I’ve got a structure I’m putting up that will, in the end, have as many as 10 separate doors … all to the outside (several decks). I’m wondering if there is some formula or consideration for how to account for eventual flooring. I haven’t yet decided on exactly which materials I’ll be using on the various floors. And four of the doors enter in to the bottom floor which is slab on grade cement. The varying possibilities for flooring materials on that floor are even greater. How would any of you who’ve worked with doors approach putting up doors before knowing what the flooring will be?
Thanks!
nb
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All exterior doors?
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yes .. as stated
thanks.
(but the original question remains valid and unaddressed)
Edited 10/5/2006 4:54 pm ET by newbuilder
It wasn't all that clearly stated, that's why I asked. I don't answer questions until they seem clear to me.You admittedly have adisorganized system of building, attacking iussues as they come up instead of planning ahead. Remember that dioscussion we had a couple of months ago about having a good set of plans which you explained weere not necessary?One of the points was that incomplete planning will result in wasted expense later. You are coming up against that now.Anyway, as the doors adress decks, we always have the deck finish elevation about 4 to 4-1/2" lower than the interior floor. Weather is the reason. I'm not sure, but you may have code restrictions ( I know some places in the south do - and maybe CA is one also) that require no noticeable difference in finished surface elevations from interior to exterior.As regards interior elevations and floors, if you have no idea how they will be finished, you may need to hold the door thres to the highest likely necessary when you install. That can mean a higher step-over curb to walk through - a trip hazard, or a need to re-install the door later when you make up your mind....I ramble -
original Q - no, there is no formula when the HO can't make up their minds what the finished flooring will be. That is why we need a plan when we start building.
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I would not install the doors untill I knew what the finnish flooring will be. I have run into problems before when a customer changed their mind to hardwood after doors were already set. At the very least I would set the doors up enough to clear the thickest finnish floor you are considering. Easier to fill in threshold a little than trim doors, especially steel doors with a built in weatherstrip.
wouldn't the 'ideal' be to finish the floor ... at least in the doorway area ... and THEN come down over that with the threshhold? Doors in first, if pre-hung, will mean that threshold has nothing to sit on ... doesn't it?
You block up the door to the level of the interior finnish so it is sitting on something. Putting in the finnish floor first will work but leads to problems such as having no door to protect the interior from the weather while you finnish the flooring, also schedule problems. You also may want to research sill pans or make your own to keep out the water especially rain that will be bouncing off of the deck.
A typical threshold in a prehung has a thick base so if installed first over pan, the wood lfooring abutts it and the door s2wings 1/2" to 3/4" above the wood flooor. So if you are considering mostly wood floor at 3/4", set the doors and go for it. If you use vinyl flooring you add 1/2" underlayment first to end up at same elevation relative to doors.But where you get in trouble is with tiles which vary in thickness and require additional underlayment to stiffen things, and mudbed or thinset. Or if you choose a particularly thick carpet situation. Then the door drags or won't open and the door must be reset.
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I do believe that I'll be going with bamboo or some other type of fairly common (these days) flooring choice ... some 'snap-together' or other. I doubt very much that tile will play any part at this point. It sounds like both of you are saying, "pay attention, but proceed .. with caution." I had thought of just leaving the doors off ... but the rains are coming and the winds ... and this thing is getting high. It doesn't seem I'll have the decks on until next Spring at this rate so ...
But if I end up buying doors from a salvage yard that are not pre-hung ... and I'm working off of my subfloor and planning on likely having a 3/4" final floor on that ... what would I leave below door bottom to subflooring ..... about 1 1/2" ???
thanks -
First, don't forget to pan. Line the bottom on the subfloor with I&W or whatever...if you are using slavage materials and building your own jambs, you will have to build or install thresholds later. 1-14" to 1-1/2" is fine.My yard stocks replacement thresholds actually - the same adjustable ones that come in a prehung unit. Check to see if you can get those and find out what size they are.
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Another consideration when setting exterior doors is will there be some sort of movable carpet in front of the door...like something to wipe your feet on...with the threshold set on the subfloor, you don't get much choice.That said, depending on the interior height of the threshold, we set exterior swinging doors 1/2-3/4" above the threshold...now would be a good time to re-check your header heights, too<G> "I am the master of low expectations." Georgie Boy, aboard Air Force One, June 4, 2003