# Advice on small door



## MatrixDweller (Jul 24, 2007)

I'm about to put the doors and trim on my room. I'm having a hard time sourcing a small door to fit the doorway to the furnace room. The dimensions of the opening are 32 1/2" by 78". I'll have to knock down the height a little (to clear the ceiling) so I'll need a door that's about 75" tall and 30" wide. The door needs to block the furnace sound so a Safe n' Sound or other solid core door is definitly required.

If I cut down an 80" Safe n Sound door (2 1/2" top and bottom) will it still be OK structurally? 

Is the inside just particle board or is it some sort of insulation? 

Any tips or advise would be appreciated. If you know of a custom door manufacturer in Ontario Canada or a good DIY source I'd be grateful.


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## bpape (Sep 14, 2006)

I'd just get a slab closet sliding door. You'd have to mount the hinges and build the framing yourself but it'll be structurally sound and nice and solid.

Bryan


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## sparky77 (Feb 22, 2008)

If the safe n sound door is like a fire door, it will be filled with gypsum board reinforced with wire mesh, you would probably be better off just cutting the top or the bottom, and relaminating the cut edge, and you'll need a concrete/tile blade to make the cut. The easiest way would be to check with your local building supplier to see if they can order a custom cut fire door, they're usually quite soundproof, but if you do, make sure you have a couple buddies to help carry it, they're quite heavy.


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## Space (Jul 18, 2007)

A solid core slab, unbored, that's the ticket. I know you can get 36" from big box building material stores but not quite certain if 30" is going to be special order or not. 

It will do what you want, especially if you install a handle on it and do not bore holes in it for knobs and such.

Only thing left for consideration is does the furnace need air and if this solid door is placed in the hole, where does air come from?


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## MatrixDweller (Jul 24, 2007)

Thanks for your advise guys. The furnace is a direct vent type, so it doesn't use the home air for combustion. 

So I could really just make a solid slab by gluing together 2 sheets of 1/2" veneered particle board, with a couple sheets of MDF in the middle, and then veneer the edges. What would I use to keep the door shut if I didn't bore any holes in it?


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## Space (Jul 18, 2007)

A door closer would work wonders. A bolt/barrel latch would keep it securely shut.


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## bpape (Sep 14, 2006)

MatrixDweller said:


> Thanks for your advise guys. The furnace is a direct vent type, so it doesn't use the home air for combustion.
> 
> So I could really just make a solid slab by gluing together 2 sheets of 1/2" veneered particle board, with a couple sheets of MDF in the middle, and then veneer the edges. What would I use to keep the door shut if I didn't bore any holes in it?


I guess you could do all that if you want. Buying a closet door will likely be cheaper and certainly easier.

Bryan


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## MatrixDweller (Jul 24, 2007)

bpape said:


> I guess you could do all that if you want. Buying a closet door will likely be cheaper and certainly easier.
> 
> Bryan


I do like easy. I'm going to see if I can find a new solid core closet door. I guess my other option would be to go to a local Habitat ReStore and see if I can get a solid wood door and cut it down.


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## Anthony (Oct 5, 2006)

A building salvage yard is one option -- I got a door for my bathroom remodel from a friend who literally had 4 old doors from his 1950's house in the basement. Apparently people were narrower and liked lots of doors in the 50's 

Any true solid door can be trimmed, so if you find one that's close, you're in business. Any hollow door will only have about an inch or so on the sides, couple of inches at the top, and maybe 6 inches at the bottom for sizing. Other than that, it's usually cardboard honeycomb and 1/8" plywood covering.

Also, if you get to your wits end, you can call a trim carpenter or cabinet shop. They may be able to build a custom one that matches your trim and the relative proportions of the room. Not the cheapest option, but doable (or try yourself, doors are not hard to make -- but you do need to be able to plane and joint the wood).

Good luck.


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## Anthony (Oct 5, 2006)

Oh, and a comment on your slab door:

That should work, but I advise you to carefully select your particle board and cores. A solid slab like that is likely to warp, especially with a heat/humidity gradient between the furnace room and the rest of the house.

A better, and lighter option is to make a torsion box. It would be lighter, resist twisting better, and might even be cheaper. They sell a product called honeycomb, which is cardboard in a honeycomb pattern. It looks flimsy but is surprisingly strong. Conference tables and interior doors often use it and you can buy it in small sheets. Simply build an outside frame, put the honeycomb in the middle and veneer it with 1/4" or 1/8" plywood.

Google torsion box and honeycomb and suppliers and project ideas should come up.

Again, best of luck.


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## MatrixDweller (Jul 24, 2007)

I looked up the torsion box and must say that's pretty cool. That would be a little too much work I think. Because it's a furnace room too, I'd want something that will deaden the sound. I'll probably either cut down a solid door or contract it out. I have a friend that's a trim carpenter but he's a cheapskate so he probably won't give me much of a deal (he doesn't work for beer either).


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## bpape (Sep 14, 2006)

The other thing is that you don't WANT light - you WANT heavy and massive - that's what stops sound.

Bryan


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## Anthony (Oct 5, 2006)

My point was that the torsion box would be easier to construct than a proper solid door. Just a frame, the honeycomb, and two skins on the faces. Light is just a bonus if you have to carry it around yourself (which I've done on many occasions -- hanging a solid door solo is not fun).

