Hey Everybody!
Yesterday I went to trim the bottoms of some passage doors that I made for a customer. My client had a very plush carpet installed on top of the thickest pad the carpet distributor had to offer. All the doors were dragging excessively on the newly carpeted floors. Normally I cut the door bottom to leave about 1″ of clearence, and have never had anyone complain; however, yesterday when my client arrived home he immediately called me to ask why I cut so much off the door bottoms. He was looking for about 1/8″ to 1/4″ maximum.
So immediately this brought up the question,”How much do you guys cut off the door bottoms for carpet clearence?
MDM
Replies
An inch is a lot of clearance, unless you are using that gap for return air. If the floorcovering is already installed, I would try for 1/4".
Whenever you are asked if you can do a job, tell'em "Certainly, I can!" Then get busy and find out how to do it. T. Roosevelt
I agree with Ed.
Larger gaps at the bottom of the doors are necessary if air is being forced into the room...otherwise, 1/4" is what I shoot for.
I'll go with the other guys 1" is too much from a finished floor, but is about the right distance from the sub-floor for a carpeted area.
I normally cut all of my door jambs at 81 3/4".
In areas where Lino is to be installed, I set the jambs directly on the lino's subfloor.
In carpeted or tiled areas I set the 81 3/4" jamb on a 3/8" block, which is removed after installation.
In hardwood areas, I cut the jambs at 81 3/8" and set the jambs on the hardwood or the finished floor to be installed.
All of the above leave me with a clearance of about ½" from the finished floor.
Thanks for the input.
MDM
1" from the subfloor will usually get you in the ballpark if you dont know what the finished floor will be. I like to keep 1/4" to 3/8" scribed over the finished floor.
Entry doors I set a little higher if there is going to be an interior door mat
usualy 3/4 to an inch above the finished floor ...
most houses here have forced hot air systems ...
and both the heat and the A/C need the doors cut about an inch to circulate the air theu the house.
I've heard of jobs where the HO's have complained to either be roasting in the summer or freezing in the winter when all new doors have been installed and been held tight to the floor.
My HVAC guy says ... cut'em down ...
I usually leave them a bit tighter in bathrooms ... for some reason people like that?
Jeff
Buck Construction, llc Pittsburgh,PA
Artistry in Carpentry
I just hung a few dozen interior doors, all of them 5/16" off the finished floor.
Jeff,
I was waiting for someone to hit on that. Most hot/cold spot problems with Forced air have to do with a lack of understanding of tha fact that air circulates.
Yeah, Yeah someone will chime in with " Hot air rises" or " Each room has it's own duct". But, neither statement will solve the hot/cold spot problem.
If anyone doubts this I can take them upstairs and let them feel the movement of air under the doors in my house when the AC is cranking.
1/2" no less over carpet. 1/2" over Hardwood. I don't hang doors anymore but when I did if the customer wanted less than a 1/2 he had to ask ahead of time.
One note, Doors over Liono, I place the jambs on a piece of thin cardboard. Gives the floor guy a chance to tuck under if he is so motivated. Happens about 1/2 the time.
" Hot air rises"
all of what ya said ... plus ...
the fact ...
that hot air doesn't rise ...
cold air sinks ... and it displaces the hot air to the top ....
JeffBuck Construction, llc Pittsburgh,PA
Artistry in Carpentry
>>cold air sinks ... and it displaces the hot air to the top ....
Never looked at it that way. You may have a point.
Half full or half empty?
No, "Half full or half empty?" is an attitude!
"Cold air sinks" is physics
I thought "Half full or half empty?" is a perspective.
"Hot air rises" is physics too.
I thought "Half full or half empty?" is a perspective.
Engineering SNAFU - Wrong sized container...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming.... WOW!!! What a Ride!
Yeah I knew that but I'm just sick of trying to explain that to people who have beed told it rises.
"I was waiting for someone to hit on that. Most hot/cold spot problems with Forced air have to do with a lack of understanding of tha fact that air circulates."
Yes, but the problem starts with the HVAC person, not the doors.
If the system was installed with proper returns then you can use hermitcally sealed doors.
"If the system was installed with proper returns then you can use hermitcally sealed doors."
Yeah but the HVAC guys need a break once in a while.
Down here in Texas, the center of the universe, there are no return air ducts. 100% of the return air goes through the living space.
