# What to do with a big gap at the bottom of a door?



## Shurley0714 (Aug 24, 2017)

So I am currently trying to level/plumb/square this door and get this door plate in. The problem is it's all unlevel and the gap between the door plate and the bottom of the door currently is like 1 1/4" big soo how big should the gap on the bottom of the door be from the bottom plate? And how can I reduce the gap if it's so big? What should the gap be on all sides of the door framing? Also if I have double doors 35 1/2" each door what would the gap be between the doors and what should the rough opening be for the framing of the door? Sorry if that's confusing. I'm new to doors. The door Jambs and head piece is already in from before I just wanted to know so I can check it all with the framing. Thanks for your time.


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

Doors come in 2" increments, so your doors would be 3'0" a double door would be called 2 x 3"0" when you frame doors you always add 2"" for rough framing .
with a double you just add 2" once. so a double 3'0" door would have rough width of 6' 2"

So it sounds like you are dealing with a pre hung door. They don't have a bottom plate. If they have a piece acroos the bottom it can be taken off.
The frame is much longer than the door because the go in before the floor so that gap gets smaller. If the floors are already in some can be cut off the bottom. If you hhave forced air Hvac you may want that big gap at the floor.

For installing, check the floor for level. hopefully the floor is level or a little higher on the hinge side. Check the hinge side of the rough opening for plumb. Install the hinge side first and make sure it is plumb. With the door in place the gap between that frame and door should be the same top to bottom. Check the gap at the top just above the hinge and make sure the gap is the same all across. No nails in the top. If the gap across the top is not right you wedge one side up to make it right. then check the gap on the other side top and shim that side so the gap down the side is the same all the way.
So with pre hung doors the size of the gap is what they made it and most of the time it is the same on all three.


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## Shurley0714 (Aug 24, 2017)

Nealtw said:


> Doors come in 2" increments, so your doors would be 3'0" a double door would be called 2 x 3"0" when you frame doors you always add 2"" for rough framing .
> with a double you just add 2" once. so a double 3'0" door would have rough width of 6' 2"
> 
> So it sounds like you are dealing with a pre hung door. They don't have a bottom plate. If they have a piece acroos the bottom it can be taken off.
> ...


Sorry I didn't post pictures at first. Here are some. Also I'm still not sure how to bring the gap between the bottom of the door and plate smaller? Also the door plate goes ontop of the sub floor only correct? Because I also had to replace the underlayment and so I will have to cut out a section of underlayment to put the door plate in correctly.


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## Shurley0714 (Aug 24, 2017)

Nealtw said:


> Doors come in 2" increments, so your doors would be 3'0" a double door would be called 2 x 3"0" when you frame doors you always add 2"" for rough framing .
> with a double you just add 2" once. so a double 3'0" door would have rough width of 6' 2"
> 
> So it sounds like you are dealing with a pre hung door. They don't have a bottom plate. If they have a piece acroos the bottom it can be taken off.
> ...


Sorry forgot to include pics on the last message.


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

I did not understand , it was outside.
A pre hung outside door comes with threshold attached to the frame and that would sit on the sub floor. Not sure how your is constructed but here it would be pull the door frame and all, repair the threshold and re install it.
The missing threshold is why you are having trouble with the space between the doors.
So to install them like this you would want both sides with hinges to be plumb. and double check the gap between the doors too.
The missing threshold would be exactly the same length as the distance between the side jams at the top.


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## Shurley0714 (Aug 24, 2017)

Nealtw said:


> I did not understand , it was outside.
> A pre hung outside door comes with threshold attached to the frame and that would sit on the sub floor. Not sure how your is constructed but here it would be pull the door frame and all, repair the threshold and re install it.
> The missing threshold is why you are having trouble with the space between the doors.
> So to install them like this you would want both sides with hinges to be plumb. and double check the gap between the doors too.
> The missing threshold would be exactly the same length as the distance between the side jams at the top.


There is a threshold, attached is a couple pics of it. They show the gap I'm currently at with it on the underlayment. It's about 1/2" but if I remove the 3/4" underlayment and place it on the sub then it will be about a 1 1/4" gap. So could I leave the threshold ontop the underlayment as long as it's properly weather sealed? Also the door doesn't have a weather strip on the bottom so maybe I can get one to fill that 1/2" ish gap? Thanks


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

Stand back a little and take pictures of the bottom inside and outside.
I feel like a blind man trying to understand an elephant.

Did you take this door our out, what was there before that is missing now?


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## Mike Milam (Mar 3, 2017)

nealtw said:


> stand back a little and take pictures of the bottom inside and outside.
> I feel like a blind man trying to understand an elephant.
> 
> Did you take this door our out, what was there before that is missing now?



lmao..........


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## Shurley0714 (Aug 24, 2017)

Nealtw said:


> Stand back a little and take pictures of the bottom inside and outside.
> I feel like a blind man trying to understand an elephant.
> 
> Did you take this door our out, what was there before that is missing now?


Thought a little closer detail would be better lol.


