Door sill replacement-- Best wood and treatment???

[Pelorus]

I have an old house in Vermont with a rotting door sill in need of replacement. What is the best wood to use for this project? Secondly, what should I do to treat the wood to ensure it will last?

[dpb]

What do you need to match, if anything? What was the existing one and how long did it last? If appearance isn't much of an issue, pressure treated would be the most long-lasting unless went w/ one of the replacemant materials like Trex, etc.

I'd guess the original was probably either pine or fir and last "a long time" and a replacement would as well. Painting all surfaces before installing will help a lot, making sure water drains rather than puddles will go a long way after that.

For more specific alternate suggestions, need to know more...

[Pelorus]

I appreciate the response. The door sill is for the front door of the "original" two-story farm house built in the early 1800s. The current sill has been in service for at least 50 years. The painted sill is fully exposed to the elements. Given the poor condition of the existing sill I can't really judge what type of wood it is-- other than rotted. My first inclination is to use a piece of oak (perhaps an oak riser). As you suggested I will probably prime it and put some durable deck paint on it before installation. Given that there is not a straight line or standard anything in the whole house, I think the challenge of the project will be finding a replacement sill and fitting it. Thanks again for responding.

[Jeff Wisnia]

I'd agree with the oak if you can get it. If you can't get oak, then go with pine.

Paint on linseed oil thinned with mineral spirits. That stuff soaks in well and is likely what they would have used back when the place was built. It's what I use on the sills of my 22 year olde home too.

You can add a little dark oil based stain to the mixture if you want to give it a nice "lived in look" in a hurry.

Jeff

[dpb]

...

If you use oak, be sure it's white oak, not red. Red oak does NOT stand up to weather well at all (being ring porous and all).

Oak has advantage of being hard but in old house with uneven/out of square may be more difficult to work while fitting unless have jointer, etc. Not impossible, just more effort.

For the application, I'd probably go w/ the pine or fir as more "period". As you note, even with pine, it likely will outlast you... :)