Choosing a French Door Threshold Replacement
Thresholds are essential to smooth uneven gaps at the bottom of doors. They also offer all-season protection from water, draughts and bugs. A threshold that is lower is more secure for pushchairs, wheelchairs and prams and can also link indoor and outdoor spaces more easily.
When advising your customers on their options for thresholds for french doors, it is important to understand the different options that are available.
Weathered
The threshold of an external door is an essential feature of any door system, offering protection from the elements as well as an effortless transition between outdoor and indoor space. However, it is essential to strike the right balance between safety and style when choosing the threshold for an exterior door system. Alongside being essential to keep the home weatherproof, thresholds play an important role in user safety by preventing tripping and also limiting accessibility to those who have mobility issues or wheelchairs. In the end there are many threshold options to choose from that allow customers to pick the one that is suitable for their home.
A threshold with a weathered finish is a great option for doors that are outside, since it offers exceptional rates of weather protection and creates an effective barrier to keep water, wind and draughts from. This type of threshold is recessed/sunk in the floor, leaving a 14mm rise. This reduces tripping hazards and also provides a secure seal against weather. Weathered thresholds are recommended for all exterior doors since they offer higher levels of weatherproofing compared to unweathered alternatives. However, the higher elevation of thresholds with weathered coatings could cause them to be unsuitable for certain people, particularly those who use wheelchairs or pushchairs/prams.
The thresholds that are not weathered tend to be smaller in height. They are often just a few millimetres from the ground. This means they are less prone for them to cause dangers for tripping. They also offer an easy transition between indoors and outdoors which allows the two areas to be connected in a manner that is both accessible and open. They may not offer the same level of weatherproofing as a weathered option, but they are perfect for homeowners who wish to enhance the look of their home without sacrificing practicality or protection.
If your french doors are currently equipped with an unweathered threshold or you're planning to replace the threshold, a new one is a do-it-yourself task that can help smooth out the uneven gaps at the bottom of doors as well as protect against drafts and water intrusion. It is possible to fit a new threshold to an existing sill, but the threshold you have previously used must be removed first. To take off the old sill, put an aluminum bar between it and the subsill. Carefully pull up the middle section. If the edges of the threshold are held to the subsill then use a hammer or chisel to separate them from the jambs. After removing french door glass replacement sand it and clean off any mortar remnants. It is recommended to spray an expanding foam sealant under the threshold prior to reinstalling it. This will hold it in place, and fill in any air gaps.