What is the ideal gap between floor and door?

Author: Prof. Horace Lockman  |  Last update: Sunday, March 29, 2026

A well fitted door should have a 2mm gap on either side and at the top. The gap at the bottom will depend on the thickness of your flooring/carpet. Plane the door as required, using an electric plane will help you get an even finish, and sand for a smooth finish.

What is an acceptable gap between a door and a floor?

Regardless of the door frame and door con- struction, and the level of fire rating of swinging doors, NFPA 80 limits the maximum clearance dimension between the bottom edges the doors and the floor surface to 3/4-in.

How close should a door be to the floor?

In general, the gap beneath an interior door will be between three-quarters of an inch and half an inch. This width depends largely on the type of flooring, as door frames are generally installed when the floor is unfinished. A standard door can have varying levels of clearance over different flooring types.

How many mm between door and floor?

the gap between the underside of the door and unfinished floor should be between 10mm and 22mm, with the ventilation requirements for the building taken into account when determining the gap beneath internal doors.

What is the clearance between interior doors and floor?

You must allow a clearance of ½" between the bottom of the door and the floor. Hinges: Both the number of hinges used and their size depends on the type of door and how thick it is. The top hinge should be placed 7" from the top of the door, while the bottom hinge should be 11" up from the bottom.

Should you FILL GAPS on a timber floor??

What gap to leave at the bottom of the door?

A well fitted door should have a 2mm gap on either side and at the top. The gap at the bottom will depend on the thickness of your flooring/carpet. Plane the door as required, using an electric plane will help you get an even finish, and sand for a smooth finish.

How much gap should I leave around a door?

There should be a 2mm or 3mm gap between the door and the frame on both sides and the top. If you do need to cut the door down to size, keep in mind that you need to cut all four sides of the door equally whenever possible to retain an accurate shape or pattern if the door is panelled.

How high should a door handle be from the floor in mm?

Door handles, pulls, latches, locks and other operating devices shall be installed 34 inches (864 mm) minimum and 48 inches (1219 mm) maximum above the finished floor.

How much space should be at the top and bottom of a door?

A typical top margin or header margin is 1/8". Bottom (Sweep) Margin: The bottom margin varies based upon the swing of the door system. For an inswing door, the bottom margin is the space between the bottom of the door panel and the top of the sill cap. An inswing sweep margin is typically 7/16".

What is the standard clearance for a door?

Door openings shall have a minimum clear opening width of 32 inches; however, if the doorway is more than 24 inches deep, then a minimum clearance of 36 inches is required. The clear opening is measured from the face of the door to the stop of the frame while the door is opened to 90 degrees.

What is the standard height of a door from the floor?

Standard Interior Door Height

It needs to be a minimum of 80 inches (although some codes allow for 78 inch doors). Doors that have a height of 80 inches are 6 foot, 8 inches in measurement, which is the reason standard interior doors are known as “6/8 doors.” A 78 inch door would be called a 6/6 door.

How far should a door be from the floor?

Internal Door Undercuts

We hang doors, day in day out at Door Stop. As a guide the average undercut of your door should be between 8mm and 10mm, that's around ⅝ inch to ¾ inch from the bottom of the frame.

What is the ideal door gap?

A gap of around 1/8th of an inch is recommended for standard doors to keep the elements out, protect the paint on the trim, and ensure that the door closes and opens smoothly. The right amount of space is equal to the thickness of your door with a little extra room for clearance while opening or closing.

What is the building regulation door gap?

The industry standard is that the gap size should never be more than 4mm, except at the bottom of the door, where the gap should be as small as practicable, while ensuring that the door is unlikely to snag on the floor even if the door drops slightly on the hinges.

What is the gap between door and floor mm?

Allow a 5mm gap at the bottom for floor covering (pic. 1c), a 3mm gap for the top and sides.

What is the standard door handle height in Australia?

What about handles? Regardless of the size of the door, the Australian Standard AS 1428.1 recommends that the handle height should be 900mm – 1100mm above the floor. For the average adult, this is around waist height.

How far is a door handle from the floor?

The height of a handle on a door is typically 36 inches but can range from 34 to 48 inches high. Door handle height is measured from the bottom edge of the door to the center of the handle.

What is the gap between a door and a floor called?

Threshold (architecture) - Wikipedia.

Should wood doors match floor?

It is definitely a matter of personal taste, but as the one holding the big picture vision, you will need to keep a few things in mind. Too many different shades of natural wood in the home might clash. An oak floor might not look great with a door in the shade of maple.

How much gap do you need under a front door?

When installing an external entry door, it's best to leave a 2mm gap around every edge. At the bottom of the door, you will need to leave a gap that allows for the thickness of your flooring and a potential rug. It is best to check the local standards for gaps under doorways.

How to fix gap between floor and door threshold?

For smaller gaps, sealing with caulking will be enough to fill the space and offer a professionally finished look. However, if the gaps are larger, a heavy-duty, weatherproof expanding foam is your best option.

How do you fix a gap between a door and frame at the bottom?

A gap between the bottom of the front door and the threshold is easily fixed with a door sweep! Door sweeps reinforce the seal between the bottom of the door and the door jamb, meaning you get extra protection from dirt, bugs, moisture, and wind.

What is the threshold of a door?

A door threshold is the bottom part of a door frame that you regularly step over when entering or leaving your house. This usually rests on the floor or subfloor.

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