How to Install & Remove Door Thresholds

Door thresholds can have multiple benefits: adding style, as well as making your home safer and more energy-efficient. But, to ensure you’re making the most of your door thresholds (also known as door bars), it’s important that you learn how to correctly fit them.

To help, we’ve created this guide, which explains exactly how to fit a door bar. In it, we’ll cover:

WHERE TO PLACE YOUR DOOR THRESHOLDS

Once you’ve chosen the style you’d like, you’ll need to know exactly where to place the threshold under the door. As the above diagram shows, your door bar should be fitted over the gap that is created where your carpet (or laminate flooring) on one side of your doorway fails to meet the flooring on the other side. To get the most accurate positioning, your threshold bar should lie directly below the door, so that you can’t see the strip when the door is closed.

HOW TO INSTALL A DOOR THRESHOLD

Installing a door threshold can be a simple DIY job, whether you’re dealing with carpet or wood flooring — or both! Here, we will be explaining how you can do both.

HOW TO FIT A DOOR BAR OVER CARPET

The carpet in your doorway should be fitted with carpet grippers and underlay to keep it securely in place. When you add a door bar across the edge of the carpet, the carpet will be forced down onto the pins of the gripper rod to ensure that the edges are supported. Please note: the gripper rod is only required to hold the carpeted side of your flooring.

To fit your door bar over two different areas of carpet you’ll need to follow these steps:

Measure the width of your doorway: Place your door bar against the door frame at floor level and mark the end point of your doorway onto the door bar with a pencil, so that you know what size your door bar needs to be. It’s also particularly important to measure the gap between the bottom of your door and the floor. This is the absolute maximum height that your door threshold could be as, if it exceeds this, you won’t be able to shut your door.
Cut your door threshold: In cases where your door thresholds aren’t the right size for your doorway, you’ll need to cut these. Before you do this, we would recommend using a square to ensure that the cut you’ll make will be a right angle and so will fit the doorway properly. Place your threshold onto the workbench and saw your door bar from the underside with a circular saw, making sure to double check the measurement. If you don’t get a clean cut first time, you can sand the edges down.
Drill pilot holes: Pilot holes are important to have as these will reduce the chance of your thresholds splitting when it comes to inserting the screws in them. To do this, mark four screw openings at even intervals across your doorway. It can also help to apply a dab of Gripfill or mastic to the floor where the screw will penetrate it as, once set, it will form a support against the excessive pressure from drilling. This will stop the door threshold from slipping during installation. Make sure that you match your door bar up with your pilot holes and make some markings to show where your screws need to go.
Secure the door bar in place: Line your door bar up with the pilot holes you’ve made, ensuring that the wings of the door bar are over the carpet gripper. Using a drill bit with a screwdriver tip, insert the screws according to the markings you’ve made. You will need to secure these as tightly as possible to prevent movement and you will also need to ensure that the screws are straight to avoid them becoming trip hazards.

We have a beautiful selection of carpet to carpet door thresholds for you to browse. They are available in a range of sleek and sophisticated colourways, including brass, chrome, pewter, and black.

HOW TO FIT A DOOR BAR OVER WOODEN OR LAMINATE FLOORING

The process for fitting door bars over wooden or laminate flooring is very similar to when you’re dealing with carpet, but there are some key differences. Here’s what you need to do:

