Got a long time client that has a water infiltration issue with the basement door. The adjacent patio is about dead level and at the same elevation. Oh did I mention that there isn’t a threshold. (See picture) Would some type of dam or threshold work to keep the wind blown water from entering? Obviously the storm door would have to go. Perhaps a brick step? I really don’t want to get in to concrete sawing and putting in a drainage system, but it seems like the solution unless you could suggest something else.
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At a minimum there needs to be a threshold of some sort. Depending on the slope/exposure of the patio, though, and how the wind works, a threshold may not do much good -- water can pile up 2-3 inches deep on the end of a patio if the wind is blowing the "right" way.
(Actually, a door mat kind of like that one I see should help a little, by preventing water from blowing along the slab and into the door. But that'll only slow down the water.)
Not clear what you have to work with there. Is that a metal or hardboard door? What are the jambs like?
Many variations, but basically you'd cut off enough of the bottom of the door to allow a threshold of some sort under there. Obviously you want to avoid wood, so I'd suggest a stock aluminum threshold. Or you could mold one up out of (drumroll!!) thinset.
Ideally you'd like the threshold to run under the jambs, but in this case it's probably just as well to notch away the stops on both sides and just slide the threshold under them.
No way to do this "right", short of tearing out the patio, or at least digging a gutter in front of the door, but with a little cleverness (and a lot of caulk) you can probably improve things quite a bit.
Or you can get Snort to explain how a sill pan will fix everything.
No sireeeee, I'm strictly a
No sireeeee, I'm strictly a thinset man now... trying to learn something new every day.
Put a storm door over it. I learned this when I built on the Oregon coast. The storm door will leak but it will drain and wont get inside.
Thanks Dan, The jambs are metal(did some lock work last year). door is slab.
Thought about hydraulic cement or a Jambsill pan(no place to put the front outside lip).
It does have a storm door-maybe replacing the sweeps would help.
Probably the only solution that would work is cut in some drainage. OMG what pain it would be for this ol'man.
Ed
Snort- you want her? you'd have to commute to the west side of Durham.
Ha, Can I use the thinset?
Sure, click on our website below, and email or call me... but, fair warning: I charge extra if you wear that dark blue