Nadja Körbel from Festool provides a step-by-step guide to cutting doors to length professionally
During renovations and restorations of old buildings, it is not uncommon for the floor to have been laid perfectly but the doors do not subsequently fit in the frames. What happens then? At this point, it is more a question of precision than guesswork.
While it is not usually a surprise during this type of work it is still a pain. You are celebrating that the parquet flooring is finally laid, but then discover that the doors no longer fit in the frames. Obviously that needs to be fixed. As an experienced floor installer, Nadja is the perfect person to answer this question.
Firstly, to protect your body, you should ideally remove the doors so that your back is holding the door and your knees are bearing the weight. Measure the required length directly on the frame. In doing so, take the measurement precisely and measure the distance along the frame from the top edge of the door hinge to the floor – on both sides.
To work on the doors in a comfortable position, lay the door on two stands or, if available, the Festool STM 1800 mobile saw table and workbench is also ideal. When the door is securely positioned on the work surface, transfer the measurements you have taken. Nadja recommends using a guide rail to precisely cut the door to length. This can be easily positioned in the lower groove using a fastening clamp.
Then make any fine adjustments to the guide rail by aligning it so that the splinter guard is positioned exactly on the mark. Now comes the crucial work step: “For a precise cut, I prefer to use our new TSC 55 K plunge-cut saw with KickbackStop together with the CT MIDI extractor. This ensures a perfectly precise cut which can be achieved free of cables and dust,”
Next, the training consultant blunts the edges by lightly grinding the cut edges using a handsanding block or abrasive sponge. Last but not least, she hangs the door, makes any fine adjustments via the door hinges, and leaves the construction site clean by using the MIDI extractor to clean up everything and thereby leaving it dust free for the customer.
Unhinge the door without injuring yourself
Protect your body when unhinging a door: Position the door on your back and rise from your knees.
Measure
Measure the distance along the frame from the top edge of the door hinge to the floor.
Transfer the measurement
Lay the door on two stands so that you can work in a comfortable position. Transfer the measurement you have just taken.
Position the guide rail
Take the guide rail and position using one fastening clamp in the lower groove.
Make fine adjustments to the guide rail
Align the guide rail so that the splinter guard is positioned exactly on the mark.
Cut the door to length
One precise cut will give you the desired result – cable-free and dust-free using the TSC 55 K and CT MIDI.
Blunt edges
The cutting edges should be ground if required, ideally using a hand-sanding block or abrasive sponge.
Hang the door
You won’t know if you have been successful until you have hung the door. Any fine adjustments can be made via the door hinges.
Clean up the site
You should always leave the site clean and dust-free. Both are guaranteed with the new CT MIDI cordless extractor, as this cleaning whizz is a hard worker.
For further information on any of the Festool products visit https://www.festool.co.uk/
