Reasonable gap between exterior door and threshold? 1.5 inches.
5 years ago
I've just paid a series of professionals to measure, order, install and paint a pre-hung exterior door. There is a 1.5-inch gap between the threshold and the bottom of the wooden door.
The installer told me the shoe would cover the gap.
But a gap of 1.5 inches seems excessive. Very excessive.
I think someone messed up with the dimensions along the way.
Any thoughts?
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (21)
- 5 years ago
Related Discussions
Refrigerator Clearance (gap between the side wall)
Comments (23)I just measured the distances with my fridge and wall. The fridge, including the doors, is 32" deep, plus it sits about 2" away from the back wall. The wall to the left is 30" deep. The fridge, including the space away from back wall, sticks out 4" farther than the wall. There is about 3/4" space b/w the wall and the fridge. Here are some pictures that I hope will help you to understand what I was explaining above. First is the fridge closed up against the wall. The white doors go to the pantry. I can pop the door inward if I need to open my fridge door as far as it goes, but I have never needed to. I couldn't get a good shot that would show how far the fridge sticks out compared to the wall next to it, but you can go by the measurements above. This is a picture of the drawer open until it hits the pantry door, which is closed in this picture. Even though it looks funny, I have no problem getting food out from this side of the fridge. On rare occasion, if I need to, I just open the other fridge door to give me more room. Here is a picture of the left door partially open (until it hits pantry door which is closed) w/fruit bin open. The drawer opens 7.5" with the left door not opened all the way. It doesn't look as if it's open that much, but it is! And here is the fruit bin with the fridge door open as far as it is meant to open (pantry door popped inward to allow for this). The bin only opens an extra 1.5" so it's really not the big of a deal. 7.5" gives me plenty of room to get out what I need. Oh my, just noticed the nice handprint from one of my kids on the door in the picture above! :) And here is a picture of the Cool Select Drawer open - it is unimpeded by the fridge doors and opens all the way regardless of whether or not I have the fridge doors open partially or all the way. This is with the doors partially open. Can you tell we eat alot of cheese?? And just to compare, here is the Cool Select Drawer open with both doors open as far as they can go - no difference! Hope this helps. Sorry I couldn't get a better picture of where the wall ends compared to how much further the fridge sticks out but I couldn't get a good vantage point to take that angle. Good luck with your purchase!...See MoreThresholds between interior rooms and hallways?
Comments (9)Thresholds are exterior and saddles are interior. Their sole purpose is to allow an undercut to be small and still have the door clear an area rug. This was the norm a hundred years ago. If you don't have area rugs or you don't mind high undercuts there is no reason to have them. If you ever have anyone in your family in a wheel chair for an extended period of time you will have to remove all of the saddles anyway. I can't think of any purpose for a saddle where there is no door unless there is a major flooring material change that was not properly worked out beforehand....See MoreBridging the gap between 2 different floorings
Comments (14)Well I might consider painting the metal trim to match the color of the vinyl. But then I run into the paint scratching off. I think I might be to the point I do not really care about it being metal. I have it into laundry room and pantry and never really see it. Course this area would require a wider metal piece then those. Emagineer the tile deal will not work on manufactured home. I do not think I have any pictures of the house coming together at the seams. There is no drop off. They screw the two halves of the house together with a rubber gasket between which does not really show. Then they take the "Stuff" spray to fill any gap that might be left. Then it is smoothed and in our case now there is carpet over the joint. There is the metal strip that holds the carpet and I am sure it is nailed through the seam edge of the vinyl so there needs to be another metal strip wide enough to cover those holes when the carpet and strip are removed. Hard to explain.There is no gap or lowered area between the two halves of the house. I need to go up to neighbors and see how they bridged the seam because they also have vinyl in kitchen and living room which are open to each other. They researched it all half to death and really metal is the only option.This one from your link is about what it will look like. Schluter®-RENO-T It might need to be a bit wider than shown. Chris...See MoreGap between door jamb and floor
Comments (9)Bondo wood filler. It's a two part epoxy and just what you need to fill the gaps. If you're reasonably handy, do it yourself. If not, any half-way experienced painter or carpenter can. Here's what to do. Use a hammer and sharp wood chisel to knock off the bottom edges of the door jambs and casing so that clean wood is exposed. You don't have to be super careful, but take enough time to remove most of the crusty paint and soft spots. Mix the filler and mash it into place. You've got a minute or two to roughly shape it with a putty knife before it hardens. After that, you've got another two or three minutes when it's still soft enough to carve details easily with a chisel. Once that's done, you can tweak and smooth with latex spackle. It really isn't difficult....See More- 5 years ago
Same door. Shot from the exterior. Door came pre-hung in jamb. Threshold purchased and installed separately. There is no sweep and no shoe. Painting is done. Gap is massive and it would seem, too big for a shoe/sweep.
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoThat is mind boggling, truly. Until it’s fixed, I suggest you block the opening with a draft stopper, especially at night, to keep scorpions, lizards, snakes, mice, roaches (you get the idea) from sneaking in. You could make due using rolled up towels or, in your case, thick blankets, kind of like this:
Or you can buy one:
;)
eyoungblood thanked Sammy
PRO5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoYour door is missing the bottom sweep. It should be attached to the bottom of the door and it should create a tight weather seal between the door and threshold. There shouldn't be any gaps.
It looks something like this,
or if your door is prepped for a bottom sweep it will have pre-cut grooves at the bottom, and the sweep will look something like this.
It should look something like this after the threshold is installed.
If your pre-hung door came without attached threshold the door jamb height should be adjusted accordingly to create a tight weather seal at the bottom.
I would call someone who knows what they doing if the original installer is not willing to do necessary adjustments to solve this issue.
Good luck
5 years ago
PRO5 years ago- 5 years ago
Related Stories
WORKING WITH AN ARCHITECTWho Needs 3D Design? 5 Reasons You Do
Whether you're remodeling or building new, 3D renderings can help you save money and get exactly what you want on your home project
Full Story
DOORS5 Questions to Ask Before Installing a Barn Door
Find out whether that barn door you love is the right solution for your space
Full Story
MOST POPULAR11 Reasons to Paint Your Interior Doors Black
Brush on some ebony paint and turn a dull doorway into a model of drop-dead sophistication
Full Story
MOST POPULARChoosing Color: See 1 Cute Home in 3 Exterior Paint Palettes
Here’s proof that a little bit of fun color can add a whole lot of flair to your house
Full Story
TILE10 Reasons to Consider 4-by-4-Inch Tile
Designers are embracing the once common but recently overlooked square tile in kitchens and bathrooms
Full Story
SHOWERS10 Reasons to Go for Black-Framed Shower Doors
Add drama, elegance or industrial chic to your bathroom with these metal-framed glass doors and windows
Full Story
GREEN BUILDING5 Reasons to Add a Living Wall to Your Home
Short on space but want to give your home more greenery? An architect shares why a vertical garden could be the solution
Full Story
BATHROOM WORKBOOK5 Ways With a 5-by-8-Foot Bathroom
Look to these bathroom makeovers to learn about budgets, special features, splurges, bargains and more
Full Story
MOST POPULAR5 Remodels That Make Good Resale Value Sense — and 5 That Don’t
Find out which projects offer the best return on your investment dollars
Full Story
PETS5 Finishes Pets and Kids Can’t Destroy — and 5 to Avoid
Save your sanity and your decorating budget by choosing materials and surfaces that can stand up to abuse
Full Story
Mark Bischak, Architect