Getting carpet fitted, fitter says two doors need shaving.. about 5mm.
Fitter won’t do it but he will remove the doors.
My question is, Can i do it myself with an electric plane?
I do not have an electric plane but i can get one for £30 the same price as a joiner will charge for shaving the doors.I like to try to do things myself
I know how to find out how much to take off but is it awkward positioning the door to shave it?
Anyone done this?
Thanks
John
if the doors are going to be removed then your better off taking a cut with a circular saw, planing is a pain to get level. I do find it strange as most professional fitters should be able to take a cut with the door still hung but it does depend on the door construction and the surrounding environment
------------- Regards
Johno
VP and Librarian of the Renault Trafic MK1 Owners group
Depends if they are hollow or solid doors, if they are hollow you need to remove the strip of wood in the bottom of the door first before sawing/planing, if they are solid doors ask the fitter to give you a strip of underlay and a strip of carpet, Place carpet on the underlay at the bottom of the door and mark a line the full width of the door, remove the door from the frame and either saw or plane to the line, I personally would use a fine cut handsaw if you decide to cut to the line rather than a circular saw, especially if the door is prefinished
Personally, I would recommend getting a professional. We have an old house (1880) with original doors and had the same issue when we got extra thick underlay with new carpet a couple of years ago to try and insulate the floors a little more.
My husband decided to plane the doors himself. For the first one, he accidentally planed the top, rather than the bottom of the door so now we have a big gap at the top and for the others, the bottoms now look wonky. My husband is pretty good with DIY, for example, he fitted us a gorgeous solid oak staircase a few years ago which is immaculately fitted, but there is something about using an electric plane that is not easy to get straight unless you have years of experience.
Id go even cheaper and hire a plane, you need a really sharp blade on it so check it for chips etc - otherwise you can split the door at the end of the run. Wear a mask in case of lead paint dust / old wood dust blah blah blah, and remember you can't add length to it :-)
Best way is to clamp firmly some wood strips either side of the door at the level you want it cut to - then when you reach them you are at the level you need and it'll be a much straighter and leveller job than doing it freehand.
Another way to do it, if you have the transport, is take the doors off and take them to a local joiners yourself - 30 quid sounds like a "come out and do it" price to me.
Quote: Originally posted by jsparkes201148 on 13/3/2023
Thanks, the doors are original(1906) so solid.
Just wondering Johno, how would you cut a few mm of the bottom of a door while it is still hung?
I would think by using a 'multi-tool'. But i would also think you would need to be competent using it. As in not just bought it for the job. If the doors are coming off, and solid, id whip down them with a fine-tooth circular saw, then sandpaper the edges. Id also make sure 5mm is enough first. You dont want to be needing another 2-3 mil afterwards.
The hardest bit may be rehanging due to the weight. Ideally you would have help if not hung one before.You want a lever under them - eg long chisel/bar on a pivot, to help align the screw holes. Its not that hard. Good luck.
Quote: Originally posted by jsparkes201148 on 13/3/2023
Thanks, the doors are original(1906) so solid.
Just wondering Johno, how would you cut a few mm of the bottom of a door while it is still hung?
Most carpet fitters have an electric cutter that just sits on the floor and they slide it along to cut off the require amount.
You can hire a tool but it will cost about £60 for a day, if you want a good job that is the best option.
And if you get laminate floors later, there’ll be a gap underneath instead.
Our 1890 solid wood doors (the timber’s not harvested any more) go over our carpet & underlay, but maybe our doors date back to thick rugs.
I’d get a professional in: too easy to make a mess of it. And the doors will be surprisingly heavy & difficult to manoeuvre for planing or whatever, as we know from getting ours off to be stripped.
Quote: Originally posted by Fiona W on 14/3/2023
I’d get a professional in: too easy to make a mess of it. And the doors will be surprisingly heavy & difficult to manoeuvre for planing or whatever, as we know from getting ours off to be stripped.
If someone is 'handy' with tools, this isnt a hard job. If you have 2 people for the weight, and a saw with a cutting guide, you cant really go wrong. Unless, they are something like 8 x 3 foot oak, and 2.5 inches thick.
As Saxo1 said, the gadget that cuts the bottom of the door while it's still hung is a winner. I'm surprised your carpet fitter doesn't have one. My carpet fitter dealt with cutting it very quickly, to my huge relief as the screws on the hinges had been painted over.
------------- Always edited for sloppy typing - when I spot it!
My house has original pitch pine doors from when it was extended in 1896 and I've had to trim a couple to accommodate carpet. 5mm is hard to cut by hand as it's not much more that the thickness of a saw.
I did mine with a router which worked well, but if you have a plane, I'd screw or clamp a piece of wood 5mm from the bottom of the door (both sides) to act as a guide.
------------- Two drifters off to see the world.
I'm tired of reality, so I'm off to look for a good fantasy.
I would really consider getting a carpenter or someone who has done it before and knows what they are doing .
I worked in the building trade most of my life. Some of which was spent putting right hash ups that have a go DIY experts have done. ,
Update, both doors shaved using the electric plane.
It was very easy, i had a friend help me cos they are very heavy.
We put the doors flat on two work mates
Had a few practice planes on a piece of scrap wood.
Glad you got it sorted to trim a hung door, A Multitool with a wood blade or a plunge saw will soon trim a door bottom, its why they were designed originally. will work very well on Pine and softer wood doors. but May not be so successful on hardwood or rubber wood doors though.
------------- Regards
Johno
VP and Librarian of the Renault Trafic MK1 Owners group
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Topic: Shaving a door.
via mobile 14/3/2023 at 9:38am
