If you have had a new carpet fitted and your door no longer shuts, then the bottom of the door will need to be trimmed.
Trimming a door can feel daunting, but it’s actually quite a simple process! Below are the steps outlined for trimming an internal door. You can either cut a door by hand, or with power tools. Power tools make for more accurate and faster cuts, but if all you have is a handsaw, a tape measure and a pencil, you can successfully trim a door.
Professional Tools
Drill, pozi or flat head drill bits, inflatable air wedges, a pair of saw horses, a cloth to protect the door, circular saw or track saw, hoover, straight edge, 2 clamps, tape measure, pencil, combination square and masking tape.
Basic Tools
screwdrivers, pencil, fine tooth hand saw, straight edge for marking.
The below steps explain how to do this with professional tools and simple tools
STEP 1 – Remove from door frame
Using either a screwdriver or your drill, remove the door by unscrewing the hinge screws. if you can, get someone to help you hold the door whilst you remove the hinges it makes life a lot easier. Ensure you remove the hinge screws on the door frame and not the door itself, as this makes it easier to reattach the door once trimmed.
STEP 2 – Saw Horse
Now the door has been removed from the frame, carefully carry it to the door and place it on your saw horse, ensuring a sheet is on the saw horse to reduce scratching the door on the saw horse.
STEP 3 – Measure the bottom
Typically, if you are trimming a door because of a new carpet, 10-15mm should suffice. It’s best to take small amounts from the bottom of the door and keep checking to see how it closes when put back on the door frame.
Using your tape measure, start near the edge of one side and mark the appropriate distance from the bottom of the door, for example, mark 10mm from the bottom of the left side of the door. Now, measure 10mm from the bottom of the right side of the door. Another option is to use a combination square and set it to 10mm, which makes marking more accurate.
STEP 4 – Get a level line
Now, using your straight edge, which could be a long spirit level or a straight piece of wood, mark a line across the two 10mm markings you made between the left-hand and right-hand side of the door. This serves as your cutting line.
STEP 5 – Trimming the bottom
Trimming by Hand: If you are cutting the door by hand, simply follow the line you marked, ensuring you keep the saw horizontal, and let the saw do the work with cutting. Make sure you keep your body in line with the pencil line, this will help you keep the cut straight. Take your time and don’t rush through this.
Trimming with power tools: If you are cutting with a circular saw, you will need to measure the distance from the back of the blade to the
