Door leveling apparatus and methods of use

A door leveling apparatus configured for assisting in the cutting of a lower edge of a door to match a base angle of a base of a door frame relative to a vertically oriented hinge jamb of the door frame, the apparatus comprising:

• a housing providing an elongate hinge groove along a first side of the housing, the hinge groove sized and configured for removably receiving a barrel portion of a hinge of each of the door and door frame;
• a selectively extendable leveling arm engaged proximally with an opposing second side of the housing and configured for selectively moving between one of an extended position, wherein a distal end of the leveling arm extends a distance away from the housing toward the base of the door frame, and a retracted position, wherein the distal end of the leveling arm is positioned relatively closer to the housing;
• a laser assembly pivotally engaged with the distal end of the leveling arm and comprising a laser housing and an angle adjustment knob, the angle adjustment knob configured for selectively retaining the laser housing at a desired laser angle relative to the leveling arm;
• and
• a first end of the laser housing capable of selectively emitting a continuous, horizontally oriented laser beam a distance above a bottom surface of the laser housing;
• whereby, in use, with the door temporarily removed from the door frame, the hinge groove removably engaged with the hinge of the door frame, the leveling arm in the extended position, the bottom surface of the laser housing positioned in abutting contact with the base of the door frame, and the laser angle adjusted to match the base angle, the apparatus is capable of being subsequently removably engaged with the corresponding hinge of the door so that the laser beam may assist in the cutting of the lower edge of the door to match the base angle, thereby creating a uniform gap between the lower edge of the door and the base of the door frame when the door is hung in the door frame.

A method for cutting a lower edge of a door to match a base angle of a base of a door frame relative to a vertically oriented hinge jamb of the door frame, the method comprising the steps of:

• with the door temporarily removed from the door frame, removably engaging a hinge groove of a door leveling apparatus with a hinge of the door frame;
• moving a selectively extendable leveling arm, pivotally engaged proximally with the apparatus, into a deployed position wherein a distal end of the leveling arm is pivoted away from the apparatus toward the base of the door frame;
• moving the leveling arm into an extended position such that a bottom surface of a laser housing, pivotally engaged with the distal end of the leveling arm, is in abutting contact with the base of the door frame, a first end of the laser housing capable of selectively emitting a continuous, horizontally oriented laser beam a distance above the bottom surface of the laser housing;
• aiming the laser beam at a vertically oriented lock jamb of the door frame, opposite the hinge jamb;
• setting the laser housing to a laser angle relative to the leveling arm that matches the base angle;
• disengaging the hinge groove from the hinge of the door frame;
• removably engaging the hinge groove with a corresponding hinge of the door;
• activating the laser beam to project onto the door along the set laser angle a cutting line at which the door is to be cut;
• cutting the door along the cutting line, thereby forming the lower edge of the door;
• and
• hanging the door in the door frame, now with a uniform gap between the lower edge of the door and the base of the door frame.