# Cut door in Half Depth wise.



## redzone (Sep 28, 2011)

Anyone know how hard this would be?

basicly i want to make sliding closet doors that match my interior doors. 

I was hoping i could buy normal interior doors and cut them in half depth wise to reduce there depth (every inch matters in my small bedroom!),.

this would make 2 sliding doors out of 1 interior door. (using a sheet of ply on the back side for stability.)

just not sure how i could cut them in half. 

any suggestions are welcome.


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## jlord (Nov 16, 2009)

I think with the way doors are constructed you would just destroy the door trying to do what you want to do. By using 2 full doors your only going to loose 1-5/8" to 1-3/4" extra. Or you could build the doors like cabinet doors & they would be 3/4" thick each.


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## OPG3 (Jan 9, 2011)

...or have you considered "Pocket Doors" ? *OPG3*


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## jlord (Nov 16, 2009)

OPG3 said:


> ...or have you considered "Pocket Doors" ? *OPG3*


Good idea but in a door opening that's already established that is major work.


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## jlord (Nov 16, 2009)

Maybe a bifold door in a matching style?


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

hi


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## jlord (Nov 16, 2009)

Bob he wants sliding doors where one sits behind in another track to slide. He is asking about splitting the doors in half along the thickness of the door using each side of the door as the front facing out.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

hi


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## jlord (Nov 16, 2009)

Might even be able to find the bi-fold doors in a style of choice. Or make them.


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## TomE (Dec 17, 2010)

A flush hollow core could potentially be split, most I've seen are nothing more than stressed skin construction with little more than a 1-1/2" frame with cardboard battens within the field of the panel. Skillsaw with rip guide to slit the door frame, a handsaw could be used to finish off any blocking installed for hardware. Then gently separating the skin from the carboard battens.

Six panel (or similar) molded hardboard would be tough.... although some stressed skin elements exist, the molded decor of panels might be pressed/glued too tight together internally to split. Potential again to use hand saw if door can be initially split with skillsaw then pry apart to see if panel sections will release.

A real wood door?...... might consider just approximating existing doors using applied trims to a piece of plywood or mdf.


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## Garyk (Dec 29, 2011)

I've done what you propose using an interior hollow core door. These doors have solid wood at the top, bottom, both sides and thru the middle. Use a sharp 40 tooth blade and a straight edge. I used about 2/3rds of the door. Used the bottom solid 2 by for the new bottom of the door. Use glue and clamps - no nails. You end up with a short door that looks like it was made that way by the factory. OR you could simply buy "door skins" from Lowes or Home Depot and 2 by to make any size door you need. For 2 doors that is what I would do. Not as hard as you think. If making them from scratch forget the cardboard baffles and use sheet Styrofoam. Helps soundproofing and provides support.


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## jlord (Nov 16, 2009)

He wants to match the detail of his passage doors. The only door skins I seen at Home Depot or a Lowe's is a flat panel & not all locations carry them in stock. You can also make a flat panel door with a sheet of 1/8" masonite & cut to size. If his doors have any detail these panels might be a special order.


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## redzone (Sep 28, 2011)

thanks guys for the suggestiongs. 

some more info 

im plannig to build / install a 3-4 door closet sliding set aprox 9ft wide (112") the reason i want the doors thin is because i have very little clearance from the front of the clothing rods hangers to the front of the space i have (2-3" max with not having every piece of cloth hit the doors) 

i was hoping to use a 2 track bypass system that i can get locally that's only 1.8" deep that supports 3/4" doors. 

problem is you cant buy 3/4" 6 panel doors in toronto that i know of, not for $30 anyways. 

i was hopeing this would be easier then making the doors from scratch. i do have a plunge router but have only completed 1 project with it so far and not sure i could do the details easily or for as cheap as these pre made doors. 

It sounds like i may be forced to go the build from scratch route though or rebuild the entire opening to allow the extra 2" roughly required for 1 3/8" doors.


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## jlord (Nov 16, 2009)

If you build them you can build cabinet style doors to fit your 3/4" thickness. Do you have a picture of the doors your trying to copy? For a simple six panel door you can build it like a face frame using pocket screws & 3/4" material. You can get an inexpensive kit. Kreg has a kit for around $40.00 all you need to add is the clamp & 1-1/4" screws(coarse for softwood & fine for hardwood). You can rabbit out the back side of the six panels & install 1/4" mdf. So from the front you will have doors with recessed panels. If there is detail around the inside of these panels you can apply molding to closely match your doors. Don't pocket screw too close to edges as you will need to rabbit this area for the panels. The width needs to be just over half the with of the opening to cover or divide up for multiple doors. 

