I recently replaced the door in my powder room with a solid core one, but it's hung too high, creating a gap at the bottom which defeats the purpose of having a thicker door. The bathroom sounds are more noticeable now than with the old hollow door. My partner tried to install a door sweep to fix this but it didn't work out, and now I'm left to figure out how to properly reduce the gap at the bottom of the door on my own. Should I replace the door jamb wood since I might need to move the screw holes by half an inch or less? I'm looking for the easiest way to lower the door so I can enjoy the solid core benefits.
3 Answers
You might want to look into automatic door bottoms or drop-down door sweeps. They’re not the cheapest or the simplest to install, but they’d save you from the hassle of removing the entire casing and cutting the jamb. It's a bit of an effort either way, so weigh your options!
You could also just take out the hinge pins, lay the door on some sawhorses, and attach a thin wood strip to the bottom edge. This effectively makes the door taller and can minimize the gap without too much fuss.
Check out this segment from 'Ask This Old House' where Tommy adds a wood extension to the bottom of a door to close the gap. It's simpler than removing the whole door and jamb, and could save you from messing up your walls with trim removal. I think you'd find this technique much easier!
Thanks for the video link! I can definitely handle adding an extension. It's great to see it in action!