# Closet door dilemma in a 1940's crooked house?



## glamgirrl (Feb 19, 2010)

Hi, I'm new here, and hoping someone has some advice. I just put new laminate floors in my dining room, and there is a closet off the dining room that now needs to have the door shortened. I'd really rather get a new door altogether, since this one is in pretty rough shape. The problem is, the old door appears to be homemade- it's 2 layers of tongue & groove sandwiched between 2 pieces of masonite. It's about 2" thick, and it it's super heavy. It's also cut crooked- it measures 28 3/8" at the top, and 28 7/8" at the bottom. 76 1/4" on one side and 76.5" on the other...Quite a difference! I figure it was made to fit the doorframe, since when hung it looks straight, which means the frame is crooked. No surprise- I haven't found a level wall or floor yet in this place!
So...how do I get a crooked door made? I was going to order a new door through Home Depot, but I doubt they will make me a crooked one..should I get one made to the biggest measurements and then plane it down on the sides? Is that possible? I have a table saw and all the tools.
I'm not up for trying to straighten the doorframe- that would just make everything else look MORE crooked! LOL
Thanks for any advice you can give me...


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## mrmac204 (Nov 29, 2007)

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glamgirrl said:


> Hi, I'm new here, and hoping someone has some advice. I just put new laminate floors in my dining room, and there is a closet off the dining room that now needs to have the door shortened. I'd really rather get a new door altogether, since this one is in pretty rough shape. The problem is, the old door appears to be homemade- it's 2 layers of tongue & groove sandwiched between 2 pieces of masonite. It's about 2" thick, and it it's super heavy. It's also cut crooked- it measures 28 3/8" at the top, and 28 7/8" at the bottom. 76 1/4" on one side and 76.5" on the other...Quite a difference! I figure it was made to fit the doorframe, since when hung it looks straight, which means the frame is crooked. No surprise- I haven't found a level wall or floor yet in this place!
> So...how do I get a crooked door made? I was going to order a new door through Home Depot, but I doubt they will make me a crooked one..should I get one made to the biggest measurements and then plane it down on the sides? Is that possible? I have a table saw and all the tools.
> I'm not up for trying to straighten the doorframe- that would just make everything else look MORE crooked! LOL
> Thanks for any advice you can give me...


Making a door can be tricky! and cutting one from the store might be like opening a can of worms LOL

we used to make them all the time in the film industry- its not that hard once you get started. I guess the first thing to figure out is do you want to have a new door that is solid core? or hollow core?

if solid, then you might want to laminate a couple of pieces of MDF together, glue/clamp. and then glue a finished surface to that- make it oversized, then cut down to the exact size of the old door.

If hollow, then make it like a ladder. An outside frame, (3/4 plywood on edge, 1 3/4" high- allows for two 1/8" door skins) Make sure that you double this frame on the hinge side so there's lots of meat for the hinge screws.

On the "door knob" side, install a large piece of material so that you have something to drill into for the door knob.

about every foot of the "ladder" install a cross piece. it might not hurt to install some "triangles" made out of plywood at each corner, to keep the frame square.

glue your frame on one side, then set it carefully onto your bottom door skin.

let that dry, then do the same for the other side- flip it over, glue set. Put heavy stuff on this, as evenly as possible!

then trim to fit. look carefully at your door jamb, decide which "edge" or side of the door that you want to start from, then figure your angles from there.

Its possible that your old door has a bevel cut on the "knob" side, anywhere from 3 deg to7 deg. this makes for easier opening, not sure if that's a consideration in your install or not.

Its unfortunate about the crooked frame, as this is the basis for everything else to flow from - you've got a tricky install! stuff that I live for LOL

good luck! post exciting updates!


Laurie

http://www.lauriescustomfinishing.ca


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## tpolk (Nov 7, 2009)

you need to find a crooked man who walks a crooked mile with his crooked stick or do as above or install new door


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## jlhaslip (Dec 31, 2009)

Another option is to buy a 30 inch by 80 inch hollow core door slab and use the existing door as a pattern to 'reshape' the new door.
Buy your slab without hinge gains already cut and use the door you removed to size/space them.
Centre the door for patterning in order to have maximum framing around the outside.
If possible, have the lumber yard check to see how much material exists in the slab before you cut anything.


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## glamgirrl (Feb 19, 2010)

I asked at Home Depot, and apparently thos hollow core doors have only 7/8" of solid wood all the way around. I wonder if I could cut the door & replace the solid bits back into the trimmed door?


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## jlhaslip (Dec 31, 2009)

yes, it can be done. I adjust/repair hollow core doors this way, but I've never done all 4 sides.

Glue and clamp the pieces will avoid needing to nail/staple the face of the door. 

Be careful and it should work fine. Have you checked to see if there is a local carpenter or cabinet shop that could do this for you? they would be all tooled up...


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## daveb1 (Jan 15, 2010)

glamgirrl said:


> I asked at Home Depot, and apparently thos hollow core doors have only 7/8" of solid wood all the way around. I wonder if I could cut the door & replace the solid bits back into the trimmed door?


 I just did this for a couple of hollow cores in my place, although I didn"t have to change the width just height. Trim your solid bits to fit back in with your table saw,glue and clamp.For width i'd only do the hinge side this way, to leave the existing frame for the knob/lockset .:thumbsup:


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## speedster1 (May 13, 2009)

Why don't you just remove the entire door including the jamb and adjust the current framing to fit a standard prehung door.


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## glamgirrl (Feb 19, 2010)

I've found an antique solid wood door that I can trim to fit...I think that's the way to go! It looks good, and less fussing with cores and frames & stuff. If I was to straighten the frame, it would just look more crooked- the whole hous has settled crooked.! Thanks for the input folks!


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