Carl, Your book is very helpful. On our new house the plaster is just finished.
Is it better to install the doors and door trim first or should I do the floors (laminate) first.
The rough opening will handle it either way it appears. Thanks, Ed
Hi Ed,
As with most home building decisions, it’s trade off time.
You can do it either way depending on:
1. The skill of your trim carpenters, or
2. The skill of your floor installer.
I prefer to install hardwood floors prior to setting doors and installing baseboards.
That way you get a better finished look with no ugly gaps around jambs or baseboard corners that drive me crazy. All that is left to do is sand and finish the floors after painting.
However, with laminate flooring, or even pre-finished hardwood flooring, doing it this way requires extreme care during the rest of the trimming out of the house as the floors must be protected from scratches and paint spills.
The main thing to watch out for isn't the fit of the jamb, but the clearance under the door.
If the floor is installed first, the jamb, and baseboards, set on top of the finished floor and the door should have good clearance (1” +/-).
If you install the doors first, you will probably have to trim off the bottom of the doors.
Carl Heldmann, byoh.com