An entry door on a house is often painted a particular color to help accent the home or create a specific look. Sometimes after we have it installed, we may need to have a dog or cat door added or even a mail slot. If you have a fiberglass exterior door, do you need to buy another door to do this or can you cut a fiberglass door? It is easy to cut yourself with a jigsaw or hire a professional to do this. We will give you the steps below on how to do this! A fiberglass door is the way to go on the home as this material is stronger than solid wood doors and you aren’t cutting down trees to have it on your home. Also, fiberglass doors never have wood decay like wood doors, or rust like metal doors!
Why You Would Need to Do This
As mentioned above, if you want to add a mail slot, dog door, glass light panel, or cut off some of the height, you can cut a fiberglass door. A fiberglass door is cheaper than replacing the door. Let’s look at the process.
Materials Needed
- Work table or 2 sawhorses
- Hammer
- Jigsaw
- Screwdriver
- Safety mask
- Goggles
- Masking tape
- Marker
Steps to Cut a Fiberglass Door
- By tapping out the hinge pins on the door with a hammer and a screwdriver, remove the door from the frame. Lay the door across your work table or two sawhorses outside.
- Then, measure the area of the item you are trying to install first.
- Next, transfer the measurements to the door and outline the measurements with a straight edge and marker.
- Place masking tape over the marker lines. Each line and corner should be covered with tape.
- Your safety mask and goggles go on next as you are going to be sending tiny pieces of glass fiber into the air. The last place you want these to end up is in your lungs or eyes.
- Drilling a hole in each corner of the door is important if you are cutting a shape out of the inside of the door. You need to make sure the hole is larger than the jigsaw blade. This will require you to compare the drill bits to the blade so you can find a larger one before you start drilling. However, if you are just cutting a few inches off the height, you don’t need to drill into the door first.
- You will need to make the jigsaw blade square so you can make a straight cut. It needs to have a fine edge. The sharper the blade, the more serrated (?) the cut. If you are looking for a smoother cut, use a fine-edged blade.
- Using the jigsaw, cut through the masking tape. Start with the drilled hole in the corner and follow the permanent marker lines that show through the tape. You will be able to turn the jigsaw blade to the next line since you have the space with the corner holes. On the other hand, if you are shortening the door, you will start at one edge and then saw across.
- Remove the masking tape and use a fine-grain file and file the cut edges. The edges will stay smooth if you file downward.
Here is a video about cutting down the height of the door:
How Much Does It Cost
Fiberglass doors range from $150 for a door that is ready to be painted and has a smooth surface to over $7,000 for a pre-hung door. The more expensive end of the fiberglass doors are textured, factory stained, and panels that are molded and have lights. An average for fiberglass entry doors is $1,500-$2,500. If you have a professional install it for you, that will add on about $400-$800 more.
Recommended Maintenance
While you are thinking about the fiberglass door on the entryway to the house, take a look at your interior doors. Some of these doors may be hollow doors and made also of fiberglass, as well as laminate. The pros of this type of door are that they are cheap, but a con is they break easily.
Another area to check is your fans. If you want to change up the look of a room, consider installing a new ceiling fan. However, keep in mind that the downrods are not universal so you will need to order one from the manufacturer if the fan doesn’t come with one.
Lastly, take a look around the home for any mold. If you find areas that are moist or of organic substance, you may have mold growing. Mold takes 24-48 hours to grow. Also, it can colonize for 3-12 days and be visible after 18-21 days.
When to Hire a Professional
Hire a professional if you aren’t sure how to install a fiberglass door. Also, hire a professional if you need someone else to make the modifications. It isn’t something for you to take on if you don’t feel you can do it yourself. Lastly, we recommend calling your local home inspection team to take a look at the doors and any other issues in the home.
Conclusion
Fiberglass doors make a nice addition to the home. They can be exterior or interior and can be modified to accommodate your needs and pet’s needs. Call on Waypoint Property Inspection to conduct a home inspection on your home in Tampa, St. Petersburg, Lakeland, Orlando, Palm Beach, Ft. Lauderdale, and surrounding areas.
