Ideas to fix door threshold / step? (a bit buildy!)

[HandyAndy]

Afternoon all - I know this is probably more building work than woodwork but it involves wood and I figured you guys might help me overcome my current creativity block! I have a customer who wants me to sort out their back step (see attached pic)... 'sort out' meaning "I'm not quite sure what I want but can you just come up with something and fix it please?". So... there's wonky paving stones (laid on soil by what I can tell) with tiles on top, worn threshold on top of that and then the finished internal floor on top of the tiles... and the oak floor is higher than the threshold. As far as I can tell the door doesn't butt-up to the threshold at all so in its current state water could easily penetrate and ruin their lovely solid wood floor.

My current thinking is along the lines of, knock the house down and start again... I mean, remove the threshold, cut back the tiles and wonky slabs to the line of the solid floor edge, dig out the soil, put in 100mm of MOT1 sub-base, DPC membrane then build a new concrete / brick step. Remove the rain deflector from the bottom of the door (this will probably break when I take it off), fit a new wooden threshold that actually butts up to the door and is higher than finished floor level, re-fit new rain deflector, paint, seal etc. All in all 2-3 days work.

Can you creative types think of a simpler option?

 

[rdesign]

I'd run a mile looks like it could be a money pit for u if u give a fixed quote. would do materials plus 30 % and hourly for as long as it takes, little projects like this can take 2 or 5 days and then u hate it if its a pain in the buttocks and loosing u money.

unfortunately my advice is from experience fixing a front door it was a bear... and i had a fixed price

regards Richard

 

[Zeddedhed]

I'd say your idea sounds sensible and is probably one of the best ways of solving the problem. You may want to try and get a lap with your DPC and also check out vertical DPC behind frame. Definitely do it on daywork rate though like rdesign says. Jobs like this have a habit of running away from you.

 

[Self Taught]

Hi Andy,

It looks like a good hiding spot in there for problems. I wouldn't give a definite quote, on labor, materials, or completion. You can always bid high to give yourself an out if not comfortable with the job. Jamey

 

[HandyAndy]

Cheers for the replies guys - kinda echoes my sentiments. Looking at the pic again I bet whoever put the floor in also trimmed the door without sorting the threshold and rain deflector. The deflector is *very* close to the bottom of the door. Watch this space!

 

[razornut]

I'm no chippy but I am a door fitter mainly steel but I have done a similar one. If the underlying concrete allows. I did something similar to what your planning. Then a shallow foundation. To put an old fashioned. Mach step to fix to. Then I sealed the underside. Just a suggestion. Worked for me. And looked ok

live life to the fullest. You only get one. at least in most cultures. :-S