I have a threshold in an exterior door that has been quite bad for a year or so, but I've postponed dealing with it because I was unsure of the best way to handle it.
Now that I've seen mushrooms growing out of it, I felt I needed to address it immediately! It is completely rotten.
Is it reasonably simple and effective to just replace the threshold? What can be done to prevent it from happening again? The door doesn't have any covering: a porch roof? Some type of metal over the threshold?
Thanks in advance!
Now that I've seen mushrooms growing out of it, I felt I needed to address it immediately! It is completely rotten.
Is it reasonably simple and effective to just replace the threshold? What can be done to prevent it from happening again? The door doesn't have any covering: a porch roof? Some type of metal over the threshold?
Thanks in advance!
I believe that even the lower part of the door frame is quite rotten. And it's not surprising that it has rotted since the threshold is so low that water from the concrete floor outside can freely run in towards the threshold. The concrete floor outside the door is way too high, and it wouldn't hurt to have a roof over the door either.
Picture of the whole door please! If it is wood at the bottom, you should remove this part and cast instead. Without a roof above, the problem will return. Do you have a slope in the ground away from the house?
Is it possible to raise the entire door by a couple of centimeters? If so, you can moisture-protect the threshold from the outside by creating a moisture barrier and achieving a slightly steeper slope outward.
That's what I would have gone for, at least.
That's what I would have gone for, at least.
He means that it will always be moist in and around the threshold due to the wrong level of the floor outside. Which you have discovered as well. In principle, you can cut away all the bad wood with a multi-tool/fein and cast cement instead. Then make a form and cast up some dm as a frame/or replace with fresh wood, but then the problem will return without a roof and moisture measures. You can also use a piece of sheet metal from the tinsmith as a frame and let it go down a bit and then cast the threshold (I have often measured exactly what I need and for a cheap price have them bend it precisely) or moisture-proof the frame, etc. as mentioned.E erik8308 said:
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Without a roof overhang and the door is set too low. In a basement, you can also use a metal door frame, but then you probably need to replace the entire "package." A good alternative is what pacman42 writes.E erik8308 said:
Feel the wood with a knife to see how it feels; if it's hard, it can be saved. If it's soft, it should be replaced. Then mount a base plate on the bottom of the door, as I believe the facade lets rain down in front of the door and splashes up under the door, resulting in a wet threshold. I also noticed this on my front door when I renovated the porch and replaced the roof, that water splashing on the decking found its way in between the threshold and the door.
Just like others have pointed out, the frame is also rotten. My thought is that the threshold (the wood) is absorbing water from the concrete and that the threshold is therefore too damp.
I would replace the door and frame and put sill paper under the new threshold. This way, the wood doesn't absorb water from the concrete. There is a drain that handles the rainwater.
I would replace the door and frame and put sill paper under the new threshold. This way, the wood doesn't absorb water from the concrete. There is a drain that handles the rainwater.
Hmm, interesting answers.
Lifting the door a few centimeters might be the best solution, but not the easy solution I was hoping for.
The threshold is completely soft. Might have to remove it and see what's underneath. It's been like that for at least 15 years. We've lived here for 9 years, and it had been some years before we bought it.
Sounds like the most efficient solution (time/money versus result) is to remove it and make sure there is sill paper or something else underneath and then metal-clad the new threshold.
Lifting the door a few centimeters might be the best solution, but not the easy solution I was hoping for.
The threshold is completely soft. Might have to remove it and see what's underneath. It's been like that for at least 15 years. We've lived here for 9 years, and it had been some years before we bought it.
Sounds like the most efficient solution (time/money versus result) is to remove it and make sure there is sill paper or something else underneath and then metal-clad the new threshold.
After a closer look and some consideration, I think it might be that it is too tight between the door and the threshold, so water is being "sucked" in there. Furthermore, the threshold extends about 5 mm beyond the door.
In addition to sheet metal and a new threshold, I'm thinking that one could raise the door leaf and attach some kind of bracket/lip to the leaf so that the water doesn't run down onto the threshold (but rather out a bit). What do you think about that?
In addition to sheet metal and a new threshold, I'm thinking that one could raise the door leaf and attach some kind of bracket/lip to the leaf so that the water doesn't run down onto the threshold (but rather out a bit). What do you think about that?