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Shortening door on pre hung door

marv | Posted in Construction Techniques on August 8, 2008 04:12am

Is there an easy way to cut off 1/2 inch off one side of a prehung door jamb?  The pressed wood door jambs we get at Habitat for Humanity always fall apart pretty easily.

Edit: my title got shortened.  It should say door jamb.

You get out of life what you put into it……minus taxes.

Marv


Edited 8/8/2008 9:13 am by Marv

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  1. DanH | Aug 08, 2008 04:13pm | #1

    You mean without disassembling?

    It is an ironic habit of human beings to run faster when we have lost our way. --Rollo May
  2. User avater
    jagwah | Aug 08, 2008 04:20pm | #2

    Are you talking about cutting the jamb header shorter? If the jamb material is that low a quality you may simply have to rebuild the jamb from better. But I've found on MDF jambs the doors are worse and if you have to reduce them as well you might as well give up and ask for the right size doors.

    Alternative is to remove one trimmer from the rough opening and replace with 3/4" 1x 4. This gains you more room and doesn't significantly reduce the strength in most rough openings

     

  3. Piffin | Aug 08, 2008 04:37pm | #3

    Sure.

    Before you install the door, lay it on the floor on one side of the jamb frame and the other is 36" or whatever off the floor. You are looking at the back of it. Mark it and use the circ saw to cut it off. Use a speed square if you need it.

    If it is installed, lay a hunk of 1/2" whatever on the floor next to the jamb, and take one of those old fashioned hand saws that nobody knows about anymore and stroke it back and forth 5-6 times until the bottom of the jamb is off.

     

     

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  4. JTC1 | Aug 08, 2008 05:46pm | #4

    What Piffin said.

    My question -- why do you need to shorten one leg?

    OTOH I have worked on a bunch of H4H projects and should understand by now.......

    Jim

    Never underestimate the value of a sharp pencil or good light.
    1. marv | Aug 08, 2008 05:53pm | #5

      In our current house, the entire house was tiled.  It is also built on a slab.  There is a hump in the middle of the slab and may cause the floor to not be level.  Since the jambs will have to sit on the floor (as opposed to a gap for carpeting), I thought I would look for advice before I start to hang the doors.  I will try Piffin's advice.You get out of life what you put into it......minus taxes.

      Marv

      1. Piffin | Aug 08, 2008 05:57pm | #7

        I see - new install.When the unit is already hung, it is common to need to cut off to install flooring sometimes, so I didn't know which the need was. 

         

        Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!

      2. JTC1 | Aug 08, 2008 06:04pm | #8

        Got it.

        Piffin's techniques are the same as I use.

        Since you are hanging on top of finished tile - you may want to cut both legs a bit to reduce the gap at the bottom of the door.

        Prehung jambs around here usually provide a 1" space from door to bottom of jamb.

        JimNever underestimate the value of a sharp pencil or good light.

        1. marv | Aug 08, 2008 06:19pm | #10

          Thanks for the advice guys. Sorry my post wasn't clear.

          Prehung jambs around here usually provide a 1" space from door to bottom of jamb.

          This has always been a issue with me.  The head of our 5 house construction teams wants the carpeted doors set up .5" and hung as is.  I have always contended they should be set on the floor and then .5" is removed from the jam for carpet.  But I go with the flow...You get out of life what you put into it......minus taxes.

          Marv

          1. JTC1 | Aug 08, 2008 07:43pm | #11

            ....the carpeted doors set up .5" and hung as is.....

            So you end up with a 1" gap between door and carpet?

            Seems a bit wide to me, but I guess you would never end up having to trim a door after carpet installation due to floor problems.........and you would always have clearance for that 70's shag!

            Good luck, the new home owners appreciate your work.

            JimNever underestimate the value of a sharp pencil or good light.

          2. User avater
            jagwah | Aug 08, 2008 07:54pm | #12

            Sorry marv I misread your post, thought you were to wide.

            What Piffin says is the way I'd go. 

    2. Piffin | Aug 08, 2008 05:56pm | #6

      Doing remo work, I ALWAYS check floor at doors to see which side I need to trim before hanging. The old ones are never level, so this is so standard for me that I almost didn't know if he was serious until I put it in HfH context. 

       

      Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!

      1. JTC1 | Aug 08, 2008 06:11pm | #9

        I made some assumptions based on the H4H involvement.

        Namely that the door was being set onto a rough floor and there would be carpet laid after the door was installed. Camouflage.......

        I know exactly what you mean on the old work - 32" Stabila is really handy for those evaluations inside the door openings. Twist drill bits make perfect gauge blocks too!

        JimNever underestimate the value of a sharp pencil or good light.

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