How To Remove A Wooden Door Threshold

Remove the old threshold photo by reena bammi.

How to remove a wooden door threshold. It helps to keep the elements out and provides a seal as well as a place to step as you enter the home. Exposure to hot and cold temperatures as well as rain snow ice and dirt all work together to wear down a threshold over time. The door sill or threshold is the bottom portion of your exterior door frame. A threshold is a strip across the bottom of a door opening that seals it when the door is closed so cold or hot air does not seep in under the door.

If the door is installed normally removing these will not help you remove the threshold. Be careful not to accidentally saw into your flooring. To cut a metal threshold use tin snips and a saw equipped with a metal cutting blade to make the cuts. If you ve just installed carpeting your doors will probably rub and bind which means that you have to trim off the bottoms.

Fit a wood cutting blade at least as long as the old threshold. Most thresholds are simply installed and just as simply removed whereas others have been in place so long and repaired and adjusted so many times that it is difficult to know what is holding them in place. Here s a link that shows the basic anatomy of removing and installing a threshold in place. The guy clearly doesn t.

Here s the method of door cutting that works best for us. Begin by removing the existing threshold from your door. How to remove replace an aluminum threshold. Then tap the threshold out using a hammer and a block of wood.

Trimming a wood door with a circular saw without splintering the wood or damaging the finish is a challenge. Door thresholds are subjected to a lot of wear and tear from a variety of sources. Removing a threshold is a very simple task that can turn into a nightmare. A rotting wooden threshold is an eyesore and a safety hazard.

To remove one use a nail set and hammer to poke the nails all the way through. These thresholds wear out over time because of foot traffic and exposure to the weather. Cut the old threshold with a back saw or a reciprocating saw. Place rubber mats on the porch as tom did or invest in a good pair of knee pads.

It can also begin to effect the underlying framing of your home. The threshold usually fits below the stops and against the jambs. You ll spend a lot of time kneeling on the outside of the house. Dislodge the threshold pieces with a pry bar.