Front door problems

[Lol]

Letting in windblown rain underneath. OK, it is warped, over half an inch inwards at the bottom (dammit typewriters used to have fractions why can't computers??) and it is a 2" door that opens inwards over a very hard old concrete sill.

There is no threshold or frame for the door to close against at the bottom, so that will never be a positive seal there anyway, and the concrete sill is about 3" above the fitted carpet indoors (that is starting to get wet).

I have tried a section of 4" timber weatherstrip raindrip whatever its called on the outside and that made no difference, obviously it is not sealing against the frame at the side either.

Options

- chop and move side rebate of the frame at an angle to match the door - bit of a bodge, would have to move it as door unwarps in drier weather, bad for security as well

- get a new door - I suspect modern doors are pretty poor quality (house is

1894) soon be back where I started

- visit one of the plastic emporiums that are everywhere around me - I just really dislike plastic!!

- the frame is a bit suspect, with chunks missing where earlier hinges were fitted, and shouldn't there be a threshold at the bottom that the door can close against?

Suggestions would be very welcome

Thanks, Lol

[Andrea Collins]

(snip)

???Try a reclamation yard for a decent door???

[Frosty]

¼ ½ ¾

Only real solution is a new plastic door with a transom fr you to trip over but will stop the rain problem Good luck :-)

[DIY]

Assuming this is a front door, I had a similar problem and as part of replacement of all windows and doors with upvc double glazing I didn't want a white upvc replacement front door on my Victorian house therefore I had the front door replaced with a Stormfront coloured composite door. This looks like wood and is a very close match to the original door 100 years old door that it replaced. See

for examples.

[Brian G]

Lol,

If you really want to keep the door, you could try the following:

It's possible to fit a 'low-line' Stormguard cill on a bed of mastic which will stop the ingress of water under the door - try the link for an example

As a further safeguard, to could fit a metal weather board to the outide of the door to complement the above - see link You could also try the frame draughtproofing product from the same company - again see the link With a bit of patience and effort, and providing neither the door or frame is rotten (essential), then by using the above products (or similar from other companies) then it is possible to get a water-tight/draught-proof door - and remember, for best results, always apply mastic to a dry, clean surface for best results.

As an old carpenter working primarily on housing maintenance, I have often used the Stormguard products to great effect on doors and frames far worse than what you have described - admittedly some adjustment has been required to the hinges and frame to get a reasonable fit!

Hope this helps?

Brian G

[Lol]

Thanks - an idea, but apart from obvious warping check, what to look for as a sign of quality?

Lol

[Lol]

keep the rain out, but let the cowboys in?? (How dya do that ¼ ½ ¾ stuff?)

Lol

[Lol]

Thanks, they look lovely, just what I want, but ... no mention of price anywhere?? Lol

[Lol]

Thanks, those products look excellent. Looks like I'd have to cut 30mm from the bottom of the door to make fitting space, but that is easier than buying and fitting a new door.

Yes, that helps a lot thanks.

Lol

[Bruce]

Hold down the ALT key then press either

243 to get ¾ ­­171 to get ½ or 172 to get ¼ then release the AT key

[Bruce]

Sorry - should have mentioned that 243, 171 and 172 are from the keypad not the usual numeric keys on the QWERTY keyboard!