How to Replace an Exterior Door Threshold Plate on Concrete

It is remarkable how well a basic portion of steel or timber can accomplish to improve our sense of security in our residences. An exterior threshold offers greater protection for a home than you may realize while also requiring less upkeep.

Keep reading to learn further if you’re pondering whether or not to replace an exterior door threshold plate on concrete during your free time.

What Does a Door Threshold Serve?

Given how little this component physically is, it is common for homeowners to give external entryway thresholds in their residences little thought. Nevertheless, the plate serves a number of crucial purposes regardless of the substance it is comprised of, including:

• It closes the space between the entrance and the ground, keeping warm air from entering your property during the summer and escaping in the cold season. 
• Your warming and ventilation bills would not soar if your door threshold is in decent form and was configured correctly.
• A door’s threshold also prevents numerous flies as well as other bugs from entering your house.
• A threshold aids in water runoff by preventing water from entering your house.

Materials and Tools

To perform such a complicated procedure, you will need some professional tools:

• Pencil or marker – used to put some marking on the object’s surface for measurement purposes.
• Notepad or any sheet of paper – is used to write down the measurements.
• Measuring tape – is a versatile tool used to determine the exact length of an object. 
• Hacksaw – a saw designed specifically for cutting metal that has a base and a thin, fine-toothed edge.
• Handsaw – a typically non-powered saw that can be operated with just a single hand.
• Drill – a hole-making device, whether it be a manual, powered, or a mechanical one, that has a spinning cutting edge or a revolving hammer or wedge.
• Threshold plates– these are aluminum, hardwood, or metal extrusions that have been hard anodized and installed on the sill beneath doors.
• Metal drill bits – these are the interchangeable tools attached to the drill to create a hole.
• Caulk – a substance intended to bind gaps or openings to prevent leaks in pipework and other installations.
• Rubber sealant glue –  another type of adhesive that is a highly pliable substance that can be applied to cover areas, patch in spaces between cracks, and attach components. 

Steps to Replace an Exterior Door Threshold Plate on Concrete

A threshold plate for an entry door is exposed to a range of wear and tear from weather conditions and human activity, but it is only capable of withstanding such conditions to a certain limit. Once its configuration is performing poorly, exterior door threshold replacement is suggested to be executed.

Step 1 – Get the right measurements

In replacing a damaged door threshold, getting the right measurement is the initial step. The optimum size for your doors should be considered when buying replacement threshold plates. You must inspect and assess every entry independently because they don’t all have identical measurements, particularly if you need to replace as many as a single threshold. For every entrance, you must consider two metrics:

• Measure how wide the entryway is and not just the door itself.
• Measure the distance seen between the ground and the bottom corner of the entrance.
• Find out what caused the gap between the ground and entrance by inspecting it, and see if the panel was installed too low.

Step 2 – Decide on a strip variety

There are many different sorts of threshold plates in the market, so you can go with the one you believe will fit your home best:

• Overlay strip that will fit over the current strip. Wood strips are available that might be utilized to completely swap out the older one.
• A metal threshold plate that can be connected to the current one is another option.
• You may just cover the current strip with a sheet of veneers.
• The final and most complicated form is an aluminum threshold plate with a weather strip made out of plastic or latex in the central portion.

Obtaining the length of the sheet that you acquire may be the most challenging task. You must therefore verify that the replacement you will find to replace an entry door threshold should correspond to the ones you examined at your house.

Step 3 – Uninstall the rotted threshold

The screws holding the rotted threshold plate should be removed with a screwdriver. If you can’t detect all of it at once, seek a strip of latex or silicone in the middle and pry it off using a flathead screwdriver. These are located in the plate’s actual canal.

Step 4 – Sealing and installing a threshold

If the latest strip is excessively long, it would need to be trimmed. When cutting it, be certain to precisely gauge and label the area where it would go using your pencil or marker. For just a hardwood strip, using a handsaw is suggested. Meanwhile, if you prefer using a metal strip, a hacksaw is required. Ensure that the slots on the replacement strip line up with the ones on the ground. If not, grab a drill and create several replacements as needed. Lastly, put the sheet into place and check to see if it is securely fastened.

If you do not prefer using screws to seal the door threshold to concrete, it might be firmly fastened to the flooring using caulk or some other type of adhesive. Prior to actually attaching the replacement plates, you must thoroughly wash the surface where the threshold that you are eliminating was affixed if feasible. Installing a threshold in a spot that is tidy is recommended.

Step 5 – Let the sealant or adhesives dry completely

Plan your front door threshold replacement endeavor during a period when there is little activity. Most often, the sealant needs half an hour or an entire hour to cure when you are covering an entryway with a changeover. This might require up to 48 hours for a rubber sealant glue to thoroughly cure.

Conclusion

It may not seem difficult to replace a rotted threshold over concrete, but perhaps you should possess the right equipment and the knowledge to use them appropriately. It’s crucial to be comfortable with hand saws and hacksaws because the task will involve utilizing these.

If otherwise, which would be typically the truth, therefore getting in touch with a qualified expert will spare you the headache of having to hunt for such tools and attempting to use these all by yourself. To avoid any accidents, it is best to contact a repair service provider which can give you the utmost quality of work. Grab your phone now and call A+ Doors Inc. at (604) 629-7512!