# Alternative Cill threshold for Doors



## LBCarpentry (22 Sep 2018)

Currently making an internally opening front door and am thinking of an alternative to using the typical storm guard or rubber thresholds that are designed to act as draught seal to the underside of the door. The door frame itself has a low profile Oak cill and is internally opening. 

I am considering using AQ21wiper seal and machining it into the underside of the actual door itself. When the door is closed, the seal will be doing it's job by pressing against the Oak Cill. When the door is open you won't see any threshold as it's attached to the underside of the door. Can anyone think of a reason why this would be a bad idea? There will be a timber weather bar attached which stops rain water getting anywhere near, as it should.

Chars!


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## MikeG. (22 Sep 2018)

Lots of after-market draft seals work on that principle, albeit normally with a brush rather than rubber seal. The only issues I can foresee are an uneven floor under the door-swing, which might induce excess wear, and the problem of changing it if and when the seal wears out or splits. I guess the other thing is that it could collect up grit and debris, and scratch the floor.


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## LBCarpentry (22 Sep 2018)

The frame itself is made with a 30mm Oak Cill so no issue regarding floor. The door will sit perfectly square within the frame. 

I think I'll give it a go!


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## Doug71 (22 Sep 2018)

You could be fine, I find it all depends on the location of the door. 
We have a shop and I wanted flat cills on the entry doors so there was nothing to trip over. The cills are just flat stone, the doors have a weather board on and a brush on back and in 10 years never had any water come in. My house front door which is done properly with a weather bar in cill and seals etc can get water coming in if it rains heavily in the wrong direction.


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## Trevanion (22 Sep 2018)

Yes, it will work. I've done it in the past with one seal machined into the drip (Weather bar as you call it) and another in the underside of the door, because the customer didn't want a visible threshold.

Still prefer the aluminium thresholds though.


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## kevinlightfoot (23 Sep 2018)

By alluminium thresholds do you mean a Macclesfield step?


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## MikeG. (23 Sep 2018)

kevinlightfoot":1ira7ed1 said:


> By alluminium thresholds do you mean a Macclesfield step?



No, these sorts of things.


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## Jacob (23 Sep 2018)

Doug71":1t4j3o04 said:


> You could be fine, I find it all depends on the location of the door.
> We have a shop and I wanted flat cills on the entry doors so there was nothing to trip over. The cills are just flat stone, the doors have a weather board on and a brush on back and in 10 years never had any water come in. My house front door which is done properly with a weather bar in cill and seals etc can get water coming in if it rains heavily in the wrong direction.


I have similar. In fact flat thresholds were the norm - built up cills strictly a modern novelty to trip over.
Mine has an extra feature - a channel cut into the stone under the door which will catch rain blown under and drain it off at both ends. I'll do a photo tomorrow.
It works brilliantly - I've watched it when there's been a rain storm and a gale with water pouring off the door and nothing gets past it.


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