I am finishing my basement and I ma planning on putting carpeting in. My exterior door when opening...is very close to the concrete slab. So close that the rubber sweep rubs on a portion of the concrete slab when opening.

How can I install a pad and carpet with this situation? Is there a way I can shorten the door? I dont think I can raise the whole door frame since it seems like it would be a huge undertaking. Any suggestions??

Thanks!

Lou

 

Im sorry...I just found this thread...after a 2nd search....sorry for posting an identical question.

http://forum.doityourself.com/showthread.php?t=190131

it seems to solve my problem....is this the proper way of doing it? I guess I would first see how high I can raise my threshold with the screws then I would know how much I can cut off of the door? Do I cut the door at the level of the threshold or just above the threshold so the sweep fits?

Thanks for any info.

 

Oh just one more point...the door I have is a steel exterior door...I am assuming it is filled with insulating material. I dont know if this can be cut.

 

buggdog,

The "best" cure would be to remove the door and the jamb, replace the trheshold (if you have one) with on that is about an inch tall, then reinstall the door. This will raise the door (and the jamb) the height of the threshold that you use.

"Next best" solution would be to not put carpet in the area of the floor that the door opens over. Simply install aluminum carpet edging in a retangular or semi-circle shape in front of the door to end the carpet in.

"Worst" solution would be to shorten the door. First, it's a metal door. The metal skin is probably rolled into the wood frame of the door along the bottom. You have no way to duplicate that roll, and the door will never be the same if you can't do that. If you do shorten the door, you'll have to put a threshold under it anyway to seal the bottom of the door when it's closed.

As a last resort, you could always REPLACE the door with a pr-hung metal door. They come with a threshold attached.

 

problem with replacing the threshold is that it seems to be embedded in the concrete slightly and also there is a patio slab outside that ramps up to the threshold so it is level with the threshold... so removing the threshold may be tough.

I was thinking of the no carptet solution also...but how can i finish the floor in that area to make it look nice?

 

Hi, How about a 4'x4' vinyl tile area. Won't raise the floor much. Some nice styles, even look like slate. You could lay it so you have a place to take off your boots. Like a mud room. It would help keep the carpet clean.
Woodbutcher

 

Thanks for the reply woodbutcher. I will look into that possibility.

Is it possible to get a door custom made that is an inch smaller than the current door? I guess then I would need to do something with the threshold.

 

Hi, This would be a lot of work. Remove the whole door system incuding the threshold. The jamb is about 1 1/2" thick remove the top jamb and replace it with a thinner piece of wood (ie) 1/2 plywood Install a like piece of door stop.Lay a 1" mortor bed on the floor where the door will go. When set, reinstall the door.
One thing to do before all this is to remove the top casing and see if there is enough room to just raise the the whole door system.
Good Luck Woodbutcher

 

buggdog,

You could go to a door that is 78" tall. It's a 'standard' door height, but, since there's not much call for it, you won't find it on the shelf at HD or any other big box store. But it can be ordered. But that still leaves you dealing with the concrete or mortar threshold.

My suggestion is that you pop the casing off of the top of the door and see how much height you have from the slab to the bottom of the header of the rough opening. (Plan on removing the concrete or mortared threshold.) If an 80" prehung door will fit in the opening, use it. If not, THEN order a 78" tall door. A prehung door (metal, wood, fiberglass, or whatever) is going to need a rough opening height that is at least 2" taller than the door itself.