But yeah, if you want full sound deadening, then solid would be better -- but also think about short circuits. The gap under the door can eliminate all the work put in to making the door soundproof. You'll need a sweep or something similar to close that off as well.


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## akakillroy (Jul 9, 2008)

Is there another way into that area? Or can you open a wall on another side other than the HT room? It would be great if you could do that and you could eliminate the issue by walling it off ;-) Just a thought. Then you can sound proof it better.


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## MatrixDweller (Jul 24, 2007)

Yes...for sure Anthony. I plan on sealing the door similarly how you would do an external door. I would fill the gap between the jamb and the studs with elastomeric caulk and then use a good door bottom and soundproofing gasket. I'd like to get one of the products from Zero International.

There is a second way in for access to the hot water heater. Unfortunately there isn't much clearance on either side of the furnace so the second door is needed. The next house I buy I'm going to make sure that the furnace is placed in a corner or somewhere more akin to a better finished basement layout. At least it's off to the side. I went though a few houses where the furnace was smack dab in the middle.


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## Space (Jul 18, 2007)

If you have access to the heater closet from another way, what trouble would it be to construct a wall panel, matching the characteristics of the existing wall and mount it directly into the opening? with costly doors, seals and thresholds!


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## Space (Jul 18, 2007)

EDIT: the system censored my use of the word h e c k.

The line should read "H e c k with costly doors, seals and thresholds!"

Hope that makes better visual sense.


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## MatrixDweller (Jul 24, 2007)

Thanks for that "euphemism of H-E-double hockey sticks" of an idea Space.

What I might do is get a cheap solid wood door from the Habitat for Humanity store and either put an acoustic panel or bookshelf/DVD rack on it. That will make it look totally hidden, almost like a secret door. For seals I might tone it down and just use some basic weather stripping and sweep. My furnace isn't too loud so it's not like I need a blast door.

$300 for fancy door seals has a pretty low WAF and would surely not pass muster in my house. I should be able to get a nice used solid wood door for less than $25. I might have to refinish it, but that's half the fun with old wood. I also have a few thing I can donate to the Habitat ReStore so I might be able to get a better deal.


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## Space (Jul 18, 2007)

I just ran with what carls64 said earlier. It is actually his h e double hockey sticks of a good idea


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## akakillroy (Jul 9, 2008)

I just thought of this. onder: You could make a hinged wall instead of a door. Build you a stand alone wall/door built like you would a section of wall and turn it into a door. then use some sort of seal like you would a door, and you would have an somewhat inexpensive "door" that is also a wall. You don;t get into that area much so who cares if its some big heavy thing on hinges. Just get some good, heavy hinges to support the weight and some good threshold rubber so that it seals all around that will keep the noise from the furnace out and the sound from the HT in. Insulate it, green glue it double drywall the works and just turn it into a door.


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## akakillroy (Jul 9, 2008)

You need to make a small header so you can swing the "door" out, maybe even build a short one on the bottom so you can clear the floor/carpet, then just frame it up inside with a bit of a gap. Hing it and then find some rubber seal and use a router to cut a grove around the door outer frame and put the rubber seal in the channel, maybe a double seal. The insulate/drywall mud/tape/paint and put some sort of handle on it you could even put a door knob on it. I think you could do it for a lot less than buing a door, it might take a little time but if it were me it is what I would do.


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## MatrixDweller (Jul 24, 2007)

That's a good idea. I'd still need to build a jamb for it because the studs won't be perfect and level. I'm leaning towards the hidden door as a bookcase idea. It's a bit more work but will add a huge coolness factor to the room.


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## Tedd (Feb 2, 2007)

Why not just cut down a prehung exterior steel door of the proper width? You have a gasketed door
and the backside could be beefed up with MDF for additional mass.


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## tcarcio (Jun 27, 2007)

Alot of good ideas here. I really don't know how good you are with diy projects like this but this site is good for help when you aren't sure of the how to end of it. The site provides links to alot of sites and you can even shoot him out an email for some advice....http://www.ltdjoe.com/Woodworking_Construction_Graphi.html


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## MatrixDweller (Jul 24, 2007)

Tedd said:


> Why not just cut down a prehung exterior steel door of the proper width? You have a gasketed door
> and the backside could be beefed up with MDF for additional mass.


The problem there is that exterior steel doors are hollow and filled with insulation or other material. It would also need a special saw blade and would probably end up getting chewed up pretty good when cutting. Then I would have to file down and re-veneer the cut end. If it were prehung (with a gasket) I'd have to cut down the jamb also. I'd probably end up messing it up pretty good in the end.


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## Tedd (Feb 2, 2007)

That recommendation was based on what I did for my theater entry door. It will eventually be beefed up on both sides with MDF (with Green Glue) and given a second set of door seals, hidden by custom millwork. I also had to cut it down four inches to fit it under the main support beam of the house. Some tape to mark the cuts, and a jigsaw with a fine metal blade made short and easy work of cutting the door down. The cutoff bottom of the door was reinstalled by scouping out some foam core and gluing it back in.

It might not completely soundproof my dual Contrabass subwoofers, but the door won't be the weakest link in my room's sound proofing.


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