Measure the width of your doorway: Measure the width of your doorway with a tape measure, and then use this measurement to mark where your door bar will need to be cut to get the perfect fit. Be aware that, if you have concrete subfloor, you may have to substitute the nails for glue. You can do this by applying a strong adhesive to the wood flooring and placing your door threshold over this and pushing down — polyurethane glues are best as they are more water-resistant than their polyvinyl acetate counterparts. Leaving something heavy on top of the threshold for a couple of hours can ensure it sticks down properly.
Cut your door threshold: If your threshold is too big for your doorway, you’ll need to cut it down. To do this, attach a hand clamp to a workbench, secure your door bar into the clamp claws and saw it to the length you need. A circular saw will be best for getting a clean line but, if there are any rough edges, be sure to use sandpaper to smooth these out.
Test your installation: Before you secure your door bar to the floor, lay it in the doorway and try opening and closing the door to see that everything’s in order. If it catches, you can make adjustments by filing the door bar down.
Drill your pilot holes: Drill four holes at even intervals into your doorway. Make sure that these are slightly smaller than the mounting screws you’ll be using as this will ensure a secure hold. Mark these intervals onto your door threshold strip in pencil, so that you know where your screws need to be inserted.
Fit your door bar: Once you’ve made the holes, you can then line your door threshold up where you want it and use a hammer and finishing nails to secure your door bar to the subfloor.

Our selection of hard floor to hard floor thresholds are perfect for finishing your laminate or wooden flooring. We have a choice of standard and specialised finishes, including antique brass, satin nickel and black. We also stock two way ramps to cover height differences between your flooring — check out our ramp widths guide to ensure you find the right one.

HOW TO FIT A CARPET TO LAMINATE DOOR BAR

It’s not uncommon for some homeowners to have carpet to laminate transitions in their homes, and the good news is that you can use door thresholds to neaten up the edges and help to streamline these areas. To fit these, you’ll need to follow these steps:

Measure your doorway: Place your chosen threshold against the doorway you’ll be inserting it in and make a mark where the end of the door is.
Make pilot holes: Pilot holes are an important part of fitting thresholds over any type of flooring. Drilling these holes help to guide your screws into the flooring, taking the pressure off your door bar and will prevent it from potentially snapping. To do this, make at least four screw-sized holes in the floor where your threshold will be going. Note: you may need more of these depending on the width of the doorway as longer thresholds may need more support.
Cut your door bar: If your door bar is too long for your doorway, you’ll need to cut it down to the appropriate size. Attach a hand clamp to a workbench, securing your door bar into the clamp claws. You can then use a circular hand saw to cut the door bar to size form the underneath, ensuring that you sand any rough edges down. It’s always better to cut it too long and rectify it than underestimate the size you need. Once you’ve done this, you will need to drill holes in your door bar that align with the pilot holes you made in the floor — make sure you are using the correct size drill bit for this to ensure your nails will fit well.
Insert the nails: Place your door bar over the doorway so that the holes are aligned. Put one nail into each hole and using a hammer, tap the head of the nails firmly until they are fully secured in the holes.

Here at Stair Rods Direct, we have a stunning collection of carpet to hard floor door thresholds for you to browse. There are nine finishes to choose from, including polished, satin and antique styles, so we’re sure you’ll find the perfect one for your home here.

HOW TO REMOVE DOOR THRESHOLDS

Whether you’ve just moved into a new property and aren’t happy with its existing door bars, or you want to give your interiors an overhaul, it’ll pay to know how to remove door thresholds yourself.

In most cases, removing a threshold should be as simply removed as they were installed. Typically, your door bars will be held down by nails or screws, so once you know which one it is, you can begin removing them.

If your door bars are held down by screws, then you can remove them using a screwdriver with a corresponding head size. If you find that they are being particularly stubborn, use a hammer to softly tap the top of the screws which should encourage the release.

If it’s nails that are holding down the door threshold, you can remove these with a pry bar or hammer. If there doesn’t seem to be any movement when you’re pulling the nails out, it might be that your door bar is also being held down by adhesive or adhesive tape and will need lifting using a utility knife.

Here at Stair Rods Direct, we have a wide range of door threshold bars including minimalist look, posh and T-bar door thresholds, so you can guarantee there is something to suit your flooring — we have plenty of tips for choosing a threshold in our guide to door thresholds. If you’re looking for some other finishing touches for your home, we also stock stair rods and brackets, runners, skiffers and more that might interest you.

If you have any questions about the products we stock, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us via email on [email protected] or by phone on 0330 113 4909.