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Source needed for short doors

17 years ago

My 120-year-old house has 7-foot ceilings downstairs and 6'9" ones upstairs and I need to replace a couple of doors. Downstairs I need a four-panel (if possible) only 72" (6'--a non-standard size) by 24". This is for a closet. Upstairs I need a 3" beadboard (if possible) door to fit a 75" frame. I've looked on eBay and several interior door websites but there's nothing under 6'6". I would love real vintage doors but a new one would be okay. Any advice would be much appreciated.

I am posting this in Gardenweb's Old House forum as well. Thank you!

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Comments (6)

gardenspice
17 years ago
Is there an architectural salvage store near you? Or perhaps a Habitat for Humanity Resale store?
You can buy taller doors and have them cut down, but you will be limited on the style and type - obviously you would need to start with solid or MDF.
jerosoma
Original Author
17 years ago
Thank you--there is a salvage place I will check out, and look into Habitat for Humanity. I have a two-panel bathroom door the exact size I need for the closet and it looks like it was cut down at the top and bottom, so I will keep that in mind.

What is MDF?
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rjoh878646
17 years ago
MDF is medium density fiberboard.

Here is a link that might be useful: MDF
mag77
17 years ago
It's hard to imagine living with 84" ceilings, much less a code department that would allow it.

John
troubleseekeral
17 years ago
If you can find the doors at the salvage yard, there should be no problem cutting them down that much. A typical door has 4 inches of top rail and 8 inches of bottom rail, so you could take 2 inches off the top, and the rest off the bottom. Many of the old doors actually were manufactured with 10 inch bottom rails, so that would be better yet. Cutting this much will weaken the joints some, so it would be a good idea to send a couple of 5 inch screws through the joints from the door edge (counterbored and plugged) to help them. If you have to order new doors, I would stick with wood over MDF.
ron6519
17 years ago
Your local lumber yard should be able to order 72" doors. Selection may be limited. Check out the Jeld-Wen web site. They should list the 6' doors by style.
Ron

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