Interior thresholds, their properties, types, materials of manufacture, dismantling and installation technologies. An interior threshold is a functional part of a door frame designed to mask differences in the floor level of adjacent rooms, joints in the opening between floor coverings and to improve the interior. Such an element can be mounted at the bottom of the doorway of a bathroom, corridor, kitchen, living room and other rooms. You will learn how to install interior thresholds in your house or apartment by reading this article.
Advantages and disadvantages of interior thresholds
Interior thresholds are not an obligatory part of the doorway, but in some cases their presence is desirable. There are several reasons for this:
- Thresholds contribute to a tighter closing of doors due to abutment to the door leaf frame with a minimum gap.
- The presence of a threshold when the door is closed qualitatively improves the sound insulation of the room and prevents foreign odors from entering it, for example, from the kitchen.
- A threshold can obstruct spilled water and prevent it from entering an adjacent room. This often happens when the bathroom is flooded.
The main disadvantage of thresholds is that their top is located above the floor level. For this reason, such parts of the door frame, made in the classic version, often become the culprit for falling, for example, children who forget to step over an obstacle for whatever reason. Often, thresholds become superfluous when installing some floor coverings, for example, linoleum or laminate. Without a divider in the opening, they look much more harmonious.
The main types of interior thresholds
There are many types of modern interior thresholds that have successfully replaced their traditional wooden counterparts. Today, on the construction market, you can easily find products of various designs and special purposes.
Let's consider some of them:
- Overhead thresholds … These are plastic or metal plates of various cross-sectional shapes that hide the gap between floor coverings of different types: laminate and carpet, linoleum and tiles, etc. The cover plate is named because of its attachment from the top.
- Transition thresholds … They hide the transition between floor coverings located at different levels from 3 to 15 mm. Typically, these elements are rounded or in the form of an unfolded corner.
- Corner thresholds … They form the outer corners of the stairs. These sills are available in various lengths, widths and many colors, which makes it easy to choose the right option. They are usually provided with perforations on the outside, which provide the products with an anti-slip effect.
- Flexible thresholds … They are made from safe plastic, which becomes elastic during heat treatment, and when it cools down, takes on the required shape. Flexible thresholds have sufficient strength and excellent moisture resistance. They are used to mask the differences and joints of floor coverings. In addition, they are used to decorate arches, wall niches, columns, podiums and moisture protection of abutments.
- Universal T-sills … They come in a variety of widths, a wide range of colors and good flexibility to make curved transitions between floor coverings. The universal thresholds are completely smooth and imperceptible underfoot.
- Sills with external fastening … Such products are most often made of metal, less often of plastic. All of them have fixing holes for fixing the profiles to the floor surface. The hole pitch is 15 cm, they are made in the form of a cone for the screw heads. In this case, the fasteners do not protrude beyond the surface of the nut and do not cause discomfort to the legs. The installation of this opening element is very simple, even for a beginner in home renovation.
- Walkways with hidden fastening system … These are corners or plates that do not have mounting holes for screws. The entire fastening system is hidden under the profile and adjusts independently to the possible difference in floor coverings, not exceeding 15 mm.
- Threshold-guillotine … It is also called "smart threshold". The design consists of a U-shaped profile with a spring mechanism and a rubber seal, which is inserted from below into the end part of the door block so that it is completely invisible when the door is open. At this time, it is located inside the door leaf. At the moment of opening the door, the guillotine silently automatically lowers to the bottom and bridges the gap between the door and the floor. Such a threshold provides heat and sound insulation of the room, does not interfere with free passage through it. The design is easy to install and use, it can be used with any solid doors. Its insertion is made into the canvas to a depth of at least 2 cm, so carpentry work is the only drawback of such a system.
Materials for the manufacture of door sills
Before installing the interior threshold, you should choose the material for its manufacture. This is important for the future operation of the door unit in certain conditions.
By the type of material, the sills are divided as follows:
- Steel … Thresholds made of this material are highly durable. They are resistant to almost all types of mechanical stress. The outer surface of products on sale can be painted or anodized. Stainless steel rails are used less often for floors, usually similar profiles are used for finishing furniture, walls and have a matte or glossy finish. Anodizing of steel elements is carried out by passing electricity through an aqueous paint solution in which the products are located. In this way, they can be decorated in bronze, gold and silver.
- Brass … It is a valuable and expensive material. It is used to make sills that have a golden color and high strength.
- Bronze … Thresholds from this material are not available for sale. Due to the high cost of the material, they are made according to individual orders. Bronze items are made of aluminum and are available to everyone.
