Thresholds (things in doorways)
Discussion
I'm planning to have most of my house recarpeted and currently it has the original sapele threshold planks about 5" x 3/4" in each interior doorway. They're very practical, giving a fixed door clearance at the bottom, but to me look old-fashioned as they've remained the same since the house was built 20+ years ago, and the other sapele parts, the doors, have long gone.
So I was planning to take advantage of the forthcoming upheaval and replace them with narrow metal joining strips. However the carpet man says they're not as good because they scratch and look tatty, whilst timber planks can be sanded and refinished.
What does the panel think, and are there any other ways to bridge a doorway I haven't thought of?
So I was planning to take advantage of the forthcoming upheaval and replace them with narrow metal joining strips. However the carpet man says they're not as good because they scratch and look tatty, whilst timber planks can be sanded and refinished.
What does the panel think, and are there any other ways to bridge a doorway I haven't thought of?
satans worm said:
so whats going to make up the 3/4 inch below the door? carpet will help, but you will still have a large gap??
I'd hoped the gap would be under the door (and partly filled by the thickness of the metal strip) and that visually the carpet would meet the door.mk1fan said:
Why would you have a 3/4-inch gap at the bottom of the door? An internal threshold should be flush and level with the flooring else it's a trip hazard.
The idea is that the the carpet + underlay comes to about the same height - which it does. They are fixed on top of main floor. Ideal Homes, 1988.mk1fan said:
Why would you have a 3/4-inch gap at the bottom of the door? An internal threshold should be flush and level with the flooring else it's a trip hazard.
Metal threshold strips are fine just fit them properly and use decent quality ones. You can only re-finish timber so many times.
Not all thresholds are built level! I would check yours before ripping them up, ones i've seen are proud of the carpet (and a trip hazard!)Metal threshold strips are fine just fit them properly and use decent quality ones. You can only re-finish timber so many times.
zcacogp said:
I'm with V10 mike. OR, buy some strips of more appealing wood and have them varnished with some hard varnish. A bit of light oak to go with the new carpets? Or would walnut be a better colour match?
Now that's a good idea! Then I keep the practicality and get a new look as well. Oak is nice and hard and also traditional.The only snag is that the thresholds are kept in place vertically by the door frame on each side, and can't be slid out sideways as they're nailed down. I shall have to do some digging about and perform a dental-style extraction I think!
OK. Getting the old ones out will be a bit of a pain (and you'll need to fill in any gaps left at the edges if the door frame and architrave doesn't fit down to the floor.)
As far as fitting the new thresholds goes, if you screw it down having drilled a large hole part of the way through the new bit of wood, the screw head disappears into the hole. A plug made from an offcut of the stuff you are putting down can then be pushed into the hole and lightly glued in. (Poor description - do ask if it doesn't make sense.)
Plug-cutters can be bought from the likes of screwfix for not much - something like this.
Oli.
As far as fitting the new thresholds goes, if you screw it down having drilled a large hole part of the way through the new bit of wood, the screw head disappears into the hole. A plug made from an offcut of the stuff you are putting down can then be pushed into the hole and lightly glued in. (Poor description - do ask if it doesn't make sense.)
Plug-cutters can be bought from the likes of screwfix for not much - something like this.
Oli.
Edited by zcacogp on Thursday 11th June 18:02
Interssting, I am going the other way myself. Taking out the metal stips and fitting the thresholds. Butthen I am taking out the doors and frames and fitting new ones, so its not too much extra work. I think it gives a better delineation between one flooring and another. Tiles to carpet for example or quarry tiles to other tiles, wood flooring to kitchen tiles etc
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