How to Remove a Rotten Door Threshold

Rotten door thresholds can be unsightly and unsafe. A rotten threshold can cause deterioration to the other surfaces it contacts. These surfaces include the door jams at the edges of the threshold and the sub-sill beneath the threshold. Decay happens when moisture penetrates the protective coating on the threshold. Routine paint and sealant maintenance can inhibit decay, but if the wood is already rotten, then you must remove the threshold. This project shouldn't take you very long if you have the right tools.

Hand saw
Flathead chisel
Hammer
Pry bar
Leather work gloves
Protective eyeglasses

Instructions

- 1
  Open the door.
- 2
  Measure the threshold and place a mark in the center of its length.
- 3
  Set the blade of a saw on this mark and cut the threshold in half using a hand saw. Avoid cutting the flooring inside the door and the sub-sill beneath the threshold.
- 4
  Unscrew all screws holding the threshold to the sub-sill with an electric screw gun.
- 5
  Place a flathead chisel down in the groove between the back of the threshold and the inside flooring. Hit the chisel with a hammer to force the threshold to move outward. Lift the chisel and do this every inch along the groove between the inner flooring and the threshold.
- 6
  Slide a pry bar beneath the threshold after the groove between the inner flooring and the threshold is wide enough to accommodate one. Strike the end of the pry bar with a hammer to help lift it up. Repeat this process until you can remove the two halves of the threshold.
- 7
  Pull one half of the threshold out from under the door jam and then pull the other half out.

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