If your doors have raised panels then you can make these but you would need a router table to machine them out. When finished they will look like a six panel door from the front. Nobody will see the backside of the doors unless they are in the closet hiding. This is a simple way to make them. If you have a router table & rail & style & bit set then you can build the doors like cabinet doors with a machined rail & style only on a larger scale.


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## redzone (Sep 28, 2011)

the pattern looks like the MASONITE 
6 Panel Textured Door Slab from homedepot . i cannot add a link as i dont have enough posts. 

I have a router to build doors im just worried about cost of construction. im not sure i can beat the $29.00 cost of a door vs pine . 

Im in toronto, on, canada and at my homedepot a piece of 1x6x8 pine costs almost 10 dollars. so just the frame without the inserts would be over 30 dollars. 

the other thing i was thinking was maybe the thickest mdf 4x8 sheet i can buy. then route out a pattern in it and paint. (my finish color is planned to be white. ) but id be worried about breakage as mdf isnt very dent resistant. 

I may just buy one door and give it a go at cutting it in half.


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## redzone (Sep 28, 2011)

i have a box of 20 or so router bits from canadian tire but not a rail and style bit.


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## redzone (Sep 28, 2011)

Also bifold doors are not an option. i literary have 2-3ft MAX from the face of the sliding doors location to my bed. 

Plus i think there way uglyier lol


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## jlord (Nov 16, 2009)

You have more than 10 posts so you should be able to copy & post a link.


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## jlord (Nov 16, 2009)

Either route you go I doubt it's going to be a $30.00 project unless you have material donated. If splitting the door does not work out then doors made with frame & panel construction might be a way to go.


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## redzone (Sep 28, 2011)

Masonite | 6 Panel Textured Door Slab 30in x 78in | Home Depot Canada

doors like that. 

Actualy my bedroom will be shown on the cbc show Steve and Chris as they recommended the sliding doors in this fashion. The show will air on January 18th at 2pm on cbc! we are the very first segment (can even see my ugly face and my pretty wife asking the question lol)


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## jlord (Nov 16, 2009)

Did they tell you how to split the door in half? Or just recommend it without a solution.


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Hi, Redzone; for all the time and effort you're prepared to spend on this, have you considered frame-less mirror bypass doors? They're very attractive, thin, practical and relatively inexpensive. They also visually expand a room! 
Acme Exclusiv Closets & Doors - Closet,Doors,Windows & Mirror Specialist - Edmonton, Alberta
Cheers, eh!
-Dan


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## jlord (Nov 16, 2009)

DaninVan said:


> Hi, Redzone; for all the time and effort you're prepared to spend on this, have you considered frame-less mirror bypass doors? They're very attractive, thin, practical and relatively inexpensive. They also visually expand a room!
> Acme Exclusiv Closets & Doors - Closet,Doors,Windows & Mirror Specialist - Edmonton, Alberta
> Cheers, eh!
> -Dan


With a 9' opening they might be in the $200.00 price range.


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Aaron; that style _is _available as a _thinner closet door _unit; now that you've posted that link it makes more sense. 
Forget Home Depot, go to a lumberyard that deals with the needs of new home builders.
Doors are custom ordered for every project by the contractor, not off the shelf, although they'll definitely have some standard stuff in stock. Usually they'll supply the track and hanging hardware separately from the door blanks.
Good luck with this!
-Dan


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Sorry, as an afterthought, check out some new houses under construction; the contractor will hopefully tell you where he gets _his_ custom doors. The lumber company will often hang a 'Supplied By' sign somewhere on the site.


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## redzone (Sep 28, 2011)

My original thought was mirror doors but im not sure i want a wall of mirrors directly across from the bed. I dont plan on filming anything in there lol.


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Aaron, a wall of mirrors? Are you kidding me ? Your wife will nominate you for 'Man of the Year!' 
(Mind you, you may have trouble getting her back in the kitchen...lol)


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## jlord (Nov 16, 2009)

Yep. The wife will love the extra mirror space. Also makes the room look bigger. You can bring up the filming at a later date.


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