Whenever you are asked if you can do a job, tell'em "Certainly, I can!" Then get busy and find out how to do it. T. Roosevelt
I corrected a few doors that were cut too short (or too high) for a HO...they were in the bedrooms...his biggest complaint was the light shining under the door...go figure.
Half-round molding tacked under the door did the trick.
Oh ...it's easier to swing the hammer if you take the door off.
Never thought of half round moulding to close the gap.
And you're right about the swing space.
Whenever you are asked if you can do a job, tell'em "Certainly, I can!" Then get busy and find out how to do it. T. Roosevelt
Half round?
Fills the gap without having to repaint /stain patch or varnish?
Thats a freakin good idea!
riiiiight.....rounded profile doesn't seen to drag on carpet if it is a hair close...
Yes, but the problem starts with the HVAC person, not the doors
That might be true, but I'm still looking for a house under about $300k with a return air in each room. In most of the homes built today, a return for each room would be an unacceptable expense. Not to mention having the HVAC guy cut that many more holes in the framing.
Ok, so now you have the replys .... how are you going to put that 3/4 to 7/8 back on?
Quality repairs for your home.
Aaron the Handyman
Vancouver, Canada
That's a good question ! Ideas?
MDM
This may be a stretch, maybe even a giant leap. Though it is doubtful that you would still have the cut off you could use a plate jointer and reattach it. The door would have to be refinished and if the door wasn't painted then you would have to use some stain to try to blend in the grain to cover for the material that was removed with the saw kerf ( use a fine artist's brush). If painted some filler, sanding, underbody and a good top coat might do it. The plates, or biscuits, crate a strong joint and you could use counter sunk screws to hold it until the glue sets up.
Even if the cut off is gone you could still try this grain match the bottom rail and stiles. The plates are strong and shouldn't really be exposed to too much stress on the bottom inch of the door. Hey it's worth a shot, I am sure you devoted a ton of time building them. I was told by an older carpenter that I respect that the measure of a good carpenter can be made after a mistake has been made and then how the mistake is dealt with.
Edited 9/3/2004 8:00 pm ET by paolo
Pop the door and frame, cut the jambs down by a half inch, and re-install with the jambs hard down. The head casing should cover the gap created up top, although you might have to touch up the paint on the gyprock.
Dinosaur
'Y-a-tu de la justice dans ce maudit monde?
You da man...that's what I have done..good call..
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations.
It's all relative, heh, heh, heh...
What I love is when the HO okays right-hand inswing on the plans, and then wants to change it to outswing once he's seen it in the flesh.... I just have sooooo much fun trying to get all those air-staples out of the frame without buggering it all to hellNback....Dinosaur
'Y-a-tu de la justice dans ce maudit monde?
why do I still have DRAW a pic. to order a door? left hinge/towards me...ouggta work..are they that dense?
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations.
Problem is...you never know how dense they are until after the door comes in wrong. Making a sketch is safer. Save ya an extra 3-4 week wait....Dinosaur
'Y-a-tu de la justice dans ce maudit monde?
yeah, belt and sus...lol
density is generic, I think..but I cold be wrong,my Dad was ...oh, nevermind..
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations.
An inch dose seem a tad much. I usually go about 1/2", but the real problem seems to be the carpet. Carpet is a matter of taste, and tastes change, even for the same individual. So if they go back to hardwood (if that's what's underneath) then they are going to have a gap that is undebatablely too large. The shame is that you put in quite a bit of work to actually make the doors and I am sure that you intend for them to be more than a passing fancy. Next time, and I am sure you will, error on the side of caution; it's a lot easier to cut more off then to put some back. Live and learn, I have and still do make some stupid mistakes.
You're right there paolo. Sometimes I have so many things to accomplish on a day that I end up going too fast and sure enough, that's when it comes back at you.
MDM
I feel your pain brother.
See, if you'd taken a break and come to visit and we relaxed up in R.I. you might not be in this predicament.
How "unhappy" are they?
You could cut in one of those old style drop down bars they used to have on interior doors here in Ohio. Tell em it's your upbringing.
edit: Sorry, meant to direct this to Frank..........a little too quick with the button finger.
Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
Quittin' Time
Edited 9/3/2004 7:48 pm ET by calvin