Door sill material choice

[BobK207]

The front door sill of my 1930 fake English Tudor home needs to be replaced (along with a new door)

The wood is in such bad shape (kinda spongy) that I cannot be sure of the material, might be oak.

The front door faces West. The sill is about 45" wide, 7.5" (front to back) & about 2.5" thick (max, its tapered back to front)

I plan to purchase a sill (if possible) or work a new one up myself out of chunk of material. I'll probably do a protoytpe out of DougFir to make sure I don't waste the hardwoord . Suggestions for material choice?

thanks Bob

[tbasc]

Have you looked at the sub floor, joists & band board / rim joist below the threshold? If the visi ble material is as far gone as you describe, water has been infiltrating for a while.

Consider a way of protecting the new sill. Is there splash back from the surface outside, or is it unsheltered from the rain?

TB

[scott_z500]

I don't think you can just go to HD or Lowes and pick up a new door frame. You need to make one youreslf. The approached used in my neighborhood is to replace any bad pieces of wood individually. If you don't have an awning over this entrance, then getting one should help prevent wood rot in the future. Storm door also helps. I have both on all my exterior doors and the vintage 1950 wood is actually in pretty good shape in most places.

[BobK207]

"Have you looked at the sub floor, joists & band board / rim joist below the threshold?"

yes, I've removed the threshold & the sill. The rim joist below is ok as are the redwood sill supports that I installed in 1980.

"If the visible material is as far gone as you describe, water has been infiltrating for a while."

The fornt door area is unprotected and the rain that hits the front step (brick landing about 3' x 4') splashes onto the sill & the door. I should have said that the sill material is deteriorated on the top & front surfaces only the decay does not go through the sill. On the bottom side of the sill the wood is still sould

"Consider a way of protecting the new sill."

We've considered an awning but my wife is not sure it she would like the look.

"Is there splash back fromthe surface outside, or is it unsheltered from the rain?"

yes & yes, but in SoCal we really (usually) don't get that much rain. What wood species do you recommend? Oak, teak, mahogony (sp?)

Bob