# New carpet won't allow door to close, reluctant to shave door.



## Noilheart

I've just had new carpet fitted with thick underlay - but as soon as fittter had left and I went to close sitting room door i realised carpet is too high and the door had to be forced hard to close.  I rang T.C. Matthews straight away and they said I'll have to get the door shaved - I am reluctant to do this as it's a really old door.  I have placed piles of books on the carpet hoping it will flatten down.  Has anyone had this problem I'd like to know?  and what to do about it. I'm a bit annoyed that they didnt point this out to me as they should have known.     thanks.


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## GarBow

Just plane the bottom of the door or remove the underlay in that section. It's not the fitters fault but he should have mentioned it if he knew.


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## Padraigb

Rising butt hinges might solve the problem. See http://www.diydata.com/carpentry/hinges/hinges.php


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## rustbucket

Honestly shaving the bottom of the door is the easiest thing to do. Only takes a few minutes once the door is off.You can buy an electric planer for about 30 quid. Handy thing to have in the house anyway if you are DIY inclined. You probably only need to take a couple of mm off


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## Welfarite

Noilheart said:


> I've just had new carpet fitted with thick underlay - but as soon as fittter had left and I went to close sitting room door i realised carpet is too high and the door had to be forced hard to close ... I'm a bit annoyed that they didnt point this out to me as they should have known.


 
Not really. The person who should have known is you! Why blame the carpet fitter? He's only fitting the carpet that YOU bought.You know (or should have checked)the clearance levels of the doors. Get annoyed with yourself!


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## Noilheart

GarBow; Rustbucket:  Your comments are noted and I will consider this further, but the downside of this is   the carpet is so high I think a lot would need to be planed off the door and it would be too high above the saddle board then, appearance would be spoiled plus draughts would blow under.
PadraigB:  Rising butt hinges sound interesting, haven't heard of them till now, but I dont want to change the working of the door as it is a lovely 85-year old door, it would be different from the other doors in the hallway then. 
Welfarite:  Your comments are unhelpful. While I have every sympathy with hard-working carpet layers etc  I am not the expert here, this is only the second carpet I have bought in my entire life (also for the same room) and the problem did not occur with the first carpet as the underlay was thinner.  Yes I am annoyed that I trusted them to measure my house and sell me a suitable floor covering.  T.C. Matthews are selling carpets every day of the week, they were the ones who measured my house, they were the ones who were in the sitting room laying the carplet  while I waited outside to hand over my 1000 euro to them. They should have foreseen the problem This money was paid in full to them, none of it was counterfeit or defective in any way, they can use is straight away without any impediment, while I am left without the full use of my sittingroom and with the extra cost and time loss of sorting out this problem. 

Do ye think it would work if I got the underlay remove from under the door span and have thinner underlay put in there (T.C. Matthews salesman said this would leave a hollow at the door end) or should I go for changing to a thinner underlay for the whole room.


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## donee

rustbucket said:


> Honestly shaving the bottom of the door is the easiest thing to do. Only takes a few minutes once the door is off.You can buy an electric planer for about 30 quid. Handy thing to have in the house anyway if you are DIY inclined. You probably only need to take a couple of mm off


 dont buy any tools you wont use again,
better to pay a professional ie a carpenter, €30 to plane the door properly.


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## BillK

Like PadraigB, I'd go for rising butts.We have them on every internal door in the house and they make life much easier if you need to take a door off for moving furniture etc from room to room or for decorating. Much easier to paint a door that's lying flat.


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## iWill

There are several answers to your problem. But, first, why did it arise in the first place? You chose a carpet you felt will look good, feel good, and which will last for a reasonable amount of time in the area you chose (there are different grades of carpet for different areas of the home). Here, your responsibility, apart from funding the purchase, ends. From there on, responsibility for ensuring your purchase is suitable for fitting in the area in which you choose, and that it is fitted securely without causing problems with the existing infrastructure of you home rests with the supplier/fitter of the carpet. End of story. 

Now, to resolve the matter, you must contact the supplier or fitter. They have seen the problem first-hand, will already know about it and must correct it without delay. They should have used their professional experience and/or knowledge to ensure the carpet didn't cause problems and that it wasn't trapping any doors opening onto the carpeted area. Because the fitter will, presumably, have had to close the door to fit the carpet, he/she (I'm not sexist) will have had to force the door over the section of carpet which is trapping the door in order to open it, so, already, they will have caused some damage to this carpet. 

