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PSA: Stop running transitions under hollow core doors | Flooring Installers - Babble Community

PSA: Stop running transitions under hollow core doors

I pulled up a laminate job last week in Portland where the homeowner couldn't close three interior doors. The previous installer ran T-moldings right under the door bottoms without cutting the door or adjusting the hinge depth. Does anyone else run into this or am I the only one measuring door swing first?

4 comments

4 Comments

alexk605mo ago

Is it really that big of a deal to just shave the door down a little?

taylorc405mo ago

Funny you mention door jamb saws, I had a buddy try to use a regular circular saw on a hollow core once and the whole bottom just exploded. Looked like a confetti cannon went off in the room. He spent the next hour trying to glue the paper skin back on and it still looked like garbage when it was done. Ended up having to order a whole new door and wait three days. All because he didn't want to spend 40 bucks on the right tool.

casey6825mo ago

That "previous installer ran T-moldings right under the door bottoms" line hit too close to home. I see this all the time with guys who don't check the swing first. Quick fix for anyone reading this: hold a scrap of your flooring material at the threshold and close the door over it. If it touches, you need to undercut the door or adjust the hinge pin depth. I use a $40 door jamb saw for cutting hollow cores so I don't blow out the bottom edge. Also check that the T-molding sits flat once you trim the door too low. A gap under the door is fine, but a stuck door is not.

the_amy5mo ago

Hold up @casey682 you mentioned checking the T-molding sits flat after trimming the door down. I gotta ask - have you ever dealt with a situation where the door swings inward and the T-molding is on the outside? Because I just ran into that mess last week. The customer had a bathroom door that opened into the hallway and the previous guy just ran the T-molding under the closed door like it was fine. But when you opened the door it dragged across the top of that molding and scratched the hell out of the bottom. I ended up having to pull the whole strip out and notch it so the door could swing over it without hitting. That trick with holding a scrap at the threshold is smart but you gotta check both sides of the swing not just the closed position. Curious if you've seen that one before or if I'm just unlucky with these old houses around here.