Replies

1. 
   alecs | Jul 09, 2004 03:41pm | #1

   Hmm.  Not sure if there is an actual number that everyone would agree on but...

   I've only done renovation work - no new construction where everything is (should be) nice and plumb & level.  Therefore, the limiting factor has been "will the door open all the way over an uneven floor?"  "Is the jamb out of plumb so the door tilts towards the floor when it's open 90 degrees?"

   My current house used to have thick pile carpet wall to wall.  So all the doors were cut off at the bottom to clear the carpet.  Now most of them look silly after we removed the carpet and refinished the HW floors.  So I wouldn't cut the door short if you don't plan to put in a carpet in the forseeable future.  You can always cut the door later if you install carpets that don't clear the door.

   If everything is nice and plumb and level, I would say that you should have about 1/2" of clearance at the bottom, but that's just my opinion.

2. 
   gordsco | Jul 09, 2004 04:12pm | #2

   The space under the door also allows air to move between rooms. In my early year in the trade I would worry myself to death about the space between a finished floor and a door. On new installations, I cut all my door jambs 81 3/8" above the finished floor, the 3/4" or 5/8" header is cut 3/16" larger than the actuall door to be hung and installed between the jambs, not on top. This leaves a finished space of approx 5/8" under the door. It also allows for installation within a standard rough opening height of 82½"

1. 
   fossil | Jul 09, 2004 06:53pm | #3

   Thanks for the opinions. My quandry is I don't have a door, but found a suitable one at the recycle store or so I thought.  It's the perfect 5-panel, but the height is 78'' ish and there is an adjacent bathroom door with trim that I'm trying to keep in line with.