Carpenter messed up all door frames

[nadimaj]

Carpenter, as nice as he was, has screwed up. All other work is good. Credit where it is due but the door heights are totally messed up.
I did tell the builder when it was happening nice and early even before we decorated and brought in the carpet but was told there will be a simple solution to address my concerns. Turns out there isn't anything "simple".

We have just finished a massive house rebuild project. Stripped back to 4 walls. My life's work and ambition. When I was first asked about how much gap I want between the floor and doors I asked the carpet shop and we agreed on 25mm for a combined thickness for underlay and carpet. I like quiet rooms and told the builder from day one I like a door that drags lightly on the carpet. Have always had it this way. It works and the carpet lasts (in my experience).

When the subcontracted carpenter was building the door frames, he must've assumed a different height. I reckon he assumed 2040mm (which is a common door height from Howdens) although I told them from the beginning and even bought 1981cm high doors from day one (before they started). When they finally hung the doors, I saw gaps of between 30 and 45mm. I protested nice and early. The builder led me on saying they would have a simple solution which will address the problem. I went along with this BS. Fast forward now, the carpet has been laid on and we have these 1 to 2 cm gaps under the doors and between the carpet. So much for FIRE doors. I've already warned him, good luck with passing the regs!

Now carpenter and builder have a meeting and conclude the only remedy is to pull off every door and door frame and redo the frames. The doors are original length, not planed. They are suggesting this now after decorating, carpeting and tiling. He suggested initially to build ramps made out of underlay to mask the problem. Carpeter says thats a stupid idea as carpet will be pulled out of door thresholds.

To cut to the chase, I don't want to redecorate a hallway, 4 bedrooms and pull tiles off from the bathroom wall. All that plastering, sanding, painting and banging on walls...we're well beyond that now.

I need something I can glue to the bottom of the oak doors to make them longer. Some kind of oak strip that can be cut to the correct height and then glued to underneath the door. Colour matching is by now optional. If anyone knows of something that can work given my circumstances please do mention. Ramps made out of ply, I've toyed with. I don't like the idea.

Thanks!

 

[vala]

Are they fully solid doors?
Was thinking you could get another door and cut the required amount off and glue that on?
If they're solid you could even make a clearance hole for the screw, and then the screw head and screw as well as glue them on.
You can get fire adhesive to maintain compliance, although probably have to not have the screws in then.
But for the amount you need would probably need to be a fully solid door as the thickest lippings I've seen is around 10-12mm.

 

[nadimaj]

This is the door:

Torino Prefinished Oak Fire Door - Deanta

FEATURES – Prefinished North American white crown cut oak veneer – 30mm can be taken off the width and height of the door – Solid core – Covered by the Deanta 10 year warranty – Certifire-approved and BM TRADA Q-Mark – FSC® certified – Bespoke sizes available Add products to your...

deantawood.co.uk

 

[vala]

Looks like 15mm lippings then.
So you could possible trim this off the top and bottom and screw/glue this to the base. So could maybe make good 2 doors from each door bought.
French polisher could probably make it good after it's all glued up and gone off.

 

[nadimaj]

I'm liking this. I'm downgrading my carpenter for not suggesting "door lippings" . I was on the look out for such a thing and asked them on 3 occasions about this kind of solution. Not a single mention.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

When you say they're fire doors, do you mean Building Control is expecting fire doors, or the doors they replaced were fire doors or is it just that you bought fire doors when they weren't before?

 

[Notch7]

You could add a packer to the door lining head

I guess they are fire door linings with rebates not plant on stops.

it would need the architraves removing and replacing, but if the are done carefully it should only need the architraves re done and the butt hinges moving and filling carefully

not sure if that would alter the fire rating -if done properly it shouldnt

 

[nadimaj]

When you say they're fire doors, do you mean Building Control is expecting fire doors, or the doors they replaced were fire doors or is it just that you bought fire doors when they weren't before?

I bought fire doors. House was mostly rebuilt including the floors. No idea what was there before.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

OK, are Building Control involved?

 

[nadimaj]

Yes

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

So of the doors being replaced which ones, if any, is he expecting to be actual fire doors?

 

[nadimaj]

I'm not the exprt but I was told that any room which can only be exited into a single hallway/landing needs to be FD30 rated. Excluding bathrooms.

 

[Diver Fred]

Me thinks you have suffered due to confusion between metric and imperial measurements* - if you quoted only metric sizes to the carpenter it is quite possible it didn't register and the need to cut the Door Lining down to size if they were supplied at 2040mm/80" high. Who supplied the linings - you, builder, chippy? It's a pity that the doors have been hung - the simplest would have been to take the doors back and get 6'8" doors.

See https://www.jbkind.com/info-centre/standard-door-sizes

*I guess J&K may disagree with me - but even the lad I help out finds it easier to size doors in imperial.

 

[nadimaj]

No, Lithuanian chippy, fully metric. Linings were built to spec on site!

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Well I daresay J&K will chip in (no pun intended ) but adding a lipping or cut-off off another door would each be a solution but you may have to see what Mr BC expects, strictly speaking you can't willy-nilly add bits to fire doors. That said it is at the bottom and there is some discussion as to whether the bottom inch or so of floor-floor ever actually fills with smoke in the event of a fire and sometimes common sense does prevail. Of course if you add a strip to the bottom of the door and it's pretty well disguised then I suspect Mr BC won't be any non the wiser ....

It may be worth your while acualy determining whether these doors actually need to be fire doors or not. If they weren't fire doors before they don't need to be now.