Replacing rotten Door Frame Cill

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oakfield

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I have been asked to replace a rotten cill on a front door frame.

It's not something i would normally do - I would prefer to replace the frame but it's an original with arched fan light at the top and the customer doesn't have the budget for it.

Ideally i would take the frame out to replace it but that is not going to be possible.





What would be the best way to deal with this? Is it simply to cut across the bottom of the jambs and slot in a new cill?

Thanks,
Mark.
 
Is it really rotten, or just worn?
It seems to have already had a patch on top, so there is a really quick bodge solution of pulling that patch off, and replacing it with a new bit of oak. You could even use a piece the right length!

I guess you'd need to shape the bottom of it to fit into the worn shape of the old bottom cill piece, and use a good gap filling Gripfil type adhesive.

In my limited experience, trying to remove bits of things and squeeze replacements in is never easy and takes a disproportionate amount of time - ok for me doing a diy job, but not so good if you are charging for it.
 
Looking at the pics I think that the whole cill has been added later to take into account of the outside gound level being raised.

If the is the case it should be a case of removing the old one and putting in a new one the same way.

Tom
 
The simple way is to remove cill and place in shaped new cill full width but slipped in from inside house to out so forming angle seal with bottom of stops/legs of standards, you pack up level and then seal. Care is needed removing old cill and not damaging standard or stops, they could be tenoned/toothed and paint sometimes causes problems of pulling up timber and splitting as you remove!

Is the mat recessed or sitting above the flush it could it impede access of new cill? If it is clear you can slip in form the back as I describe, flooring may need removed to give space/it does not look to me you can slip in on the angle and this has issues as you cannot get full width which is better finish coming straight through so to speak. If mat is proud you will need to remove mat and flooring around standards to allow slipping in the new cill. More work but only way to get true finish, unless as you state remove and replace full standard. I have patched windows/standards but this calls for dovetailing the patches ok for temp fixes and if paint finish. If you can get room to get in from the back you should be able to leave a good and respectable job. Just more man hours to remove and fix floor etc.
 
Take of the door to give yourself room, cut the old cill in the middle and at an angle. Now you can establish if it has been built as part of the door frame i.e tenoned, by wiggling a half pulling it at the same time. If tenoned, be prepared to saw or chisel out the old tenons. Now with a new cill piece, full slap width, but a bit thinner than the old one put this into position with some epoxy on the ends where it will meet the bottom of the frame jambs, wedge the new cill up with plastic folding wedges (the ones you can get that have teeth on the mating faces too lock them together) both sides, once the epoxy has gone off, fit some more of the folding wedges along the cill length, fill any outside gap with a polysulphide compound, finishing off with a neat bead. The inside should be filled with a self hardening compound or better still, expanding foam, which you can cut back flush when set...bosshogg :)
"I am free of all prejudices. I hate everyone equally." - WC Fields. :lol: :lol: :lol:
 

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