Replaceing Basement door....

[Clarence Martin]

Got a Bilco Steel door that leads down to the Basement. In the Basement, at the edge of the steps up to the Bilco door, We installed 20 some years ago a solid wood door to keep the cold air from coming into the Basement. Well, I went down yesterday and took a look at that wood door, It's in pretty rough shape. Needs to be replaced. I can go with either Steel, Fiberglass, or a wood insulated door. Would really prefer a Fiberglass door because of the least amount of maintenance.

But!!! I have run into a bit of a problem !!

I just measured the door a few minutes ago, 3 times juts to be sure the measurements were correct, and this is what I came up with..

34 1/2 inches Wide

76 Inches Long.

I might be able to fit a 34 inch wide door in that spot, but the length has got me stumped! I know a wood door can be cut down to size , but what about a Fiberglass door ?

[Phillip Mitchell]

Anything can be done, but I think it depends on what exactly the Fiberglass door you're considering is filled with...if it's solid or foam core, etc... If it were me, all signs point to using a wooden door again and cutting it to fit. OR you could price custom 76" tall doors, just to see.

I'd explore those avenues before getting into the mess of cutting fiberglass. If there is any sort of sealing piece on the bottom of the door it will obviously need to be removed before cutting and then properly reattached/glued/etc back on to your new cut bottom, which may be tricky.

How tall is the existing Steel door? Is there a 4" ish threshold that sit inside of the opening of the steel door? I'm trying to envision why you'd have a 76" tall door.

[Clarence Martin]

34 1/2 x 76 is the actual measurement of the door itself. Door is that size because once the frame for the door was in place, that was the longest the door could be.

[Rich Engelhardt]

Is there any way you can get one custom built?


We had to do that for a basement entry door last year.

[lowell holmes]

Make the door yourself.

I would build a frame and attach 1/4" plywood to both sides. I made panel doors for trackless bifold doors twenty (?) years ago and they are still good. No deterioration at all.
If you need a sketch, let me know. Insulation can be put in the hollow core.

[Neil Gaskin]

Depends on the door but most fiberglass slabs can be cut.

But... The fiberglass portion is usually only a cladding over the face with some form of particleboard or other core. So when you cut the bottom you expose and unseal The bottom edge. I would seal that with either a few coats of primer or anchor seal. As an alternative I would suggest figuring out the frame size and ordering a prehung unit. You can get this custom fit or sized to your opening for most lumberyards or door shops .

you should also be able to order a custom size flush slab from the same places if the frame is in good shape and you want to mess around with putting the door to the frame. Most the time it's less time-consuming to set a prehung unit. The only time we really save a frame is if we can order a prepped door ready to install or the jamb is either historically relevant/not simple to remove and replace. Yeah benefit of a prehung unit has new weatherstripping and you got to make sure everything is square and plumb.


The slab size you have is odd in both width and height.