Door Sweep Binding on Threshold is back! :(

[garyb]

Hey all, so I had an issue before while installing this exterior door where the sweep was binding to the threshold AND after getting the door installed I realized the stupid "adjustable threshold" is actually broken and doesn't adjust at all. So I'm stuck with this:



Most people prolly wouldn't care about this, but it's getting worse, pulling under more and more of the sweep as I let it go unfixed. Plus every time I come through my brand new recently-installed door, I see it and it bugs the hell out of me, lol.

To fix it before I stuck another bit of a shim into the other shims, on the hinge side, below the hinge, to bump it out a bit (thanks Shannon & co!) and that worked for a while, but it's back!

Now that I've caulked and blown in the spray foam around the edges of the door, I reaaaally don't want to take it out and re-shim it. How would you guys fix this? I was thinking of using an orbital sander on the dumb plastic threshold piece. What do you guys think?

[A. Spruce]

Can you get a replacement adjustable threshold piece? The reason I ask is that you could remove the one you've got and replace it with one that is adjustable. I'm guessing that you'd have to go to a door shop to find one.

I don't think sanding is going to work well or result in an aesthetic "fix". The best thing would be to take the door back out and reinstall it so that this corner of the threshold is a touch higher and doesn't bind on the sweep. If you can find a replacement threshold, this would also be the time to replace that with one you can adjust.

[garyb]

Can you get a replacement adjustable threshold piece? The reason I ask is that you could remove the one you've got and replace it with one that is adjustable. I'm guessing that you'd have to go to a door shop to find one.

Thanks, good question! This is a Therma-true door: https://www.thermatru.com/ that I bought from Lowe's, I guess they said I have to contact Lowe's and have their millwork dept. fill out an at-home warranty claim form. Hopefully then I can just lower it and be done with it!

[Shannon]

Ya a replacement threshold would be the best solution.

[rickdod3]

Ugh. This is annoying, and I 100% know the pain. I also have the same brand door from lowes with the same problem currently. If you find a solution, please let me know!

[garyb]

Ugh. This is annoying, and I 100% know the pain. I also have the same brand door from lowes with the same problem currently. If you find a solution, please let me know!

So after carefully inspecting the threshold again this morning, I found the adjustable sill is actually already as low as it can go. That's why it wasn't going any lower. It raises up just fine.

Replacing the entire threshold probably wouldn't end up doing any good since the new one would end up being the same height while completely lowered.

I asked a guy in millwork what he'd do. He said he'd take the door off the hinges, take off the sweep, raise the entire sill evenly a bit just so the door doesn't close (only about 1/8 or the width of a saw blade etc.) scribe a line across and take a circular saw to it. Then lower the sill back down all the way and either cut notches in the bottom of the door for the sweep to fit back into, or cut off the parts of the sweep that are supposed to fit into the notches in the bottom of the door and just screw or staple the sweep back on. (If you take off too much, you can just raise the sill up!)

I'll probably give that a shot this weekend.

[Shannon]

Ya if the threshold is adjusted fully down you can likely cut a 1/4” from bottom of door at least.

[garyb]

Thanks guys, I forgot to post an update.

I figured this would be a good excuse to finally buy a router, woo!



Aaaand I only had to take it off the hinges and cut some of the bottom off twice (doh). I shoulda taken more off the first time I took the door off the hinges, cuz after routing the sweep channels and putting the sweep back on, and putting the door back on the hinges I found it was STILL binding a tiny bit. So I took it off again and took some more off, and that did the trick. I then raised the adjustable sill up to meet the sweep perfectly. Hooray!

[A. Spruce]

Congrats on a job well done!

[Shannon]

Glad that worked out well!