# Door Sweep on Hollow Door?



## Nellie34

A few months ago, my gas/electric utilities conducted an Energy Audit and they installed lots of insulation and sealed leaks all over the house, including installing a doorsweep in the door that goes to the garage. This is a hollow panel door, and the screws they used to install it came out after about a week. Just not enough purchase to hold it. The sweep really does scrape the floor, and so maybe they set it too low. Anyway, I'd like to see if I can get it to stay on. I was thinking of Liquid Nails and some clamps, but I suspect that may not hold it either. Any ideas on how to seal such doors? A different kind of threshold, perhaps? Thanks.


----------



## mark sr

The bottom inch or so of a hollow core door has solid wood between the veneers. That said, a hollow core door shouldn't be used between the house and the garage - it doesn't meet fire code.


----------



## Dave Sal

mark sr said:


> That said, a hollow core door shouldn't be used between the house and the garage - it doesn't meet fire code.



I was thinking along the same lines. I would treat a garage door leading into a house as an exterior door. If someone managed to break into the garage you don't want the door to be flimsy enough to kick in easily. Best to have a strong solid core exterior door.


----------



## carpdad

Solid core doors are 1 3/4" thick. Really heavy to work with. I thought I remembered 1 3/8 solid core slabs but no more. Fire code says thinner and solid is fine but can't find them. Or foam filled steel sheetmetal doors.
You can drill more holes in the sweep they used and use short screws that thread all the way to head. Also last few turns by hand until you feel it's snug. Also check the sweep. They don't have to be tight against the threashold. Just touching and most of the air gap covered. It's impossible anyway without the kind of doors on a ship.
Or drill new holes lower where there is solid frame. It's about within 1 inch from the edge. Older doors could be thicker. Don't use glue or such. It could destroy the door if/when you want to replace the sweep. BTW, is the door 80" or was the bottom cut?
The image is the kind I use. Homedepot brand was actually the one with softest bottom flaps. I remove the seal on bottom side unless the door gap is too much. Put some caulk there and don't use the door until it sets.


----------



## hkstroud

While all that has been said about the door between the garage and the house being a fire rated door is correct that doesn't answer your question or solve your problem.




> The sweep really does scrape the floor, and so maybe they set it too low.


That is correct.
You are not likely to get any type of sweep to work for you unless you can take the door down and replace the material inside the bottom of the door.


> A different kind of threshold, perhaps?


The type shown below with an adjustable rubber seal is probably best for you. Should be able to find at Home Depot or Lowe's.


----------



## carpdad

That kind of threshold height is set by how much the rubber curves up. Often, there isn't enough gap and some people are cutting the door! OP: you can keep the door you have. All depends on if/when the town inspector sees it (such as if you plan to sell the house) and your sense of keeping up with alarming sense of protections.:smile: It is your house.
Whatever the type of weather seal the installer gave you, you can change it, such as drilling more holes, to suit what you want. My best guess is that if the screws are coming loose, the seal is dragging too much and more fasteners needed. If that doesn't work (work in progress:smile, then the door can't hold screws. As you suggest, then glue such as goop or construction glue should work, but won't be able to remove the seal or correct novice mistakes.


----------



## Walterbrant

The door has inner and outer thin wooden panels, and when new it had a strip of wood glued between then at the bottom edge to support them I assume someone cut a little off the bottom of the door so it would fit in the doorway, and the strip of wood is gone. 

Glue in a 1"x2" strip of wood all along the bottom edge of the door, inside the door. Glue it to the side that the door sweep will be attached to, the door sweep will screw into it. Drill pilot holes for the screws or the screws will crack the piece of wood. The different types of door sweeps are explained in How to Insulate Doors.


----------



## Davejss

They screwed it up. Make them send a real carpenter to fix it.


----------

