The Wood Works, Inc.
Serving the Kansas City area for nearly 30 years. 913-362-2432
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Door Shortened for Appliance
11/04, 06/07

In updating a kitchen for new appliances it is not uncommon that the existing cabinets need to be modified for a taller refrigerator, taller oven, and micro-wave exhaust hoods.
— Elsewhere under Woodworking there is a discussion of modifying the cabinet cases for such requirements.

The biggest problem is what to do to shorten the cabinet doors or drawers involved.
— Under Cabinet Drawers Repairs and Modifications there is a discussion about shortening drawer fronts and boxes.

From experience the goal should be to save the existing doors but to make them shorter. We can and do provide a wide variety of new replacement doors, but it is nearly impossible to matching the wood specie, grain, outer edge shapes, inner edge shapes, raised panel shapes, stain color darkness and transparency; let alone gloss matching.

Accordingly, we have worked out a procedure to shorten typical raised panel doors. It works for flat panel style also with minor modifications.

We cut door clean across just above the lower raised panel shape edge by 1/8". That has become the most invisible place to cut. We cut the vertical stiles and raised panel. It does leave a cross grain cut on the vertical stile, at least one of which might be semi-hidden by the handle. We then cut away the needed amount moving up the door. Finally the top section and the bottom section are glued back together with the removed distance not there.

Limited stain color touchup is performed to the cut line. A painted door might require repainting by the client.

The typical cost is $120 to $240 per door with an average of $150 per door, assuming two doors.

UPS shipments are gladly received for such repairs. 2-4 week turn around.
Use your friendly Brown or Kinko store to pack and ship.
We'll call you with final bid and likely pay return shipping if your carton is reusable.