Doors and Windows - Door Challenge

Hello. My interior doors now have a large gap underneath them after I ripped up the carpet and refinished my hardwood floors. The gap is at least 1". The way I figure it, I have three options. Should I:

1) Install new pre-hung doors? I'd rather not do this because they are expensive and the current door frames are great.

2) Buy new doors (without the frame) from Home Depot? I'd have to cut about 1/4" the side - is this difficult? How would I cut out the wood where the hinge sits? Will I have problems lining up the old hinges and door handle to match the old door? Are there any tools or information that can help me with this process?

3) Add an extension to the bottom of the current doors? The doors I have a fine, except for the big fat gap at the bottom. Is there any way I can add a piece of wood down there with it still looking nice?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

-Marcus

Are the doors painted?

Yes, they are painted. And if I keep them I'll have to give them a fresh coat.

Brickeyee was asking that, because if painted, you could add a pc at the bottom.

I'd make it slightly undersized and then use something like Durhams water putty as a "bondo" filler on the surface. Once it dries, you can sand the area flat to match the existing door surface and paint the whole door. That would be a lot easier and cheaper than going the new door route. Even IF you went with new doors, you might have a larger gap than you want, as they may have set the previous door up higher when they hung them and a new door of standard size won't help you all that much.

I use Minwax wood filler. It really is bondo for wood. Polyester resin and benzoyl peroxide as a catalyst, same as bondo, but with a different filler. If you have a thickness planer it is very easy to make a piece the exact thickness as the door, glue it on with a couple screws to align it (try not to use nails, in case you need to trim the door later). Smooth the joint with filler. A carefull job will be invisible.

Thanks for the suggestions. I have some Minwax wood filler - I can use that and then sand and paint.

Any recommendations on the kind of wood I should use? Does HD sell such an "extension." I think buying it would be easier than cutting it to the exact thickness of the door. I'm guessing I should clamp the new piece it to the door and screw it in from the bottom. Should I also use glue?

Thanks again.

It's probably an 1 3/8" thick door, which is odd size for lumber....you'll have to get a thicker pc and rip it down or take a pc of "1by" lumber which is actually 3/4" thick and rip about a 1 3/8" off it on a table saw. Use glue. Use screws. Clamps not needed, screws will do the clamping.

Do you have central heat and air? If so, that 1" gap is actually going to work better for you. It will give the air a way to be forced out of the room when the door is closed, and back to the return for your HVAC.

The fix worked perfectly. Thanks for the help.

Lefty, all the bedrooms have their own 'return air duct', so I decided to the close the gaps under the doors for privacy.