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The Daily Insight

How to cut a hollow door

Author

Mia Horton

Published Feb 18, 2026

Can I cut a hollow core door?

The short answer is yes, hollow core doors can be trimmed. Hollow core doors have a strong block outer frame, which leaves a couple of inches of solid wood at the top, bottom and sides of the door. This counts for the sides as well as the bottom and top of the door.

How do you shorten an interior hollow door?

Cut the bottom of the door using the circular saw equipped with a fine tooth blade. Take your time and let the saw do the work; forcing the saw can cause the door to splinter. Examine the bottom of the door. Hollow core doors have a 3-inch block of wood inside the bottom of the door.

How much can you cut off the bottom of a Jeld Wen hollow core door?

2. If necessary to fit the existing jamb, a maximum of 1/4″ can be trimmed from each side of hollow or solid core molded and flush doors only. Trimming any other type is not recommend.

How much can you cut off an internal door?

Can you trim internal doors? Most internal doors manufacturers advise different trimming tolerances so as a standard and to be on the safe side we advise that you don’t trim more than 5mm per side.

How much can I cut off the bottom of a bifold door?

You can trim off 1″ from the top and 1″ from the bottom to equal out the look of the doors if you want to trim them. The home improvement store may do them for you free of charge if you do not have the equipment to do it yourself.

Are solid core doors worth it?

Are solid core doors are worth it or not. To keep it short and sweet, yes. Solid core doors allow for more soundproofing and are heavier than hollow core doors. They provide a more luxurious feel without being as costly as solid wood doors.

How can you tell if a door is solid core?

You can tell if the door is hollow or solid just by knocking on it. If there is an echo, it’s hollow. The weight of the door is another way of telling if it’s hollow or solid. If the door wobbles when you knock on it, it’s probably not solid.

How much does a hollow core door cost?

Hollow core doors tend to cost between $50 to $150 per door. Solid core doors cost $70 to $250, on average.

Do solid core doors add value to your home?

To keep it short and sweet, yes. Interior door replacement can definitely increase the value of your home.

What is the difference between a solid wood door and a solid core door?

Solid Wood: Solid wood doors are just as the name says: solid wood, though not a solid slab of wood. Solid Core: Solid core doors are only nominally wood because the wood has chipped up and processed into a heavy fiberboard, though the outer veneer might be wood.

How much does it cost to install a solid core door?

Solid Core vs. Hollow Core Doors Cost
SolidcoreHollow-core
Door alone costs $60 to $330.Door alone costs $30 to $240.
Complete installation costs $150 to $680.Complete installation costs $120 to $380.

What does a solid core door mean?

SolidCore Doors are made with a composite core and a veneer. They generally cost somewhere in between hollow doors and solid wood doors, and are a good compromise of budget and quality. The composite material in the core of these doors is super dense and offers superior sound reduction.

What is a woodgrain door?

Solid wood is the easiest door type to stain to get a quality look and feel. Hallow core, metal and MDF can not be stained at all. Customizable: Solid wood and MDF doors are very customizable from door design, wood typer and layout. Its easy to get the exact look you want from a solid wood or MDF door.