- Aluminum … On its basis, various alloys are made, from which light and reliable products are obtained. Aluminum alloy springs have a long service life and an affordable price. To give an attractive appearance, such products are laminated, covered with a film that imitates the appearance of natural materials: wood, stone, leather, etc.
- Wooden thresholds … This is the most common option. For their manufacture, it is recommended to use oak wood, as it is strong enough and less susceptible to wear than other species. Oak thresholds are suitable for any floor covering, but require constant maintenance, lacquer or enamel painting, they are quite expensive and short-lived.
- Plastic thresholds … In terms of durability, they occupy an intermediate place between wooden and metal thresholds. Plastic products are attracted by their affordable price, variety of colors and neat appearance. However, over time, plastic sills need to be replaced, since as a result of mechanical stress they become unusable - they burst or become covered with cracks.
- Concrete thresholds … Their material is non-shrinking, it is used for thresholds located at the exit from the house or balcony. In the manufacture of such elements of the opening, the concrete mixture is modified with various additives that make it plastic, and the threshold is durable.
- Laminate thresholds … In appearance, they should be identical to the floor covering of the room. However, the material of their manufacture is quite sensitive to temperature fluctuations, and at high humidity, the laminated threshold can even deform. If it is made of waterproof material, then the service life of such a product is significantly increased.
Preparatory work before installing the threshold
Before installing the floor covering and masking its joints by installing a new nut, dismantle the old one.
To disassemble the threshold of a wooden door frame, you need a hacksaw, hammer and crowbar. First, you should saw off two edges of the threshold with a hacksaw, and then knock out its middle with a hammer. This work must be done carefully to avoid skewing the door unit.
The remaining parts of the old product can be loosened by loosening them with a crowbar. If necessary, it can be driven deeper using a hammer. The loosened parts of the wooden threshold can be easily removed from under the door frame.
Interior threshold installation technology
There are many ways to install interior thresholds. However, they all start by measuring the joint of the flooring that needs to be closed. After measuring its length, the value obtained should be noted on the purchased nut, and the excess material should be cut off with a hacksaw or a grinder. Otherwise, the complexity of installing the threshold depends on the type of its construction.
Installation of thresholds with an open fastening system
Installation of thresholds of this design is very simple. In this case, profiles are used that have ready-made holes for fasteners, drilled with the same pitch. To install such a product in a doorway, you must attach it to the floor and mark the attachment points on it. After that, according to the obtained markings, holes of the required diameter should be made, plastic dowels should be installed in them and the threshold should be fixed with screws.
The fasteners must fit tightly into the holes of the nut, otherwise it will weaken over time and fall out. If the gap between the coatings is wide, you need to choose the appropriate sill for it. In order not to spoil its appearance, it is recommended to buy screws with decorative caps for fastening. If the floor joint has different levels from 3 to 20 mm, you can use a wide threshold, which is fixed at an angle, or a transition profile to mask it.
Installation of sills with a closed fastening system
It is often chosen for aesthetic reasons. In this case, strips with floating internal holes intended for fastener caps can be used, or special sills, consisting of two parts - a rail and a T-shaped profile.
To fix the plank, you first need to make holes in the floor according to the previously made markings and insert plastic dowels into them. After that, the screws must be carefully inserted into the slot on the bar and turned over so that all the fasteners fall into the installed dowels. Then the nut should be fixed with slight pressure to the floor and tapping with a hammer through the layer of paper to avoid damaging its surface.
To fix the T-shaped threshold, the required number of holes must also be drilled in the floor and dowels inserted into them. After that, the sill strip must be fixed to the surface with screws, and the outer decorative profile must be snapped or glued on top.
Special attention is always paid to the installation of the threshold in the bathroom. Currently, special products are on sale that do not allow water to penetrate into adjacent rooms in case of flooding. An excellent option for a bathroom would be to install a guillotine threshold, the description of which is located above.
If a wooden threshold is being installed in a toilet or bathroom, the work must be done so that a gap of 5-8 mm remains between it and the bottom of the door leaf. It is necessary for the normal operation of natural ventilation or forced ventilation, if any, in the room.
How to install an interior threshold - watch the video:
Currently, according to many people, the interior thresholds for the floor are a lot of inconveniences. Nevertheless, those who use them are well aware that the functionality of these products is so obvious that they have a right to exist. It is difficult to determine which of them is right. But with or without a threshold, interior doors - let it be practical and beautiful!
