorky

I've recently bought a persian rug for a living room floor and unfortunately the door will not fit over it. I presume the easiest way to rectify this is to hire an electric planer and take a few milimetres off the bottom of the door. The only problem with that is there will then be a gap underneath the door which will allow draughts into the room.

Can anyone provide instructions/tips on using an electric planer and what to do about the gap problem?

northdublin

most good planers have a groove on the plate to allow an edge to sit into it as a guide. i would plane the 2 long edges of the door at a 45 deg angle first then using that chanfer as a guide to plane down the centre bit to the level of the chanfer. if not enough is taken off repeat. only take off about 4 ml at a time. then fit a draught excluder to the bottom of the door.

JBCFord

Go to the hardware store and get yourself a pair of rising butt hinges
Don’t plain the door
Replace the hinges
A link describing what you need http://www.constantines.com/browseproducts/Rising-Butt-Hinges.HTML

regards jbcford

NB better link describing fitting http://www.thediyworld.co.uk/hinges_2.html

Yorky

Thanks for your reply. The mat is about eight inches from the closed door - would the rising butt hinges lift the door soon enought o clear the mat? Also, would the door stay open with these hinges? Finally, where can they be bought online?

Howitzer

just adding my 2 cents. I had door trouble after putting down laminate flooring.
I had to sand the door thresholds. Where this wasn't enough I removed a few mils at a time with a sharp hand saw (saves renting planers.) The doors took this treatment quite well.

The butt hinges will mean the door will close itself under its own weight - which is a fire safety benefit - but will drive you mad with slamming doors!

To see if the hinge will help the door clear the carpet - find the angle the door first hits the carpet. Then put a hinge to that angle and see if there is enough rise in the hinge to clear the carpet. (you should be able to figure what I'm on about from the image in http://www.constantines.com/browseproducts/Rising-Butt-Hinges.HTML

(http://www.constantines.com/ProductImages/hardware/hinges/55D2.jpg)

Hope this helps.

Andrea B.

If the butt hinges don't work, I wouldn't use a planer. I would suggest a skillsaw used in conjunction with a rip fence. That is a straight guide held in place by clamps to guide the skillsaw along a straight line.

Give edges a very light sanding then so as not to leave splinters to grab dust from the rug.

With the door gap left, you could consider a higher saddle?

quackquackBOOM

also if you use a planer start from one side and work your way over but do not complete the run as you will rip the timber off the other side of the door
instead turn it round the other way and start from the other side
if you use a rip saw run a stanley knife over the line you want to cut on both sides but make sure the blade is sharp or u will make a right mess


:)would definatly go with the hinges best idea by far, the least dirty and the easiest to do
dont buy the hinges online just go to a hardware and tell them what you want they dont bite

oleras

Andrea B. wrote: »

If the butt hinges don't work, I wouldn't use a planer. I would suggest a skillsaw used in conjunction with a rip fence. That is a straight guide held in place by clamps to guide the skillsaw along a straight line.

Give edges a very light sanding then so as not to leave splinters to grab dust from the rug.

With the door gap left, you could consider a higher saddle?

Doctors differ and all that.....lol

I would never use a saw to trim a door. You should always use a plane, electric or hand. They are not that expensive, €30-€40 for something decent, and you will have it for life.