Can you shorten a steel entrance door?

Dusty · Nov 1, 2006

I had the opposite problem. I needed a door that was 7'3" and couldn't find one anywhere. I went to the local lumber yard and asked if they could order one. The price was less than the cost of a regular 6'8" door at the box store and I got exactly what I wanted. Dusty

2nstonge · Nov 4, 2006

DonS said:
Home Depot can special order one but there $250-$270 and I need two of them. A normal steel door is just a little over a $100.

I do a ton of business with HD and the local lumber yards - HD is not in the special order business; it's painfull and very expensive - they want you to buy what's on the shelf. If you have a half-decent lumber yard nearby see what their prices are. Go mid-morning or mid-afternoon once all the contractors have cleared out, you'll get better/friendlier service.

Getting a long clean cut in a steel door is difficult but not impossible. A good circ saw with the right blade and a long straightedge to guide the saw are key. You'll need to file, sand and prime the exposed edges or you'll have a rusting steel door in no time. A piece of wood trimmed to fit inside the shell (primed and painted on all sides) will help seal and secure the door.

Good luck, -Norm

DonS · Nov 4, 2006

I modified the door today. First I resized the frame to fit in the rough opening. Then removed 6" from the bottom of the door. Took the piece that was cut off apart to get the wood and the seal from it. The wood was 3/4" thick. Then used a router to trim the foam inside the door to 3/4" deep so the wood would fit back inside the door. Sanded the rough edge with a sander and caulked the wood and seal back in place. Took about an hour to do. Getting it square inside of a concrete rough opening is another story.