The most logical solution is to trim the bottom of the door so that it opens easily. I don't feel there is need to worry about draughts, because the amount removed is very small and will not be noticeable. The supplier should arrange this remedy at no expense to yourself, but you should ensure they use a qualified carpenter and that they know what they are doing. 

The suggestion of using rising butt hinges is completely impractical. Certainly, they will do the job of clearing the carpet, but they also will not allow the door to remain open unless you use a doorstop.


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## Noilheart

I am considering all your replies, thanks, its very helpful. 

Iwill:  thank you for pointing out that the people measured the room and sold me the carpet have fallen short on their customer service standards.  After all goods should be suitable for the purpose for which they are intended.

Will post whatever solution i chose, let you all know how it goes.


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## Padraigb

iWill said:


> ... The suggestion of using rising butt hinges is completely impractical....



Really?


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## iWill

Impractical, yes. 

*For this reason:* The carpet is trapping the door near its point of closure, as I understand the problem. Rising butt hinges are at their highest point when the door is at the _fully open_ position, and at their lowest point when at the _closed_ position. That is how rising butt hinges work; the weight of the door pressing upon the lower section of the hinges causes the door to close (unless, of course, it's held open by a door stop or other object). It is obvious, therefore, no height advantage is gained at the area where the carpet is trapping the door by using this type of hinge. If the carpet were trapping the door near its point of being fully open, then, yes, rising butt hinges would be a solution. For this reason, your suggestion, in the circumstances, is completely impractical.

*Noilheart:* It certainly is obvious that the supplier/fitter have fallen far short in their provision of customer service.  It is customer's meek acceptance of shoddy service which has caused the culture of trader's inadequate service to be the norm in Ireland.


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## fizzelina

Noilheart said:


> I am considering all your replies, thanks, its very helpful.
> 
> Iwill: thank you for pointing out that the people measured the room and sold me the carpet have fallen short on their customer service standards. After all goods should be suitable for the purpose for which they are intended.
> 
> Will post whatever solution i chose, let you all know how it goes.


 
Noilheart, with all respect you are being so OTT, I got carpets with the same supplier, I shaved a few mm off the bedroom door as the plush carpet and underlay didn't allow it to close properly. It was my decision to get that carpet, like it was yours. You could have chosen one that would not be raised so high. Shave a few mm off this old door, it will not affect its appearance. And BTW in this case the carpet is fit for its purpose, you have no reason to say it is not. You won't the first person to shave a few mm off a door after buying a carpet.


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## Leo

Noilheart said:


> Iwill: thank you for pointing out that the people measured the room and sold me the carpet have fallen short on their customer service standards. After all goods should be suitable for the purpose for which they are intended.


 
Unfortunately for you, iwill is off the mark here. The carpet fitters are not responsible for anything other than fitting the carpet as per the contract. Check the terms & conditions you agreed to. 




iWill said:


> The supplier should arrange this remedy at no expense to yourself, but you should ensure they use a qualified carpenter and that they know what they are doing.


 
Should all carpet fitters be 'qualified carpenters' or bring one along to each job for occasions where this issue arrises?


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## iWill

I really am surprised people here believe a carpet fitter should simply fit a carpet in an area which leaves his customer unable fully to close the room door, removing a function which existed before he started the work! 

Yes, I believe a carpet supplier/fitter should ensure the carpet does not have this effect on the customer. Whether they provide a 'qualified carpenter' basically is irrelevant; what is relevant is that the customer not be taken advantage of, which, clearly, has happened here.

*Note to self;* Don't criticise the messenger – they might not want to hear the message!


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## David_Dublin

What I'd take out of this is not to pay fully for a service or piece of work until you are fully happy with whatever it is you have had done. I have been stung in the past - somethign not 100% complete, or not done with the care I think it should have been done with. Once you have paid you're in a much weaker position. I know it is too late now, and not too helpful a post, but if people carefully inspect whenever they get things done before they pay, things like this are avoided. I imagine that the seller and/or fitter would be more inclined to be involved in the solution if they were owed money.

