When it comes to your interior wood doors, privacy can be a concern. You might explore different options to keep rooms secure, like hinges facing a certain way or using a certain type of door.
One thing is nearly unavoidable, though–the small gap between the floor and the bottom of your door. That gap promotes air circulation.
The gap under your interior doors should be anywhere between a half-inch and three-quarters of an inch, but the actual size will depend on the type of flooring you have. Your door manufacturer may have guidelines on where to install your doors to allow for the perfect gap size.
What Are Interior Doors?
Interior doors are doors that are installed inside your home. Examples include bathroom, bedroom, and closet doors.
Doors can either be premade in the color you want or painted over. If you’re considering a DIY project, you may be wondering if you can use exterior paint on interior doors. You shouldn’t, because while this paint won’t damage the door, exterior paint releases harmful chemicals as it dries, and most homes aren’t ventilated enough to avoid the hazardous effects of the chemical fumes.
Installing interior doors can be a two-person project. To make things easier, you can buy interior doors with pre-cut hinges. You’ll save time installing your doors and make it easier.
Do You Need a Gap Between the Door and the Floor?
While gaps under your door may limit privacy, they do serve a purpose. The main reason the gap exists is to keep the door from scraping your floor. After all, flooring is expensive!
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Another reason is to make central heating and air conditioning more efficient and effective. Without a gap, these systems wouldn’t reach rooms with closed doors, which can make investing in portable air conditioners, heaters, and fans necessary. When central air and heating works well, you save money, and the gap under your doors helps this system to circulate air.
If a room has a humidity problem, mildew and mold can start to grow. The gap under a door can mitigate this concern by removing the moisture.
Perhaps the most important reason to have a gap under your door, though, is fire safety. When smoke is trapped in a room, it builds up, and risks lives. If the smoke has room to escape, it will build up slower, giving people in the affected room more time to run.
In Summary
In short, the gap under your door should be large enough to serve its purpose and small enough to maintain privacy. This gap serves several purposes, so don’t be so quick to close it.
If you’re shopping for interior doors, check out 27estore’s selection. We carry doors in many sizes, styles, and colors to fit every home’s aesthetic. Let us help you get started on your next home improvement project today!
