Cutting down a door stop

ds1980

Upgrading doors due to loft extension and existing frames are old moulded type with integrated doorstops. Any clever ideas to cut them down to fit new 44mm doors. Routing? Plunge saw? Or good old hammer and chisel? Is it better to try and cut off entirely and replace or just the 10mm or so I need off?

phill99

You did something bad in a previous life and are now being punished in this life. Cutting down a moulded doorstop is a job that the devil would make you do!

DirectDebacle

Remove architrave. Plant timber of suitable thickness and width eg 9/12mm ply around the door opening to increase depth and refit architrave.

ds1980

That's what I thought Phil......

Debacle. Sounds good but then door and architrave will sit proud of the wall wouldn't it? Ah would just look like a thick architrave. Mmmmm could work. Mega

joinaman

use router for bulk of removal and sharp chisel for the rest, but a pain to do

I assume you are wanting to fit fire doors, so why not just buy 35mm thick fire doors?
They are dearer than standard 44mm doors but save the hassle of altering the rebates, so much quicker and easier to fit

Depends on if you want to spend the extra, but this is the way I always go now if at all possible

ds1980

Already bought doors. Doh! Trying to see if I can swap and pay difference but no one seems to think that you can get 35mm fd even though I'm looking at them online now! Looks like they'd be 4 weeks aswell which isn't ideal as I've already taken all the doors off! :eek:

DirectDebacle

If you can change the doors then no problem. If you can't another alternative is to plant timber same thickness as the depth of the moulded stop around the inside of the casing so all is flat. Then fix a suitable stop. This will mean additional trimming of the door as the size of the opening has been reduced but no messing with the existing architrave..

I would not and would never recommend attempting to remove the moulded stop in situ freehand with a router. Fraught with danger.

joinaman

Router = guide

If using router to remove bulk of rebates, just set the guide to run up the edge of the door frame, will get you to around 100mm of the top and bottom of the frame, then use a sharp chisel for the remainder. No danger, just simple usage ! Messy, time consuming, pain in the backside, but no problem
35mm fire doors are usually a stock item at most merchants,
If cutting down fire doors, be very careful about how much you cut off the sides, not all doors have thick timbers.
Have just had to cut out and fit new timber stiles to a fire door that was chopped too much and started to fall off after a couple of weeks due to the screws not holding in the chipboard core
Would always go for the 35mm if possible, but if not, cut away the rebates .
To plant into the existing rebates and then plant new stops, will look a pig from the inside, unless you move the architrave to the edge of the new plants, but to do this will mean cutting them down and then possibly making good to the walls, not to mention if you can then get the doors to fit the new reduced openings

ds1980

Not where I am. Rang selco, builder depot, travis etc and none have any idea of 35mm fire doors. Jeld wen do the one I need in four panel smooth. Will call them tomorrow and get sent to merchants near me. Thanks for all your help. On a further point we cut a lot more than the 8mm recommended off the bottom of some of the doors (prem doors) with no probs. It must be a nightmare fitting these things for a living with so little room for manoeuvre. I've got new and existing frames and none have/are going to be straight forwarded! They say 3mm off the sides and I cut more than that out for the hinges!