Hang a Pre-Hung Door
Setting a factory-hung door plumb with an even reveal — the standard prehung sequence, the split-jamb variant, and the long-screw trick that stops heavy doors sagging.
Shim Under Exterior Doors So a Rug Fits Inside Later
Set every front door on a shim about a half inch thick during install. After the finished floor goes in, that half inch is the difference between a doormat that clears the door swing and one that jams under the threshold sweep.
door rubs on the rug, door won't open over the mat, not enough space under the door
The Problem
Nobody thinks about the doormat while framing a door — and the math runs out. Start with the door's factory threshold height, subtract the thickness of the finished floor going in later (wood, tile), and what's left is all the clearance a rug inside the front door will ever get. On plenty of houses that remainder is thin enough that every rug catches on the door sweep.
The Technique
- When installing an exterior door — the front door especially — set the unit on a shim, raising the whole door about a half inch.
- Frame and finish everything else as normal; the shim just rides along under the threshold.
- After the finished floor is in, that borrowed half inch shows up exactly where it's needed: under the door swing, as extra clearance for a rug or mat inside the entry.
Without the shim the door still works — it's the rug options that shrink. With it, the homeowner picks the doormat they want instead of the one that fits.
Pro tip: This is a plan-ahead move that costs nothing at install and can't be added later without pulling the door. The general habit behind it: at rough-in, subtract the finished-floor stack-up from every height that matters — thresholds, outlet heights, tub aprons — and steal the clearance now, while it's free.
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