Lay flooring up to or under door?

[Tellebot]

We have a dry cabin (no running water). We have an outhouse but are putting in a closet-sized room for a compost toilet inside the cabin. We have it framed and dry walled, but I’m not sure the next steps we should take. We wanted to put tile flooring and already have a door, but what order do we do things? Do we do the flooring first? Does the flooring go under the door? Or do we put the door in first and then lay the tile up to the door?

There’s just sheets of plywood on the floors throughout the cabin right now. At some point we’ll do laminate floors or something in the rest of the cabin but we’re not in a hurry to do that. So I’m trying to figure out how to navigate different flooring heights in the meantime - does a doorstep do that?

I feel confident in being able to do each individual step, I’m just not sure the best order to do things!

 

[Snoonyb]

Doors are known to swing over floor coverings, so, make a decision.

 

[Tellebot]

The door will swing out over the hallway floor which will eventually have laminate flooring. The room we built for the compost toilet is about 4’ x 5’ and when we sell the cabin, it will be considered a closet rather than a bathroom, since we have no plan to ever install running water here.

I plan to use cement board for the under layer for the tile floor, so there will be quite a height difference between the floors. I’m just trying to figure out how to best navigate the transition I like to know the whole scope before I start with installing the tile and door.

 

[Eddie_T]

I ended my tile even with the doorstop molding and transitioned to laminate. The laminate is floating and needs an expansion gap. I covered the gap with a wooden transition strip that matches the laminate. When the door is closed only the edge of the transition strip is visible but matches the laminate.

 

[Snoonyb]

Since a closet is the goal, then, why not a laminate, instead of tile.

There are any # of transitions available.

 

[Tellebot]

Since a closet is the goal, then, why not a laminate, instead of tile.

There are any # of transitions available.

I like tile. And I have 3 young boys and tile is easier to clean up after “misses.”

 

[Tellebot]

Does this sound right? Install the prehung door first, then run the tile halfway under the door and use a transition strip to go from tile to the present plywood (and eventual laminate). I don’t have a doorstep - would a doorstep be better and run the tile up to the doorstep instead?

 

[Eddie_T]

BTW, I didn't like available transitions so I made my own for four doorways and stained to match. I used brass screws to fasten transition strip to inserts in concrete slab. Thin pieces of wood can be glued up to make the strip fit the situation though IIRC I used a RAS or a router to form the bottom.

 

[Snoonyb]

I like tile. And I have 3 young boys and tile is easier to clean up after “misses.”

I faced a similar situation, and when multiple cleaning, by them, didn't improve their aiming skills, I gather them in the bath and told them that the next cleaning would involve their tongues, on hands and knees.

Vastly improved aiming skils.

Does this sound right? Install the prehung door first, then run the tile halfway under the door and use a transition strip to go from tile to the present plywood (and eventual laminate). I don’t have a doorstep - would a doorstep be better and run the tile up to the doorstep instead?

Depending upon the lengths of the jamb legs, which are generally longer than the door length, I'll set the jamb about 1" above the rough floor. Setting the jamb tight to the floor and then cutting the jamb to accomadate the floor being tucked under is an option, as is cutting the door.

 

[Eddie_T]

Does this sound right? Install the prehung door first, then run the tile halfway under the door and use a transition strip to go from tile to the present plywood (and eventual laminate). I don’t have a doorstep - would a doorstep be better and run the tile up to the doorstep instead?

It depends on your preference. You could put in a temporary wooden threshold and tile up to it. Then later choose wood to match the laminate with a rabbeted edge to overlay the expansion gap and laminate edge. Whatever you choose now has to be replaced or modified to accommodate the final level of laminate with underlayment.

 

[Tellebot]

Depending upon the lengths of the jamb legs, which are generally longer than the door length, I'll set the jamb about 1" above the rough floor. Setting the jamb tight to the floor and then cutting the jamb to accomadate the floor being tucked under is an option, as is cutting the door.

the jamb legs are 1” longer than the door.