Interior sills are a functional design. Its main role is to mask the junction of different coatings or floor levels. They are required to ennoble the design of rooms and give the home comfort. Therefore, you should know how to set the threshold of the interior door in order to prevent mistakes.
The main advantages of designs are:
- noise reduction.
- protection of the room from smells;
- protection against dust and drafts.
Varieties of thresholds and their functional purpose
The design features distinguish between flat, T-shaped, flexible or patch, sills with an external or hidden type of installation.
Fig. 1. Threshold options
Based on the building material used, you can purchase the following types of systems:
- Stone (are expensive and durable, but difficult to mount in a box).
- Wooden (more popular, popular systems are made mainly of pine and oak).
- Cork options. The elasticity and flexibility of the material allows the use of such structures in places where you need to beat level differences.
- Plastic (aesthetically attractive, have an average degree of wear resistance). Laminate sills are included in the category.
Fig. 4. Plastic threshold
- Metal (used at the joints of flooring, are brass, stainless and aluminum). You can purchase and install single or multi-level, angular metal thresholds.
Fig. 5. Metal nut
Wooden products can be made with your own hands, but they will not be similar to those made on specialized equipment. Brass sills will last forever, aluminum products are more affordable, and you can focus on the polymer profile with textured finish. Thresholds made of plastic are quite flexible, they hide various joints defects.
How to choose a threshold for an interior door
Now it is difficult for even professionals to make their choice from the variety of door sills that are offered by different manufacturers. In addition to wood products, there are many components in the stores, which you need to select according to the following criteria:
- According to the material (wood, plastic, metal, combined raw materials, polymer, etc.).
- By profile configuration. According to the type of profile, 2 types are distinguished: products installed on the same level between floor coverings without height differences and sills that hide installation defects at different level joints. The last profile has a difference on different sides.
- By type of destination. Any type of doorstep can be used for its intended purpose (under the door), hide the joints of the stepped finish, cover the flexible threshold.
- According to the method of fixing the profile. In this category, thresholds with open and hidden fastening, with a special mounting plate and without it, are distinguished. Of the new products, manufacturers offer built-in profiles for flooring, trims in the cavity of door leaves, self-adhesive sills.
It is necessary to choose the right type of nut correctly, not only in terms of external attractiveness, but also in functional, quality indicators. You should also take into account the features of the room, the opening where the structure will be mounted. For example, for a bathroom, you should choose a product made of moisture resistant material.
Based on the conditions of use and the characteristics of the room, an ordinary, multi-level bar or threshold-guillotine is distinguished. Different types of views are used in places of differential coverage in different rooms, but not every door is set for a guillotine.
Feasibility of installation in the bathroom and toilet
Installation of any threshold for rooms with high humidity is a rational solution, since if the pipes and the washing machine are damaged, the sills will become a protection against flooding in other rooms.
If you apply the threshold as a waterproofing in case of a possible accident in the water supply system, then you need to put a stone option. To prevent humidity in the bathroom, you should put an electric fan in the ventilation duct or buy a box without a seal, leaving a gap between the door sill and the lower door end 4-5 mm.
Thresholds and related inconveniences
Doors with built-in threshold structures have some disadvantages:
- Interfere with constant walking into the room (especially when the family has people with disabilities or children);
- Complicate the installation of flooring.
Mounting Methods
After the threshold sizes for interior wooden doors are determined, installation work begins. The installation process of this design can be carried out by different methods.
Installation of a wooden threshold
When choosing wood, it is better to purchase a ready-made kit with the characteristics corresponding to the parameters of the opening. Before installation, remove the old fasteners, clean the surface of debris, level the concrete screed.
After determining the dimensions of the future structure, its height is calculated and, according to the measurements taken, the bottom grooves are made from the bottom. After measuring the width of the box, the wood billet is cut, inserted into place and hammered through a special gasket with a hammer.
Drill sills in several places so that the dots are visible. After you remove the threshold, holes are made according to the marks on the concrete and fasteners (dowels) are hammered into them. Then the threshold is put in place, screwed on with self-tapping screws and their hats are sunk in the bar. The holes are putty.
When installing a wooden door in a toilet or bath, it is necessary to ensure its height so that between the panel and the bar there is a gap of 4-5 mm for air inflow into the bathroom and the efficiency of the supply and exhaust system.
External and internal ways of fastening door sills
The following installation methods are distinguished:
- Drilling holes for fasteners in the nut, in which the elements are placed and fixed with self-tapping screws. Despite its simplicity, the method will not be aesthetic.
- The hidden installation method is time-consuming, but with its use an attractive design is obtained. The lower part of the threshold is set with screws, and the upper is mounted in special grooves. There are also models of sills where a decorative layer is glued or snapped to the bottom element.
Using an external mount, the threshold is more easily fixed, but the internal method will be preferable due to aesthetics. This applies to laminate products where a neat look is required.
Guillotine Threshold - Useful New
Recently, anti-thresholds have become popular, which are traditionally placed at the bottom of the door, but can be mounted at the top of the opening. Designs are called guillotine or smart thresholds, they are required for sealing, increasing the noise and heat insulation of the door, protecting the room from burning, wind and dust. These are versatile, durable and attractive devices.
They are a U-shaped profile made of aluminum, which is equipped on the hinge side with a starting device with a movable seal. The principle of operation of the automatic threshold is as follows: when closing the sash, a button is activated and the gap is closed by a sealant. When opening the panel, the button lowers and does not interfere.
Fig. 9. The guillotine and its functioning
The nut insertion depth is 2 cm, so it cannot be used in hollow structures with a small thickness of the beam.
If you are currently engaged in the independent installation of interior doors, then the following step-by-step instructions may be useful to you: inserting a door handle, lock and hinges, installing cashing and extensions.