Cutting through ceramic floor tile advice needed to install door

[mikey03]

I’m helping my aunt she’s getting some contractors to tile a spare bedroom and replace the door. Well she was going to pay them for the door but they quoted $450 to install a pre hung door she already bought (that her last contractor was supposed to install but he stopped returning her calls.

450 seemed nuts so I offered to do it. YouTube made it look pretty easy. I took the old trim and old door frame out today but the new door frame won’t fit where the old tile from the next room was cut for the old door install.

That piece of tile is going to be cut by the tile guy anyway, and a new piece of tile will be cut to fit around the new door frame. And the new tile will be abutted against the existing tile in the other room.

So my idea is I just need to crack or cut this already installed floor tile a small bit so I can install the new door. Doesn’t need to be clean because the tile guy is going to cut that tile anyway. I don’t have any desire to be a tile guy so I’m trying to keep it cheap. Looking for a way to remove about an inch of the old tile without cracking it further down the tile. I’d have about a 2 inch buffer if I crack it 2 inches away no big deal.

First thought was hit it with a hammer on that edge but didn’t want to risk it cracking all the way down the tile. Next thought is some circular diamond tipped ceramic hole saw drill bits I got to drill drain holes into ceramic planters.

Wondering what you guys think and I’m trying to avoid tile specific tools that I won’t use ever again.

 

[cgrutt]

Pic would probably help.

 

[The Cobbler]

why not undercut the jamb so you don't need to worry about the tile... both old & new

 

[mikey03]

Pic would probably help.

Sorry good idea I didn’t take one but I just drew one

the new door jam won’t fit where the old tile is so I need to shave off honestly just like 1/8 inches would work. It just barely almost fits but I want to take off about an inch so I can shim the door on that side since it is 1/8” short without any shims.

the decison was made to cut half of this old tile and put new tile there. It will be different tile but colors have some alignment and the old tile is cracked along that base.

so I drew in green where the old tile will be cut. I just need to take off a small but to fit the door jamb without breaking the entire piece of old tile so the tile guy can use a saw or whatever he uses to cut that tile that’s already installed.

i think a diamond hole saw will work and not cause cracking anywhere else and I can remove more than I need, he’s going to be cutting about 2 inches above where i need to cut. It’s not drawn exactly to scale.

 

[PugetDude]

Small diamond blade saw blade in a Dremel. Score the cut lightly, then drill stop holes with a carbide bit on the end of the cut if you're worried about a running crack.

 

[mikey03]

why not undercut the jamb so you don't need to worry about the tile... both old & new

That’s what I said, I said have him install the tile first. Make the tile be a complete full rectangle shape. And I’ll undercut the jamb and rest it on top of the tile when I install the door later.

But my aunt said she talked to the tile guy and they decided the door goes first, and then the tile gets cut around the jamb.

I asked 3 of my friends. two are homeowners who do their own work. One said do it my way (tile first, jamb undercut to rest on it) and the other said to do it the tile guys way. Then my third friend is a pro handyman who does this work and he said do the door first and cut the tile around it.

honestly I have no idea, it seems common sense to me to put the tile down first and then undercut the jamb and put it on top of the tile.

i dont think i can really undercut the jamb before the tile is installed, I might not undercut it proper to the height he needs.

 

[mikey03]

why not undercut the jamb so you don't need to worry about the tile... both old & new

oh and you said “old and new” the old tile is cut around the old jamb. But like I showed in the pic, that bottom part is cracked and they’re going to cut the existing tile in half and put new tile to go just under the door. Since the old tile goes under the old door. It’s kind of a **** install, the whole house she bought isn’t great tbh.

the old tile was already cut to fit around the old door jamb but the new door jamb is around 1/8” bigger and just barely won’t fit in that old slot in the old tile. The way I drew it see the old tile is in black and it’s already cut to shape but I just need to cut a small amount more.

Im prob not going back for a few days so I got some time to figure it out or convince her to do the undercut method with some tile first.

 

[steves_001]

Undercutting the door jamb is the easiest solution as noted prior. Then you won't have to fiddle with potentially making more of a mess of the tile. If all you are having to trim is 1/8 or so you likely won't even need to cut the door at all, just the jambs. That would take less than a minute to mark and cut. Much less than fooling around with cutting tile.
Every floor project I've done is to install the floor first, then the doors if new, or undercut the door for the floor. Much cleaner looking installation.

 

[The Cobbler]

just undercut the old jamb now, since it's being replaced it doesn't have to be pretty .

 

[mikey03]

just undercut the old jamb now, since it's being replaced it doesn't have to be pretty .

The old jamb went down to the concrete floor and they cut the tile around the jamb.

I removed the old jamb this weekend. I tried to install a new prehung door and the existing cut to the tile was 1/8” too small. The new jamb is just a bit bigger.

 

[mikey03]

Undercutting the door jamb is the easiest solution as noted prior. Then you won't have to fiddle with potentially making more of a mess of the tile. If all you are having to trim is 1/8 or so you likely won't even need to cut the door at all, just the jambs. That would take less than a minute to mark and cut. Much less than fooling around with cutting tile.
Every floor project I've done is to install the floor first, then the doors if new, or undercut the door for the floor. Much cleaner looking installation.

Can I use a Milwaukee multi tool with wood blade to undercut the jamb? I think so I can but just checking since I don’t really work with wood and I don’t own any wood saws.

 

[The Cobbler]

I tried to install a new prehung door and the existing cut to the tile was 1/8” too small. The new jamb is just a bit bigger.

can you snap a picture?

 

[sqznby]

A 4.5" angle grinder and diamond wheel would make quick work of that. Dusty but quick, a wet masons sponges would help keep the dust down.
You can always touch up the outer edges with a Dremel if the diamond wheel won't reach the edges by the door jambs.

 

[mikey03]

can you snap a picture?

Sorry I was stupid and didn’t take one but I drew it and posted the pic. I don’t do this kind of thing so I don’t know if your supposed to cut the tile around the door jamb or supposed to undercut the floor jam and have the tile go all the way up to the framed doorway.

the old tile was cut around the old door jamb. The black lines are the old tile. It’s cut already. New door jamb is a bit bigger so needs to remove more of that old tile to fit it. But the tile guy will cut the old tile higher than the cut I’d make anyway since he’s going to merge the old and new tile.

 

[no704]

A 4.5" angle grinder and diamond wheel would make quick work of that. Dusty but quick, a wet masons sponges would help keep the dust down.
You can always touch up the outer edges with a Dremel if the diamond wheel won't reach the edges by the door jambs.

This, both available for short $$ @ Harbor Freight!

 

[steves_001]

In ref to - “Can I use a Milwaukee multi tool with wood blade to undercut the jamb?”
Absolutely! Great tool for the job. I have a dewalt version and use it frequently for that. Also have an actual Bosch undercut saw but I use the multi tool more often now.

 

[mikey03]

Thanks guys I already got the angle grinder and a multi tool and I ordered a 4.5 diamond blade tile cutter for the grinder. I’m going to cut the tile slightly so I can put the new hung door there. And I’ll let the tile man figure out if he wants to undercut the jamb or cut his tile around it.

i actually don’t own a dremel tool believe it or not but that would have been better to make two half inch cuts into the tile maybe but I do got a angle grinder already.

im going to add a dremel tool to my wish list. I got a die grinder M12. shoot maybe I should order a die grinder diamond tile cutter if that exists? 2” blade I guess? Instead of the angle grinder, just an easier smaller tool for fine cuts? It’s a right angle die grinder