How to fix metal door frames that have been cut?

[carter193]

Hi, I have metal door frames throughout my house that have been cut by a previous owner to install a floating floor over two sets of tile. We have removed the old flooring and consequently all the door jams have a  25mm gap at the bottom, with the new floor installed.  I was told that replacing the whole frame was the only option, however we have just done one and it was not straight forward. Anybody got any tips for the other 10 doorframes? 

[JacobZ]

Hi @carter193,

Thank you for your question and welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community, it's great to have you with us.

I am not aware of an easy solution to this issue as any kind of trim added at the bottom of the door frame will be hit by the door when it closes.

Outside of replacing the door frames, the only thing I can think of is to weld a plate in place at the bottom of the frame, but this would be difficult, and I'd suggest it would require the assistance of a professional welder to achieve a good outcome.

Allow me to tag some of our handy members to see if they have any ideas, @Noyade, @DIYGnome, @Jewelleryrescue, @Dave-1.

If you could upload some images of the frames, this might also help our members come up with a solution.

Let me know if you need assistance uploading images, I'm more than happy to help.

Jacob

[Dave-1]

Good Afternoon @carter193 

Woooo interesting question and must say I havnt seen too many metal framed doors other then converted office space.

First question, Any chance of a photo of the door frame as a whole, and also a close up either side of the gap? Maybe even one of the door frame you have replaced?

As its 25mm I was thinking of faking the base with some timber cut to replace the missing cutout section of metal edging. Just not sure without a pic of how that would look. 

WIll wait and see the pics and will have a think about it.

Welcome to the Bunnings Community and must admit you have a doozy of a question first up I amn sure somewhere in these pages is a part of the answer tho, if not a workable idea.

Dave

[Jewelleryrescue]

Hi @carter193 

Your door frames are  structually sound just  the missing lip if I am right is just cosmetic trim at the  bottom.

No  need to replace unless they are structually weakened and can no longer work as a  door frame.

Simply cover the gap or fill the gap  with a metal cut strip or use angle aluminium or  c channel if you can find the dimentions to fit neatly.

Shape  and size a timber peice to fit into  and under the frame if you wish.

Glue these into place with no more nails will be plenty strong. any  gaps between the  metal  pieces  use no more  gaps  or a  stronger builders  bog but to my  mind the gap is purly cosmetic in nature If  i am mentally thinking about the problem  right.

[carter193]

 this from a floor that has yet to be demolished. Thanks for the suggestions, I’m actually thinking that the best solution maybe to leave the old tiles in place, apply a screed on top and basically raise the floor level. 

[carter193]

 

 

 the one we replaced

[JacobZ]

Hi @carter193,

Raising the height of the substrate would be a good way to get around the difficulties of replacing several metal door frames.

If you wanted to add a layer on top, you would need to remove the floating floor to allow a self-levelling compound to be poured over the top. The floating floor is not a suitable substrate for a self-levelling compound as it is designed to move and will cause cracking if movement occurs. 

Luckily, there are options such as Davco Lanko 184 Flexible Floor Leveller that can be ordered through your local Bunnings Special Orders desk, which can be applied over the top of a tiled surface. This can be used at a thickness of up to 25mm, so it should be great to raise the floor level to a height where you can slip the new floor covering underneath the metal door frames with minimal gap.

Start by removing the floating floor using a prybar. Once all the floating floor is removed, examine the tiles by tapping each one and remove any found to be loose or drummy. There is no need to replace them as the floor leveller will fill this void.

Once you've inspected all the tiles, thoroughly clean the tiles to remove any dust or loose material that will affect the self-leveller's adhesion. 

Once prepared, pour the self-leveller following all manufacturer's instructions for use.

You might like to check out How do you level a floor? for some guidance on the process.

Let me know what you think and if there is anything else I can assist with.

Jacob