Cut a Hole in the Garage Door: The Do’s & Don’ts

You probably need a hole in the garage door. The garage door is most likely the main entrance of your house.

Generally, the first thing anyone is going to notice is the door, and it can be a perfect appeal for the house.

Many of you have probably installed the door by yourself. But, garage door installation is itself a challenging task. And let alone cutting holes in it can be even tougher.

People have so many questions such as, which tools they need to use? How to measure the size of the garage door hole and how to finally cut it with a neat finishing?

So, in case you happen to be a DIY kind of a person and planning to drill a hole in a garage door.

How to Cut a Hole in Garage Door – Step by Step guide

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_u9QXEWUtuU

Before you begin with the process, you must ensure that you have all the tools. It’s not a simple paper cut that you can trace with a pencil and then cut it off. It will require more than a drill. 

• Drill
• Measuring tape
• Ruler
• Scriber
• Then, Lubricant – Some 3 in 1 oil or similar
• Hammer
• A “brand new standard size 3/8” Bi-Metal hole cutter 
• Safety glasses
• Utility knife

You need all of the above tools to get the process started. So, if you are missing anyone, there is no point in going to the next step.

Step 1. Prepare the place

It is most often the neglected part but still holds the most significant place in the list. So, prepare your place. You have all the tools:

• Now, make sure that the place is a kid and bird-free zone. 
• Secondly, you must ensure that your neighbors don’t mind the noise. 
• Set the place to keep the tools, prepare yourself, and take all the safety measures. 
• Forbid any inexperienced person interrupting the job.

Preparing the place is necessary; if you want to do a great job with the finest results. Anyone who has to clean after you should not be in danger, just because you were messy and uncareful while working. 

Once you prepare the place, now where to drill the hole? Before that, you have one more step to go. And that is to mark it before you cut it. 

Step 2. Mark the hole 

Use a measuring tape to analyze the measurements of the hole you need. Now, it’s time to take the pencil/marker and mark the hole where you want to cut it. So, pick up the pencil and draw the whole as you need it.

Still, it may have its complexities, to ease up a bit more, you must make a pilot hole using a nail or hammer.

Moreover, if you think that you may also have a hard time locating the hole later. For convenience, draw two short lines intersecting at right angles at the center of the hole with a ruler and scriber to identify the hole on the metal workpiece.

Make a small dent in the center point of the bit using a center punch and a ball-peen hammer to assist keep it from wandering.

Now, if you are drilling through the metal door, you need lubricant. Metal can cause friction, and it can lead to overheating, and to avoid it, apply some lubricant to the area where you are going to cut the hole.

The next step is to start drilling, but what you need to check before starting doing it has been covered in the next step.

Step 3. Set the drill speed

Determine the drill speed required, and then set the drill to that speed. Unscrew the motor-housing knob to open the drill press belt guard and release the tension on the pulleys.

To change speeds, move the motor frame forward and move the belt from one pulley level to the next, following the speed ratings printed on the drill press’s nameplate or mentioned in the owner’s handbook.

With the belt looped between the smallest motor pulley and the largest spindle pulley, you’ll get the slowest speeds and the most torque at the bottom tier of pulleys.

When the belt is wrapped around the highest pulleys, on the other hand, you’ll get the fastest speed. What’s next?

Step 4: Cut the hole in the door using a drill

If you are cutting through the metal garage door, use the wood drill in its forts and then in the metal door as it will give you a cleaner hole.

Now, slowly press the drill on the mark to cut the hole, go in-depth with time. If you notice any kind of smoke, stop it right there because it means that the metal is heating.

Wait for the time and let the drill cool down then, start again. Once you are done with drilling a hole in the door, just clean it up using a cloth and see a cleaner look.

You are done cutting the hole, and we bet you are confident to do some extra job too. So, let’s talk about cutting the bottom of the garage door, too. 

How to cut the bottom of a garage door? 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMhhC-FKe7g

You already have the right tools with you. So, follow the few steps, and you can cut down the bottom of the garage door.

• Mark the line: Take the pencil or marker to draw the line on the portion you need to cut. 
• Remove the door (if not already detached): Trimming garage door lengths requires removing the door because doing it from the vertical position is too difficult and perhaps unsafe. Remove the bolts and safely remove the door.
• Place the door in the even place: After placing the door in the even place, take the hacksaw and try trimming the door following the line. Once the door is evenly cut, you can now install the door back. 

However, to carry out this process, you might need a few people as garage doors are usually huge and heavy.

Finally, you have the steps explained quite well. If you are facing difficulty in using drills, garage door hole repair, or garage door exhaust port installation, refer to a professional.

In any other case, you may need to cut holes more than one time; the steps are for all of it.