In this scenario I can see both sides of the argument. It is really annoying when you pay good money to a reputable company to get something done, and something comes up that must come up all the time, and they neither warn you in advance, nor assist with resolving it. It should and could have been avoided. Though it's a little unfair to blame the actual fitter himself.

Your issue seems to be that shaving the door will leave a gap between the bottom of the door and the saddle, with draught and aesthetic issues resulting. Maybe the saddle could be raised a little to close the gap, as someone pointed out, you're only talking milimetres. You are looking at a carpenter though, best get a professional to do the job.


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## Pique318

Sheesh...no-one's to blame for their own decisions any more


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## Grizzly

Noilhart, earlier in the year purchased a carpet for the hall, stairs and landing. From previous posts/threads it appears that decorating etc is something done on a regular basis in her home so I would suggest that Noilhart ask practical questions next time she makes a purchase rather than asking "what is fashionable".


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## Noilheart

Hi Leo , I had already checked the conditions of sale at time of paying the deposit = they were on the on the back of docket I was given;   there is nothing there relating to my situation as regards the door.  I agree with iWill that the supplier should have flagged this as they did the measuring, out of simple courtesy at the least.  I then could have had the choice to go for the thinner underlay or  the lower density carpet or whichever combination of underlay/carpet fitted similarly to my existing carpet and which would have allowed the door to open and close.  


 David Dublin –ah yes... I actually took the day off work to be there in case any problems arose and I checked in with the fitters when they had laid the underlay and then when they were half way through and  they said everything was grand.   You're right about not paying out all the money, but the thing is I did check when they were finished and everything appeared grand, the door wide open, I asked how it went etc and they never said a word about the door. I paid up the money.  As the van drove off I went to close the door feeling pleased with the lovely carpet and that's when I got the unpleasant surprise.   I didn't think of raising the saddleboard up to meet the shortened door, that's a new idea.  


 Pique 318:  have to disagree with you there, I think the carpet seller/measurer is to blame for their decision to sell this carpet for t his particular combination of underlay/carpet for this particular room.


 Grizzly, has researched my previous posts, not with a view to contributing positively to the discussion, but in order to make a “ put-down” remark to “her”.  I don't think Grizz  will gain any medals for his research abilities as he has reached an incorrect conclusion.
 As I posted earlier this is only the second carpet I have ever bought and while I made enquiries earlier in the year about carpet design for my hall, I did not purchase a carpet at that time,   yet Grizzly feels free to announce “Noilhart, earlier in the year purchased a carpet for the hall” .
 I suggest he researches the posting guidelines and pays attention to guideline number 19 and then he might become fashionably  practical  in his response to my original post.


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## IsleOfMan

Noilheart said:


> remark to “her”.


 
In fairness you did say that you stayed in a YWCA in Los Angeles in a previous post? 

Back to carpets.  I have a very dark green turquoise carpet, made by Munster Carpets on my hall stairs and landing. I actually find that it does not show the dirt as compared to a lighter carpet. I have a hand held carpet sweeper that I can run over any light coloured crumbs etc

It is actually easier to keep than a sawgrass coloured carpet that shows all the dirt.


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## David_Dublin

Noilheart - you're better off not wasting bytes reacting to posts like that of Grizzly, waste of time. Good luck with whatever you chose. NB - by suggestion may be totally unworkable, I'm a disaster at DIY so it is no coming from an informed source!! 

Best of luck with whatever direction you go in. If you need the services of a handyman/carpenter, I used a fella recently and he was very good. I put him in touch with the mother in law too and she found him good too. I have no connection to him, I originally got his number from a crowd that supplied me with garage doors that I needed a fitter for.


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## Noilheart

Yes Parklane I did once  stay at YWCA in my previous life - and they had carpets that I didnt even notice, being young and carefree at the time carpets were the last thing on my mind!
DavidDublin point taken.    And just to let you all know - I took the plunge and got the door shaved at the bottom.  I got fellow recommended by a neighbour and I think he did an ok job, but door maybe a bit higher than necessary I think as it is not even touching the carpet, but I reckon he did as good as anyone could. I disappeared while he was doing it as I couldn't watch and came back when he was done.   Now I can see if ill get saddle board raised or maybe a draught excluder with brush,  but ill leave it sit a while.   Lovely new couch is coming tomorrow and hopefully will squeeze into the room as door can open now.  I know it will be slightly breezier in the winter now until I get new door/windows as I have single glaze at present.   I can now sit back and enjoy projector present from my daughter which projects 6 ft.  "screen" on  to the wall  for watching films/tv!  I'm beginning to fell like a winner.


