I’m really at a loss here. In a doorway in my house lies this old wooden treshold-plank, firmly wedged under two old doorposts.
Now, I have laid wall-to-wall-carpet on both sides of the treshold-plank. The carpet lies about 1 centimeter lower then the surface of the thresholdplank. The carpet has unsightly, loosethread edges, so I want to secure it from unwinding any further and hide it from view. But anything I can fix over the carpet-edges (like a wooden or metal strip) will look ugly and uneven, because it will reach the same height as the threshold-plank. Curling it around a strip and then pinning it down is no good either, because the carpet is too stiff.
The best thing would be to remove the plank, lay in the carpet and put the plank back. But as I said, the plank is fixed and unmovable, pinned under the doorposts.
I have grilled my local DIY-shop employees for a solution, to no avail. Anyone? Before I stumble over my ugly, temporarily glued down, but still loose carpet-edges and break my neck?
Good idea BF, it certainly would look good, but there is very little space between the door and the old threshold. The door almost touches the threshold as it is, now. Would a thin threshold (it could be no more then 1-2 mm thick) withstand the stress of walking on and over it? Or is there a way to scafe the threshold evenly thinner?
You may not even need to cut the old threshold to remove it. If it’s not fastened to the 3/4" (?) doorposts, prying on the center of the threshold might allow you to wiggle it out. You’ll need to take out the nails or screws holding it down anyway, so try prying before cutting.
If you fix another piece over the existing threshold, you will be increasing the height difference and this may create a trip hazard going into the room. And you may have to plane a little off the door to make it work, too. Changing the existing threshold isn’t going to work if it is fitted below the door frame, as you would need to remove it to allow the threshold to come out.
Why, again, can you not fit the standard carpet threshold strip in front of the threshold? (Or like this?)
They would sit in front of the existing threshold, hide the edge of the carpet and tidy up the joint.
Maybe its just me, but I’m having trouble envisaging a situation where these wouldn’t work for what you describe.
They certainly shouldn’t be up to the same height of the threshold, but sit slightly below it, being fixed to the floor below the carpet first.
Why can’t you just fold the carpet under its-self and tack it down, thats what the pro’s do.
If this is an inner door you really have no need for a threshold.
Your building center should have a carpet edge strip, position it at the edge of the threshold and slip the carpet in the opening and hammer it shut.
Guys, (I assume you’re guys?) thanks for your input. I spent last night seeing if it was possible to remove or cut out the threshold, on the suggestion of Philster and Squink) but I do not want to risk it. The house is very old, and the whole doorway seems to be built on that threshold. Who knows what could happen if I would weaken that support, either by removing or cutting out? Besides, the thing is fixed with decades of plaster and paint. Cutting it out probably would look worse then it does now.
Aro, I already have a carpetstrip fixed to it on one side. It’s the broad flat kind meant to cover two edges at once. That was the only kind I (and my hardware store) knew about. It fits badly for two reasons:
[ul]
[li]there is less then 1/2 cm height difference between the threshold and the carpet, because so much insulaton is put under the carpet. If I want to join carpet and threshold, the strip has to be fixed in a tilted way, which is both ugly and dangerous. [/li][li]The doorpost is ribbed, which makes it difficult to fit a broad metal strip securely against. Gaps remain. [/ul] [/li]Tacking and nailing the carpet under itself, as **herman_and_bill ** suggested, might work (I definately will try it) but I am afraid the carpet is too brittle, it tears already in some places where it is bent in a corner.
But the one-ended threshold strip in Aro’s link might work very well! I did not know they existed. It is thin, can be bended around the ribbed doorpost, does not have to connect threshold and carpet. And I like the look of it. Thanks, I have printed the webpage and I’m off to the towns biggest DIY-center!