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Door step - fixing question

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Door step - fixing question

Postby NickM » 01 Dec 2021, 15:46

We’re having our kitchen renovated. One internal door has a small step down into the kitchen. It was a piece of ply screwed down to a wooden subframe and the hall carpet came down over the front edge. It always looked a bit of a mess so we’ve decided instead to make a wooden step and have the carpet stop further back (with a metal carpet strip for us to trip over!).

I’ve got as far as roughly making the new step with some oak. It currently looks like this:

E12DA338-BF09-4651-A218-AC48BFC453BC.jpeg
(351.37 KiB)


It’s still in two pieces which I’ll edge joint and glue together and in due course it will be stained dark (to match more closely some other wood outside the kitchen).

My question is how to fix it in place. I’m currently thinking of screwing it down along the back edge (holes would be counterbored and plugged) so any movement will be at the front edge. However, I can’t leave the rest of it completely free floating because I think it will wobble slightly and rattle when walked on. Would it be best to screw it with oversized holes to allow a bit of movement (again plugged)? I suppose the other option would be to pin it and hope that the pins give more flex than nails. I could probably fill the pin holes.

Any thoughts on this/other suggestions would be welcome.
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Re: Door step - fixing question

Postby RogerS » 01 Dec 2021, 17:42

Seal whatever is underneath the step...concrete, whatever with PVA or any of the more exotic sealants the get some heavy weights standing by, squirt some expanding foam on the concrete ....Goldilocks style....not too much...not too little...put the step in and the weights on top. Even better if you can get a couple of wee wedges in at the sides then you'd not need a weight.
If opportunity doesn't knock, build a door.
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Re: Door step - fixing question

Postby Mike G » 01 Dec 2021, 20:30

Yep, that sounds crude, but it isn't. It's as good a way as any when you've an uneven or weak substrate to deal with. The standard foam doesn't expand anywhere near as much as it did 15 or 20 years ago, so don't worry too much about it pushing your step out of place. If you are going to screw and plug, then I presume you'll counterbore and plug, will you?
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Re: Door step - fixing question

Postby the bear » 01 Dec 2021, 20:44

CT1 if you don't want to use foam

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Re: Door step - fixing question

Postby Cabinetman » 01 Dec 2021, 21:20

CT1 from me as well, it’s uses are almost endless, brilliant for leaking gutter joints.
As it says on the advert you can glue bricks together underwater- still not sure why anyone would want to lol
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Re: Door step - fixing question

Postby AJB Temple » 01 Dec 2021, 21:34

I would use CT1 too - and recently did for my own oak double doors and frame set. However, if you prefer foam you may not be aware that there is available a low expansion foam that is much more controllable in that is you fill a gap with it, it stays at pretty much the volume that you squirted. Under £10 a tin, with built in applicator.
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Re: Door step - fixing question

Postby RogerS » 01 Dec 2021, 22:31

I agree re CT1 but......you have no idea of the size of the cavity.
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Re: Door step - fixing question

Postby AJB Temple » 01 Dec 2021, 22:49

True Roger. If I was dealing with a big cavity beneath the step I would be mixing some mortar up (or for very deep then concrete). Quick, cheap, solid. Then fix the step to that.
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Re: Door step - fixing question

Postby MJ80 » 02 Dec 2021, 07:57

Silka floor adhesive in a sausage tube.
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Re: Door step - fixing question

Postby NickM » 02 Dec 2021, 13:42

Thanks for the replies.

Under the step is a wooden frame so it's mostly a void. I think I'll have a go at screwing it down (Mike, yes, I'd be counterboring for plugs) and see how it sits.
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Re: Door step - fixing question

Postby RogerS » 02 Dec 2021, 13:50

CT1 in that case and no need for screws.
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Re: Door step - fixing question

Postby Sheffield Tony » 02 Dec 2021, 14:08

I suspect if you screwed it to the wooden frame at both sides it would be alright. I put down an oak boarded floor with tongue-tite screws without leaving anything appreciable in the way of gaps for movement, and there has been surprisingly little movement, nothing problematic, over about 1.5m width made up of 5" T&G boards. You could make the holes oversize and use a washer (hidden by the plug) if concerned.
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Re: Door step - fixing question

Postby NickM » 02 Dec 2021, 16:33

RogerS wrote:CT1 in that case and no need for screws.


One potential snag with glue is that the step slides in from the front under the existing door surround so I think I'd be scraping the glue off as I push the step into position.
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Re: Door step - fixing question

Postby NickM » 02 Dec 2021, 16:37

Sheffield Tony wrote:I suspect if you screwed it to the wooden frame at both sides it would be alright. I put down an oak boarded floor with tongue-tite screws without leaving anything appreciable in the way of gaps for movement, and there has been surprisingly little movement, nothing problematic, over about 1.5m width made up of 5" T&G boards. You could make the holes oversize and use a washer (hidden by the plug) if concerned.


Yes, I wonder if I'm worrying a bit too much about movement. The step will be a little under 300mm wide so we wouldn't be talking huge movement. A mm or so perhaps? I'll use a washer or a washer headed screw in a slightly oversized hole (and oversized counterbore). I think I can give it a bit of wriggle room like that. If it wobbles or creaks, I can always start again!
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Re: Door step - fixing question

Postby NickM » 02 Dec 2021, 16:40

I made a step for another of the kitchen doors last night. I think I might look at gluing this one down because it does wobble a bit on the slightly uneven quarry tiles underneath.

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