How To Repair Broken Concrete Under Door Threshold

Pity the poor wooden threshold. That stomped-on, scuffed-upwards, taken-for-granted plank bakes in the sun, gets soaked by the rain, and endures the dust from every shoe that tromps in or out of the house. Without regular attention—an occasional lick of paint and some caulking—sooner or later that wood'due south a goner, and the underlying framework isn't far backside.

It's all-time to start replacement piece of work early on in the day, and then there'due south time to fix whatsoever problems that come to light later on the old threshold is out. A rotten subsill, punky joist ends, or a termite-riddled rim joist can stretch this two-hour task into a full day's labor.

Hither'due south a step-by-step tutorial on how to install a door threshold.

How to Supplant a Door Threshold in ix Steps

Stride i: Know the Parts That Make Upwardly the Exterior Door Threshold

Click ''enlarge this image'' to view illustration labels.

Footstep two: Prep With Replacement at the Ready

Mensurate the length, width, and thickness of the erstwhile threshold, and have a replacement with a similar profile on manus. Information technology should be an inch or two longer than the altitude between the door casing's outside edges and then yous tin can trim it for an verbal fit later on.

Remove the storm door and whatever weatherstripping attached to the threshold.

Tip: You'll spend a lot of time kneeling on the outside of the house. Identify rubber mats on the porch, equally Tom did, or invest in a good pair of knee pads.

Stride iii: Remove the Old Threshold

Man Using Wood-Cutting Blade To Slice Into Door Threshold

Fit a wood-cutting bract, at least as long equally the old threshold is deep, into a reciprocating saw.

Slice across the woods in two places, about 10 inches from each jamb. Concord the bract so its teeth are most parallel to the surface, and sentry its tip so y'all don't cut the flooring.

Stop sawing every bit soon as you feel the blade cutting through the threshold. Wait until the blade stops moving earlier lifting it out of the kerf.

Step 4: Pry Out Exterior Board & Care for

Man Sticks Flatbar Between Threshold And Subsill

Stick a apartment bar (aka pry bar) betwixt the threshold and the subsill and pry up the center department. Jerk the ends away from the jambs, if you lot can, or split them with a hammer and chisel and take them out piece by piece. Use patience and finesse, not brute force; y'all don't want to damage the ends of the door stops.

Pry off the toekick (the exterior board below the threshold), and probe the woods underneath for signs of decay.

Supersede whatever rotten forest yous discover, and spray it all with a borate solution like Bora-Care to prevent rot and repel termites.

Step 5: Install the Rubber Seal

Man Adds Rubber Seal Between Jambs On Threshold

A layer of flashing on the subsill prevents water from reaching the framing below. Tom uses Vycor Plus, a rubbery, self-adhering membrane that he cuts to fit between the jambs and a few inches wider than the subsill. The flashing goes over the subsill, adhesive side down, with just enough overhang in front to comprehend the top edge of the toekick.

After smoothing out the membrane, Tom grabs the border closest to the inside of the house and rolls information technology over onto itself, forming a small dam against h2o infiltration.

Pace half dozen: Lay Out the Notch for the New Threshold

Man Measures Notch For Threshold Replacement

The ends of the new threshold have to exist notched to fit around both door jambs. This creates a "horn" that extends under the casing. First, measure the width of the right-hand casing, then hook the tape on the threshold'due south back right-manus corner and transfer that measurement to the threshold'southward back edge.

Next, measure the width of the jamb and stop, hook the tape on the same corner, and transfer the measurement to the stop of the stock. Apply a square to describe a perpendicular line from each mark until both lines intersect.

Step 7: Cutting Out the Notch By Measuring Jamb to Jamb

Cut forth the layout lines with a jigsaw or circular saw; cease circular-saw cuts with a handsaw.

To marker the cuts for the left-paw notch, measure the width of the opening from jamb to jamb, and then hook the tape on the cut-out notch and transfer that measurement to the threshold'due south dorsum edge.

Mark the width of the jamb and stop on the threshold'southward left end, bring together the marks with a square, and cut out the notch, every bit shown.

Trim the horns flush with the edges of the casing. Sand the threshold with 120-dust paper and spray information technology with borate.

Stride viii: Install the Threshold

Sideslip the notched threshold into position nether the door stops, and then nudge it into place by borer a hammer on a woods block against the threshold's edge.

Change the cake's position so neither end of the threshold gets too far ahead of the other.

When it'southward tight to the subfloor, slide pairs of shims—ones cut from cedar shingles are best—under the middle and both ends of the threshold, but not under the horns.

Accommodate the shims so the thin end of 1 rests on the fat end of the other. That style, every bit you tap on the fat end, the threshold will lift without tilting.

When the threshold is tight confronting the door stops and casing, snap the shim ends off affluent with the subsill.

Step 9: Seal with Foam

Eject expanding foam sealant under the threshold to concur it in place and plug any air gaps. Immediately put the toekick upward under the flashing and tight against the underside of the threshold, and spiral it to the subsill.

Run a bead of sealant between the threshold and each door stop.

Finally, protect the wood with deck pigment or several coats of spar varnish.