Need to find/make a door 74 inches tall (from floor to ceiling).?

Question

So from the floor to the ceiling stud it is exactly 74 inches. Is there a way to make a door flush mount so I get exactly 74 inches and not any less because of the top of the frame? I noticed more doors are 80in high, can I just chop off the top and frame it in a 74in tall area? Thanks for helping me not hit my head anymore!

Answer 1

buy a solid core door and cut to fit.....order one with no panels , smooth skin.....

lic. gen. contractor

Answer 2

Most doors are 80 inches high.  You can whack 6" off the top (not the bottom because that would affect the k**b location).  Now, since a hollow core door is hollow, if that is what you are getting, when you whack off the top the inside will be hollow.  When I shorten doors like this I will glue in a piece of wood I cut to fit the void at the top, otherwise the top of the door will do some silly thing like flare outwards and generally look pathetic.  Most hollow-core doors these days use wimpy corrugated cardboard spacers inside to keep the thin plyood fronts and backs from bowing in when you push on it.  You may have to cut out some of this at the top to make room for your insert.  If you are smart, position your insert down an inch or an inch and a half from the top of the door, creating a special secret hiding place for small items you want no one to find.  To avoid splintering the edge when you cut it, take a utility knife with a sharp blade and make a nice deep score in the wood on both sides of the door where you want to cut and then run the saw blade along the waste side of the score.  The plywood is so thin you could cut all the way through with the utility knife if you wanted.  I've done it.  Then you only need to use a saw on the wood (or cheap pressboard) on the sides.

By the way, if your opening is 74", you will want your door height to ne about 73 1/2", leaving about 1/16 to 1/8" at the top and the rest at the bottom for clearance.