I recently moved into a new apartment. For the most part things have been great, but as with any new space, we keep finding odd quirks we want to fix. For instance, my bedroom door seems to be about 3 inches too short. There is a rather substantial gap between the end of the door and the floor. It's a problem because the room is right off of the living room, and as the door is already a french door, it really isnt very sound proof.

Does anyone have any suggestions for how to fix this? I don't want to replace the door because its pretty and Im jsut a renter and don't want to invest too much money into the place.

Thanks,
Sarah

 

3" is quite a distance to try to cover on a door to short. My first recommendation would be to replace the door, but you don't want to do that. You may want to check with you landlord and he/she may help you out on the cost, it would be the best way to rectify the problem.
There are only two other ways to fill in the gap. One build the floor up with a 3" threshold, you would have to make. This would become a tremendous trip hazard and I am sure a toe stubber you would regret.
The other way would be to extend the door. Once again the 3" gap is going to be hard to do. They make door sweeps to go on the bottom of the doors, but I don't believe I have ever seen one long enough to cover 3". You would have to attach another board to the bottom of the door and than maybe cover up your handy work with a brass kick plate on each side. You would still be able to see the modification from on the ends of the door when it was open, unless you paint it. You may also find for the time, energy and cost of the kick panels, it would be cheaper and easier to replace the door.

 

Do you have a forced air heating system ? If they retro-fitted a heating system using air in your place, they may not have been able to get a return air grill in the area where the short door is and the door was cut to allow air to flow to the return air duct. Not the best way, but sometimes the only way.

IF>>>that is the case, you should probably leave it be, or you will reduce the heating ability in that room.