New flooring and internal doors: agree the fit before ordering

New flooring and new internal doors often appear as separate lines in a refurbishment quote. They meet at every doorway. If the finished floor level is undecided, the door-fitting details are still undecided too.

Consider the flooring and joinery decisions together before products are ordered. The aim is a finished floor and a door that opens and closes as intended.

Decide what happens to each doorway

Start with a short door schedule: one line for every opening. Is the existing door staying, is only the door leaf being replaced, or are the frame and architraves changing as well?

Include any door that already catches, fails to close or has a damaged frame. Ask for the cause to be assessed rather than assuming a new leaf will solve it. In a South West London flat refurbishment, retaining some sound doors while replacing others may be part of the brief; list them individually so everyone prices the same work.

For example, a homeowner in Streatham replacing bedroom carpets and the hallway floor could send one plan marking the retained doors and proposed floor finishes. That is a planning example, not a completed OSPM project.

Confirm the complete floor build-up

Tell the installer which flooring product is proposed, what is being removed and what preparation or underlay is included. Ask how the finished levels and any thresholds will be established before the doors are finally fitted or adjusted.

JELD-WEN’s interior-door fitting guide says that the bottom gap depends on the flooring or carpet thickness, and that trimming allowances vary between doors. The practical point is to check the chosen door’s instructions against the agreed floor, rather than rely on a standard amount to cut off.

This does not create a universal “doors first” or “floors first” rule. Ask the contractor to explain the proposed sequence, what needs to be measured first and which finished surfaces will need protection.

Do not treat every door as an ordinary timber leaf

Before proposing an adjustment, establish what the door is and whether it has a fire-resisting role. Flag any labels, closers or existing documentation to the person assessing it; appearances alone are not a specification.

If a fire door or doorset is involved, request an assessment against its applicable product information and installation requirements. JELD-WEN’s fire-door guidance stresses appropriate training and instructions that match the fire certification. Do not apply general interior-door fitting advice to it or ask someone simply to trim until it clears the new floor. If the specification is unknown, resolve that before agreeing alterations.

Include finishing, not just hanging

A door quotation should say who supplies and fits the hinges, handles and latches, and who makes good any disturbed frame or wall finish. Check whether existing ironmongery is being retained and whether the selected new products are compatible.

Decoration also needs a named owner. JELD-WEN’s finishing advice distinguishes between door constructions and finishes, including treatment of edges after trimming. Follow the instructions for the actual product; “prefinished” should prompt a question about any site-cut edges, not an assumption that no finishing work remains.

Put the junctions into the quotation

Before accepting a scope, ask it to identify:

• The doors, frames and architraves being retained or replaced.
• The flooring specification, preparation and threshold details.
• Any product checks or further assessment needed before alterations.
• Ironmongery, finishing, protection and making good.
• Who coordinates the final measurements and fitting sequence.

Planning flooring work within a full refurbishment in South West London? Send OSPM your postcode and room list, including the doors you want to keep. Those details make a more useful starting point than a total door count alone.