Door sill and threshold are used at the bottom of the door frame to keep the water outside from the house in the rainy season. Most people think that door sill and threshold are the same things and use these words interchangeably. But the truth is that the door sill is made of wood, beveled on one side to drain water away from the house. It is attached to the bottom of the door. Whereas the threshold is used to cover the door sill to prevent it from being rotted. The threshold is usually made of metal.

1.  Why door sill rots

Most door sills are ordinary wooden made. If there is too much contact of water with the door sill, the door sill starts to split and crack over time. The continuous contact with water initiate rot in it. Many other things can also be held accountable to rot door sills fast such as poor quality of wood, errors made while installation, etc.

2.  Solution of rotted Door Sill

The easiest solution is to replace the entire door sill. The reason behind this is you won’t be able to know about the doorsill being rotted when it is covered with the threshold.  You only know about the rot problem when the door sill starts showing signs of rot on the visible part. So most of the time, the door sill becomes completely rotted when known. There is no solution other than replacing the entire door sill. If you want to repair it with any kind of wood filler. It won’t last due to continuous water penetration in the wood.

3. Repairing the rotted Door Sill

Replacing the entire rotten doorstep is easy. All you need is a new door sill to replace it with the older one.  All you need is little expertise and some tools. The entire process will not take more than 2 hours if done properly. Hiring a professional carpenter to repair the door sill is also a good idea if you don’t want to take risk of damaging the door frame.

Tools you need: The following tools are needed to do this replace

1. Hammer
2. Chisel
3. Broom
4. Laminated oak replacement sill
5. safety glasses
6. Screwdriver
7. Reciprocal saw

4. Steps to repair the Rotted Door Sill

1. Opening the threshold: Before processing to the main step, be advised to wear safety glasses and gloves. The first step is to remove this threshold. The threshold is the metal cover of the door sill. For doing this, take a screwdriver and open every screw of the threshold. You can use pliers to take the screw forcefully out if it is trapped badly due to rusting. Doing this will make the threshold lose its grip, easy to remove from the door sill. Finally, separate the threshold from the door sill and keep it away.

2. Dealing with door sill: After removing the threshold, we need to focus on the rotted door sill. Door sill usually extends under the door jambs. Try to remove the doorsill from its place. If it is tightly attached to the door jamb, use the reciprocal saw to cut the rotted door sill into pieces. You can also use chisel and hammer to remove the cut portion of the door sill. Repeat the step and take the entire door sill out along with the part that is beneath the door jamb.

3. Managing the water: You may see water after removing the door sill, the reason behind this rot. In many houses, there is the drain line presented under the door sill. Clogged passage and continuous water overflow make the sill rotted. If the drain is over flawing, clean it and remove all dust and mud before replacing the door sill. It’s better if you cover this drain with something, not made with wood.

4. Cutting the wood: After cleaning the drain and making sure it is covered properly. The next step is to cut the wood in exact shape and size so that it can be adjusted with the door jamb and threshold. Mark the wood with the exact length and breadth that is needed. After that, use the reciprocal saw to cut the wood from marked places. 

Note: Laminated oak woods perform better in resisting the rot. Prefer it over normal wood.

5. Replacing the door sill:  When you get a perfect shaped sill to place it on the floor, go ahead. Don’t hesitate to use the chisel to splice some centimeters of sill side, so that it can be placed easily. Make sure both sides of the new door sill sit correctly beneath the door jamb.

6. Covering up the sill: After placing the sill on the floor, it’s time to cover the sill with the threshold. Place the threshold on the door sill and mark points on doorsill with marker going through the holes of the threshold. So, that we can use screws to tighten the threshold. Use the drill machine to dig holes (on marked places) in the door sill. Now place the threshold on the door sill correctly and tighten the screws by using the screwdriver. Now you may prefer matching the exterior part of the door sill same as the door frame with some colors. That’s it, you have replaced the rotted door sill correctly.

5. Precautions while doing the repair

1. Wear safety glasses so that the wood dust doesn’t go in your eyes.
2. Practice the reciprocal saw on a random wood before using it on the door sill so, you can get an idea of its speed and work.
3. Play safe and don’t get injured while cutting the wood.

6. Conclusion

The door sill rot is a common problem that occurs after some years. The situation becomes worse at that Place where rainfall happens frequently. The rot problem may occur very often there. So it’s better to use an aluminum threshold to cover the door sill, it will protect it and increase the lifespan of the door sill. Please visit MCL Flooring for more articles on wooden floors, wooden floor repair and wooden doors.