Don Vandervort, Head Homeboy, has written more than 30 DIY home improvement books, been a segment host on HGTV, served as MSN.com's home improvement expert and written countless magazine articles.
Installing a door shoe is an effective means of cutting down on drafts and saving energy.
Both door shoes and door sweeps are designed to seal the gap at the bottom of a door. Although sweeps are very easy to attach, door shoes take a little more effort because you must remove the door to install them. They do, on the other hand, seal more effectively because they’re designed to work in combination with the threshold.
In most cases, you must trim the bottom of the door to allow for the extra thickness of the door shoe. This can be tricky. If you’re not careful, you can scratch your door or— worse—ruin it with a poor cut. If in doubt about your ability to do this well, hire a finish carpenter.
1) Start by opening the door and setting the shoe in place on the threshold. Almost close the door so that it presses against the shoe, and mark the shoe’s position on the door at each end. Mark the shoe’s position on the door so you will know where to trim. If you’re a little worried about the precision of your measurements, err to the waste side—you can always cut a little more wood off, but you can’t add it once it’s gone.
2) With a helper, tap out the hinge pins and remove the door from the hinge leaves. Lay the door across a pair of sawhorses or a large bench or table, marked side up. Using a pencil and a straightedge, draw a line to connect the corner marks that indicate where the door must be cut.
3) Use a circular saw equipped with a sharp crosscut blade to do the cutting. It’s a good idea to scribe along your cutting line with a utility knife to minimize any chipping or splintering of the surface. To ensure a straight cut, clamp a straightedge to the door to guide the base plate of your circular saw.
4) Slip the door shoe onto the door’s bottom edge and attach it with screws, per the package directions. Hang the door back onto its hinge leaves, and replace the hinge pins.
5) Check the seal and operation of the door and make any needed adjustments.
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