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Last Updated: , Created: Sunday, January 14th, 2001

Adjusting the outside door height for a new floor

Adrienne from Nelson, B.C. wants to build a full sub-floor in her basement, but has a problem with the door that leads to the outdoor steps. "Is there an alternative to reframing the doors or removing and recutting them?"

Not that I am aware of, if that floor is to be several inches higher. Except perhaps if the door opens to the outdoors. Then you can just leave it lower than the floor and take a step up into the house. If you do this, I would suggest pouring a water-tight concrete curb just inside the door, to keep any rising waters on the outside from coming in under the floor.

If you cut off the bottom of the door so that it can open in, you should build a water tight concrete curb right under the door. Essentially this extends the foundation wall across the bottom of the door opening and up to floor height ? again, keeping the elements out.

Be careful if you have to cut a lot off of the bottom of a door -- you will quickly find that you have cut off all of the structural strength of the bottom of the door. Either rebuild the bottom of the door to replace the bottom rail, or remove the whole door and frame, and make the opening in the wall higher, then put it all back above floor level.

 


Keywords: Floors, Doors, Basement

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