Cutting solid engineered hardwood door to length?

[flanajb]

I need to replace an exterior door on our house and it's a strange size. 814mm (3' 8") * 1992mm now it's the height that is the issue as this is 40mm less than the stock 2032mm * 813mm door size that is stocked by your Howdens type companies. What I am trying to understand is that it says max trim 6mm on each face, so 20mm is obviously a lot more, but if this is just so as to preserve the hardwood edge then it doesn't matter as it's on the top and bottom and the door is going to be painted.

I am more concerned with what these doors are actually made of. Is it a softwood core, or will I cut the lip off and find a honeycomb type structure?

I did contemplate making one or getting a local joiner to make one, but house is going on the market so trying to not waste too much on it.

If anyone has trimmed down these type of doors before I'd been keen to hear whether it will be ok to take 20mm off the top and bottom.

https://www.howdens.com/joinery/doo...-glazed-external-door-obj-sku-family-25352457

 

[Ollie78]

It will probably be OK, use a nice new blade in your circular saw, the veneers are generally pretty skinny and can splinter, do a test cut of 5mm to see what it does. Might need to score it with a knife first.

Ollie

 

[flanajb]

It will probably be OK, use a nice new blade in your circular saw, the veneers are generally pretty skinny and can splinter, do a test cut of 5mm to see what it does. Might need to score it with a knife first.

Ollie

Thanks Ollie. The scoring with a knife seems like a good idea too.

 

[novocaine]

they are still wood inside, just not 1 complete piece. instead it's lots of little bits glue together. the main issue with cutting more than 6 mm of a face is that these become exposed, and as they aren't exactly laid in identical orientation, the moisture can mean funny expansion and contraction, leading to a popped door. it might not happen, but they don't want to risk it.

 

[sometimewoodworker]

it will be ok to take 20mm off the top and bottom.

Basically no, take the permitted 6mm of the top and the rest off the bottom. You may need to rout out the bottom to put the trim strip back in.
If you do that then any problems will only be in the place it won’t be seen or a problem.

 

[Doug71]

Well Howdens specifications say the colour is Oak which it clearly isn't, it also says it's not veneered which it will be

I would take more off the bottom than the top.

If this type of door is exposed to the weather it won't last long anyway even without cutting through the edging so I would cut it to size, hang it then sell the house ASAP before the veneer starts lifting,

 

[novocaine]

it's not a veneer it's a cap at 3mm thick.

yer I know, but that's their argument.