ᐅ Cutting Wooden Doors

I removed the carpet in some rooms of my house and installed laminate flooring. Now, some of my wooden doors no longer close properly because they rub against the now higher floor. I need to shorten them by a few millimeters at the bottom. What is the best way to do this? Using an orbital sander or an electric planer? I have never used a planer before, and to be honest, I’m not sure if it’s possible to shave off 1-2 millimeters (0.04-0.08 inches) from solid wood without causing splintering or fraying. The doors are painted—should I expect the paint to chip off at the cut edge? Maybe someone has a tip on the best way to handle this. Thanks!

Doors are trimmed using a plane, which is well suited for this purpose, unlike a sanding tool, which, as the name suggests, is more suitable for sanding rather than removing material.
If the doors have been professionally painted, the paint will not chip off. However, you should keep in mind that the bottom edge of the door will no longer be protected against moisture (such as plaster water). It would be better to repaint the cut edge after trimming.

The plane is the right tool for this, but if you have never used one before, you should first practice on a large piece of scrap wood. This way, you will get a feel for the proper handling. Starting directly on the door could lead to mistakes.

Be sure to practice on a piece you no longer need. If I had done that beforehand, I could have saved myself some embarrassment 🙁

I agree, it’s best to start by practicing on another piece of wood. This way, you get a feel for the hand plane. Don’t set the blade too deep right away. Remove material little by little. That worked well for me.

We had to do the same because our doors would no longer close properly. But using a planer works well for this. Then just paint it nicely, and it looks neat.