Very few people give much thought to the precision and skill it takes to properly construct and install doors. It is easy to take for granted that they open and close easily, aren’t drafty and look great but it takes work and skill to get it right.
Oftentimes doors need to be adjusted or modified. Even though this is to be expected, it still requires skill and attention to detail to modify and fit door lipping correctly. Failing to do this properly can lead to all sorts of issues from cosmetic problems to structural and functional challenges.
If you need to adjust a door size, it is crucial to know how to fit the door lipping. How do you fit a door lipping?
- Understand what is allowed.
- Know what you are working with.
- Determinea course of action.
- Make the necessary adjustments.
Understand What Is Allowed
According to Maria from DoorsGalore “Whether you are working with a solid or hollow core door, there is a manufacturer specification of what is allowable for modifications. Make sure to reference these specs before doing any work. This is particularly important for fire-rated doors.2
Know What You Are Working With
Hollow core doors commonly have hardwood lipping surrounding the exterior of the door. This is to protect the interior from moisture and exterior elements and most of these allow you to remove up to 1cm of wood from either side of the door if necessary.
If you must adjust MDF or veneered doors, you will find yourself with a bit more lipping to work with. These doors typically have thicker lipping but only by a marginal amount. Once you know what type of door you are working with, you will know the limitations of what you can and cannot do.
Determine a Course of Action
How much do you have to remove to make your door fit? If it is less than 5mm, you may want to use a planner as that will give you the best chance of modifying the edge without ruining the finish. If it is larger than 5mm, a circular saw with a sharp blade could precisely cut the door.
Make the Necessary Adjustments
- Always double-check your measurements.
- When cutting, use the right tools. Cutting too little wood with a saw will chip the wood and using a planner on too thick of a modification will look uneven.
- If you need to remove more than the thickness of the lipping on a hollow core door, you can reseal the bottom by applying glue to the inside of the hollow core door and installing a new timber edge.
- Use the proper finishing touches. Use sandpaper to sand away any splinters or unfinished edges.
The best course of action is to make accurate measurements before ordering the door so that on-site modifications are rare. Any type of post-manufacturing modification leaves room for error so avoiding this is ideal. However, on-site modifications are so common that knowing how to fit door lipping is a skill worth knowing.