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## Shurley0714 (Aug 24, 2017)

Nealtw said:


> Stand back a little and take pictures of the bottom inside and outside.
> I feel like a blind man trying to understand an elephant.
> 
> Did you take this door our out, what was there before that is missing now?


This is the inside bottom. The threshold is currently sitting on the 3/4" underlayment. I know it's all a mess right now.


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

Now I understand. You have made repairs to this set up, with out understanding how or why it works.
If you had come to ask first you would have been advised to find a door company in your area that would build you a new jam.
My suggestion is the same now.
With experience you could do it yourself, but this is no place for a beginner that likely does not have the right tools. I could do it but I would have it done.


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

There are stores like Windsor Plywood that do a full service. I have dropped off a door and picked up a new one in the afternoon with all the hardware in it, made to fit the old frame. I have also dropped off a door and picked it up later with a new frame on it. 

https://www.windsorplywood.com/product-type/doors/


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## Shurley0714 (Aug 24, 2017)

Nealtw said:


> Now I understand. You have made repairs to this set up, with out understanding how or why it works.
> If you had come to ask first you would have been advised to find a door company in your area that would build you a new jam.
> My suggestion is the same now.
> With experience you could do it yourself, but this is no place for a beginner that likely does not have the right tools. I could do it but I would have it done.


The door was apparently hung while there was rot all I did was replace the bottom plate 2x4 underneath the wall and it raised about 1/2" now since it's higher it's got the gap with the threshold. I changed nothing with the door jambs. I'm thinking I'm going to install the threshold on the underlayment and weather proof like you would the subfloor. Is it ok to install it on the underlayment?


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

Shurley0714 said:


> The door was apparently hung while there was rot all I did was replace the bottom plate 2x4 underneath the wall and it raised about 1/2" now since it's higher it's got the gap with the threshold. I changed nothing with the door jambs. I'm thinking I'm going to install the threshold on the underlayment and weather proof like you would the subfloor. Is it ok to install it on the underlayment?


You haven't got enough there to install anything to be anywhere close to weather tight. So you will going from a damaged door frame to major damage to the house.

What you have would be a choir for the most experienced person to fix. Any one like that would just start over with new. Save the doors but buy a new frame.


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## kharwood84 (Apr 9, 2017)

Personally, I'm not sure I would even keep the doors. One of the pics looks like the bottom corner of one of the doors is broken/slightly bent. For me, that plus all the frame damage (even the oak adjuster area of the sill is rotted out where the two doors come together) it would warrant a full replacement.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk


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## cee3peeoh (Sep 12, 2017)

Here is a quick fix possibility.










https://www.tmhardware.com/Door-Sho...ith-.44-Neoprene-Fingered-Seal-35-Length.html


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## Shurley0714 (Aug 24, 2017)

cee3peeoh said:


> Here is a quick fix possibility.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I got a couple door shoes kind of like that.


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## Shurley0714 (Aug 24, 2017)

kharwood84 said:


> Personally, I'm not sure I would even keep the doors. One of the pics looks like the bottom corner of one of the doors is broken/slightly bent. For me, that plus all the frame damage (even the oak adjuster area of the sill is rotted out where the two doors come together) it would warrant a full replacement.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk


I know the bottom edge kind of bent because it hit the threshold after it went off level. But I can remove the bottom rubber strip and put a pry bar in there and silicone it up and apply a shoe and it should be good. I am going to try and replace the adjuster aswell because I got a piece of wood the same exact dimensions. If not then I'll have to make it just not an adjuster. The shoe should close the gap between the bottom of the door and the rubber strip on the threshold


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## Shurley0714 (Aug 24, 2017)

Nealtw said:


> Shurley0714 said:
> 
> 
> > The door was apparently hung while there was rot all I did was replace the bottom plate 2x4 underneath the wall and it raised about 1/2" now since it's higher it's got the gap with the threshold. I changed nothing with the door jambs. I'm thinking I'm going to install the threshold on the underlayment and weather proof like you would the subfloor. Is it ok to install it on the underlayment?
> ...


The gap inbetween the threshold is currently 7/16" I'm thinking with the door shoe will fix most that and if I can fix the adjuster then it will be even better. What about that?


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

Shurley0714 said:


> The gap inbetween the threshold is currently 7/16" I'm thinking with the door shoe will fix most that and if I can fix the adjuster then it will be even better. What about that?


There is a membrane that goes under the threshold and the threshold does not get nailed down it is attached between the two jams with nails or screws that are put in while the frame in not in the wall.
I am not trying to be mean. I just think right now you would be better off covering the whole mess with plywood and save for some new components.


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## Shurley0714 (Aug 24, 2017)

Nealtw said:


> Shurley0714 said:
> 
> 
> > The gap inbetween the threshold is currently 7/16" I'm thinking with the door shoe will fix most that and if I can fix the adjuster then it will be even better. What about that?
> ...


I see. So why is it screwed in the sides of the door jamb rather then just nailing in the floor after all is square/plumb/level?


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

Shurley0714 said:


> I see. So why is it screwed in the sides of the door jamb rather then just nailing in the floor after all is square/plumb/level?


To avoid leaks. This will help you see some of what I have talked about.


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