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## SlugBreath

I think that ParkLane was referring back to your comment about Grizzly who referred to you as "her" which you seemed to take exception to. You had to be a "her" if you stayed in the YWCA so Grizzly was correct.

Anyhow!

We had to get a new door saddle for our hall to kitchen door.  Builder of house had to lower the kitchen floor slightly due to uneveness in kitchen floor. It was definitely worth it in the long run. Otherwise there would have been a noticeable step down when the original saddle was raised.

We had similar problems in a couple of our bedrooms where the builder raised the saddles with a bit of wood underneath because the architraves were cut short!!!. We never insisted on getting new saddles made which I regret now.


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## IsleOfMan

Thanks for the update on how the carpet/door situation turned out. You love your home improvements, don't you?


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## roker

Just as the Carpet Fitter does not do electrics or plumbing, he does not do carpentry.
When I had my lounge carpet fitted over laminate floor it was much too high for the double doors to the kitchen. I hired a circular saw and cut about 15 mm off the bottom, problem solved.


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## Noilheart

Hi there, I noticed some comments to my old post here.



ParkLane said:


> Thanks for the update on how the carpet/door  situation turned out. You love your home improvements, don't  you?



Ok Parklane, no problem.  I've been doing a bit of work, mostly superficial re-decorating type, since 2009, after many years of neglect. I'd really prefer not to have to be doing it at all, but things go to pot otherwise.  All I need now is double-glazed windows/updated doors, new roof, attic conversion, extension,updated heating system,  updated bathroom, and I'll be in line with neighbours!!   But I take consolation in the projector where I can escape the reality of all I have to do without!




roker said:


> Just as the Carpet Fitter does not do electrics or plumbing, he does not do carpentry.
> When I had my lounge carpet fitted over laminate floor it was much too high for the double doors to the kitchen. I hired a circular saw and cut about 15 mm off the bottom, problem solved.



I wouldn't have expected carpet fitters to do electrics/plumbing or carpentry and didn't suggest that they should.  To each his own.   I would  have expected the courtesy of letting me know that there would be a problem with closing the door and I would have chosen a thinner underlay rather than get the lovely old door cut. 

Well done with the circular saw, I had to  hire someone to cut a bit off the door myself, and thank God he cut it straight at least, unlike the bathroom door which was cut unevenly years ago.   I am fond of my old doors!


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## JayPee

Noilheart, I don't really like replying to posts like this because it really just continues a long debate about nothing. You presumably picked the carpet and the underlay, and employed the lads to fit it and only fit. Any other work would have to be charged for and the carpet fitters are probably not carpenters so you would have to get a carpenter to shave off the door or change the hinges, either way, at your expence.


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## IsleOfMan

Noilheart said:


> Hi there, I noticed some comments to my old post here.
> 
> 
> 
> I've been doing a bit of work, mostly superficial re-decorating type, since 2009, after many years of neglect. I'd really prefer not to have to be doing it at all, but things go to pot otherwise.  All I need now is double-glazed windows/updated doors, new roof, attic conversion, extension,updated heating system,  updated bathroom, and I'll be in line with neighbours!!   But I take consolation in the projector where I can escape the reality of all I have to do without!



I purchased a new house 20 years ago and bought a lot of new stuff for it. 20 years later and everything looks pretty tired. Carpets could do with replacing but I can get by. Double glazed windows not as effective as they used to be. Gas fireplaces expensive to run, I would love a solid fuel burner as I now have access to lots of free wood. The list goes on.

Is this what happened to our parents house. If you don't upgrade they become granny houses. If you do upgrade you ask yourself is it worth it, need I bother, workmen in the house, disturbance etc etc.

I am not sure what the answer to this is?  We set aside €2k per annum for upgrades (to include furniture replacement, painting, etc). At the back of my mind there is also the thought that I can live with what I have and I can spend the €2k on a holiday to China or somewhere.


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