How to Cut Down a Wood Exterior Door

Homeowners remodeling a living room or family room may elect to change out an exterior door. After taking the old exterior door out and purchasing a new one, you may find that the new door is too tall or wide for the opening. You have a few choices: exchange the door for one that fits, re-frame the rough opening or simply cut the door to fit. The latter may sound challenging, but it's a fairly simple process.

Tape measure
Straight edge
Pencil
Safety glasses
Dust mask
Planer or circular saw
Medium-grit sandpaper
Wood sealer
Paintbrushes
Exterior paint

Instructions

- 1
  Measure the opening and the new exterior door with a tape measure to determine how much wood to cut off.
- 2
  Mark a cut line on the exterior door using a straight edge and pencil. Remember to make the cut line as shallow as possible as you can always cut off more but cannot add to the door. If you cut too much off, you'll have to re-frame or shim the doorway.
- 3
  Put on safety glasses and a dust mask. Carefully cut along the pencil mark using a planer or circular saw. Use a planer to cut off small amount, under 1/4 inch; use a circular saw to cut away more than 1/4 inch.
- 4
  Sand the edge you cut down using medium-grit sandpaper, removing any splinters and making the edge smooth to the touch.
- 5
  Apply a coat of wood sealer to the cut edge using a paintbrush to keep the door from swelling if it gets wet. Then paint the entire door with an exterior paint in a color of your choosing.

How to Frame Non-Load-Bearing Walls With Doors

Can Cracks Appear in the Walls Due to a Poor Drywalling Job?

Walls