Closet doors in basements and attics often do not allow for standard doors. Usually, because of heat ducts or plumbing, the rough opening is too low and a custom door is required. Bifold doors can be cut down to fit these openings. If the bifold door has a large bottom rail, the process is quite simple. If it's hollow and a lot is cut off, a few more steps are necessary. Does this Spark an idea?
Cutting the Bottom of Bifold Doors
If your door has a large bottom rail, several inches may be cut off without any modifications. Place your door on a pair of sawhorses wrapped with carpet, cardboard or a blanket to protect the face of the door. With a pencil, draw a line where you want to make the cut. Score a line with a utility knife on the face and edges of the door to prevent the wood from chipping. This is especially important if your door is pre-finished. The underside doesn't need scoring. Clamp a 6-inch board to the door as a guide for your circular saw (Install a sharp blade with about 40 teeth). Cut along the line holding the cut-off piece as you reach the end so that there is no damage to the door. Sand the edges with 120-grit sandpaper.
Cutting the Edges of Bifold Doors
If the doors are too wide for your opening, take a little off of each door with a table saw. Ideally, the doors should be the same width. Cut the edges where the two doors meet because little can be taken off the hinge side. If you are cutting off 1/4-inch or less, you could use a power planer on one of the doors. Sand the edges with 120-grit sandpaper.
Cutting Hollow-Core Bifold Doors
The rails of hollow-core doors are not very wide. If you cut more than 3/4 of an inch off the door, you may not have enough rail left to keep the door strong. Ask your door supplier how wide the top and bottom rails are before cutting your door. If you cut the rail completely off or weaken it significantly, you must fabricate another rail. Remove any existing rail with a chisel and rip a new piece of wood to the exact width needed to fill in the gap. Glue the new rail, clamp it firmly, and let it set for an hour. Then remove your clamps, sand the edges, and drill new holes for the hardware. Keep the piece you cut off to use as a template for drilling the holes.
Considerations
Door suppliers, especially full-service lumber yards, will cut your doors down to the proper width and height for a very reasonable cost. Most often, this is the easiest way to go for both homeowners and contractors.
Tags: your door, 120-grit sandpaper, 120-grit sandpaper Cutting, Bifold Doors, bottom rail, door large