I found out what happened to my back door threshold

11 years ago

we had a lot of rain Saturday. I went out to get puppy and get her in before it got too bad. By the time the 2 of us got up the steps the wind was up and blew the storm door away from me and flat against the siding. I couldn't get it w/o going back down the steps so I just went on it and shut the door behind me.

When I turned around I could see the rain hitting the threshold area and coming right on in an inch or so. I got a towel and rolled it up against the bottom of the door.

But if over the yrs this place sat empty and the security door (which doesn't shut tight unless locked from the inside) blew open in our monsoons and rain would have hit there yr after yr. over and over. I 'spect someone then just ripped that threshold out by hand because it was rotted.

major SIGH here ... I'm gonna have to go out and buy something like this - with metal toward the outside (and the slight angle down). If that part sticks out over the end of the floor there I'll have to shore it up underneath with a piece of wood into the siding else it'll bend down/break off. I'm hope it doesn't rain again for enough time to allow that wood to dry out totally.

I have one of these already to put on the door. Anyone know if it goes on the inside or outside? It needs trimmed a bit so I'll have to get out my new tool w/cutter blade - and practice on something else first. And get a drill bit for metal. I really haven't wanted to go out lately but guess I'll have to. I wish I could just twitch my nose and be at the ENTER door of Lowe's... and then back home with another twitch of it.

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Comments (8)

phoggie
11 years ago
Sorry for your threshold, but please send some of that rain to Kansas....we are burned to a crisp and nothing in sight except for triple diget temps!
desertsteph
Original Author
11 years ago
thx phoggie!

being as I'm in AZ and we've had triple digits for wks (up to 111) I 'spect we need to keep any rain we get. We seldom have rain here. While we do need it, we're just not used to having it! I had checked the coming weather reports and seeing rain would be coming did go out about a week ago and get new wiper blades on my car. I'm not sure mine were much more than a yr old but 1 had already shredded from the heat here.

but I do know other parts of the country are suffering from the heat too - and need rain.
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TxMarti
11 years ago
I have no idea on which side that rubber thing goes on, sorry. I bet you are right about the rain rotting out the threshold though. That's what happened to us too, except it didn't rot out the subfloor, just ran down until it found a wood cabinet it could rot out.
Shades_of_idaho
11 years ago
Sorry Steph I am no help either. Maybe ask at the store.
desertsteph
Original Author
11 years ago
I think I need the threshold part to see where the door hits on it when closed. The outside of the door is probably where it goes - thereby protecting the threshold from any incoming rain, wind, dust.

I'm trying to work up the courage to go out and fight traffic to go to Lowe's. They have some flooring I might want. It's on sale and they have some in the store I can actually look at. Online it says it has texture and I don't want much texture. It says it's floating vinyl tile. 12 x 36

I can pick up the things I need while there - at least a few of them. The threshold and metal drill bit.
desertsteph
Original Author
11 years ago
I went out, I survived, I made it home w/o twitching my nose.

got a threshold part. decided to get all metal (except for the vinyl part that goes on top of it). was only about 12.00. If it doesn't last 'forever' (lol!) I'll just replace it. I had to watch for the height of it so I wouldn't trip on it and metal would be better if it gets wet than wood.

also got a trim piece (really 3 pieces) that goes up each side of the door frame and across the top.

and I got 2 more tension rods (you reading this shades?). I would have got 2 or so more but they didn't have any that extended over 48".

got the drill bit and hacksaw blade

and a box of those tiles. The 'tile' (like 3 in 1) is greyish on each end section and the middle one is more beige. I've only looked at 3 tho. Maybe that's why they're on sale. I'm gonna try putting them in a closet - I can make my initial mistakes in there and I need flooring in there so I can stack boxes in it.
Shades_of_idaho
11 years ago
Good Job Steph. I think those tiles you are showing are really pretty. The curtain rods will come along. I had to make several trips to get as many as I needed. You have sent me on a quest to find floor tiles. I am ready for more carpet to be gone.
desertsteph
Original Author
11 years ago
thx shades. I'll stop by HD in a few days and see if they have the larger ones. Lowe's had a space for them but it had cafe rods in it. I need 2 of the larger ones for my west windows. I'm going to hang that foil looking insulation (lke for duct work) in those 2 windows during the summers - using tension rods. I can easily then take them down Oct - May. I'll have curtains up over them.

I also don't have doors on my closets right now so I'm going to hang curtains there for now - to try and keep a bit of puppy fur out of them. probably a lost cause - lol!

I think lowe's and my back door have a conspiracy against me. I can't see where the vinyl spline part is connected on the door frame on the hinge side. That one doesn't look damaged, so I'll just not replace it for now. I'll check to see if my front door needs it replaced on either side. The pkg comes with 2 long (hght) sections and a short one for across the top.

There have been several times when i've thought I'd just forget vinyl or laminate flooring and put down carpet (when lowe's or HD have a pay to install 1 room and the others are installed free) just to have it over and me not the one doing it. That thought doesn't usually last long tho. The thought of all that hair, dirt and dust from puppy and the desert is more than I can bear anymore.