Threshold - cross beam on the floor at the bottom doorway. The threshold, like the door, in popular belief is a direct and symbolic boundary between the house (one's own, harmless) and the rest of the outside world (alien, dangerous). Moreover, these ideas can be found both in everyday life, and in various ritual actions, especially in rites of passage - maternity, wedding, funeral.

When building a house and during the rite of passage to new home the owners take a number of actions for further prosperous living. So, first of all, the owner lets a cat or a rooster through the threshold of the house: if the rooster goes towards the red corner, life in the new place will be happy, if towards the threshold - not.

In everyday life, the threshold is associated with special rules of behavior, as well as certain prohibitions: You cannot sit or stand on the threshold.

But despite the fact that this rule is always declared, in practice, collectors constantly observe violations of these rules by village residents: neighbors who have come for a short time, not to visit, but to tell or ask for something, often sit on the threshold.

People do not greet people or pass things over the threshold; they do not cross the threshold without the owner’s invitation. Moreover, the threshold is only one of the symbolic boundaries existing in the house. So, someone who comes to the house can cross the threshold, but at the same time he cannot go further than the matitsa without a special invitation.

Must be observed certain rules not only when entering the house, but also when leaving it. When leaving home, you must say a protective prayer at the doorstep and ask permission from those who will protect you on the way.

The threshold (together with the porch) is of particular importance in the matrimonial relations of village youth. A guy is not allowed to cross the threshold of the house where the girl lives: anyone who enters the house is assessed by the elders as applying for the status of a groom.

At parties, the threshold turns out to be the location of the village boys: At such meetings of girls, the village boys came, sat at the threshold, and had their conversations.

When a guy took a girl from a holiday to his house (in the village it was called getting married with a self-propelled gun or a rolled-up cigarette), the girl became a wife, that is, she changed her maiden status to a woman’s as soon as she crossed the threshold of the guy’s house.

The husband's parents meet the newlyweds at the door, presenting them with bread and salt. In the Leshukonsky district of the Arkhangelsk region, the young woman should have immediately, “from the threshold,” asked her mother-in-law for permission to call her “mom.”

In the Arkhangelsk region, when the bride was taken to the bathhouse, she was not supposed to touch the threshold with her foot - “otherwise the girls from the village will not get married for a long time.”

In the maternity ritual, the threshold is associated with a number of magical actions, especially in cases of difficult childbirth: my grandmother gave me some water to drink. And she was doing something at the door. They say the threshold was washed at the door. And they gave us water to drink from the doorway.

In the funeral rite, when the coffin is taken out, it is necessary to hit it three times on the threshold so that the deceased can say goodbye to the house. After the deceased was taken out of the house, they began to wash the floors from the threshold.

The threshold serves as a place for performing healing magic: the patient lies on the threshold along the floorboard, and the healer performs a magical action on him.

The threshold as part of a doorway is found in descriptions of fortune telling. Thus violating the ban, they sit on it while calling their betrothed or finding out their future fate. Often used various items: mirrors, candles, horse collars.

The threshold is associated with the idea of ​​memory and oblivion. So, for example, there are a number of proverbs on this topic: memory is like a threshold; I crossed the threshold and forgot.

IN Soviet times installing a threshold on interior doors was mandatory. Today this is decided by the owner of the premises in which the door block is installed. When choosing an option with or without a threshold, you must first take into account all the advantages and products.

Advantages of door thresholds

The door threshold is a useful invention. It performs many important tasks.

1. Improved sound insulation in the room. However, it is worth considering that sound absorption largely also depends on the material. door leaf. If you want to set a threshold specifically for this purpose, then door frame must have a rubber seal.
2. Preventing odors, smoke and burning from entering other rooms. This is especially true for doors at the entrance to the kitchen. But this function can be successfully taken over by a hood.
3. Improves the passage if the rooms have different floor levels. This happens especially often at the entrance to the bathroom and toilet.
4. Acts as a waterproofing barrier. This also applies to bathroom doors. Concrete and stone thresholds in the bathroom are especially good at preventing water penetration.
5. Protection from drafts and dust. Thresholds help keep the room clean.

Thresholds and associated inconveniences

A door with a threshold installed also has disadvantages.

1. Complicating the installation of floor coverings.
2. Obstacle in daily walking indoors. This is especially inconvenient if there are small children or disabled people in the house.

Materials for manufacturing

If, after weighing all the pros and cons, you decide that you need a threshold, then you need to decide on its type and material of manufacture. Interior thresholds can be made from:

• wood;
• plastic;
• concrete or stone.

A wooden threshold can be made of oak and pine, and oak will be more durable. Thresholds made from this material are most often selected and installed because they go well with any type of floor covering. The only drawback of such products is the need to paint or varnish them from time to time.

Metal thresholds are made of aluminum, stainless steel, and brass. They last longer than wooden or plastic thresholds. The most common are aluminum.

The threshold for an interior door made of plastic is the most cheap option, but it also has a shorter service life. This threshold is appropriate if the door frame and leaf are made of plastic.

A laminate threshold will look harmonious where the floor is made of the same material.

Doors with a stone threshold can most often be seen at the entrance to a house or apartment. Concrete or stone is also used for thresholds on balcony door. This material is the most durable, but it is difficult to install a threshold from it if the door frame is already installed.

Types of door thresholds

When choosing a wooden, metal, stone or any other threshold, take into account the features of the room and the opening in which it will be installed. So, the threshold in the bathroom must be made of moisture-resistant materials. If the floor levels in the rooms are different, then this also needs to be taken into account when purchasing a threshold.

Based on the characteristics of the room and operating conditions, the following types of thresholds can be distinguished:

• ordinary;
• multi-level;
• guillotine threshold.

Multi-level thresholds are used where there is a difference between the floor covering different rooms. In such a situation, you can attach the threshold in the form of a wide strip at an angle.

The guillotine threshold is not suitable for every door. It cuts into the bottom end of the door leaf by 20 millimeters, so it is not used for doors with a thin bottom beam.

Setting the threshold

The choice of length, width and color of the product is quite large, so before going to the store, measure the width of the opening and the gap in the flooring that needs to be closed with a threshold.

Prepare the opening before starting installation. Remove the old threshold, if any, remove debris and dust, and make sure the integrity of the floor covering. After these steps, you can begin installation.

Thresholds can be attached traditionally, using self-tapping screws through drilled holes, or hidden. In this case, the fasteners will not be visible. The installation method depends on the product you purchased.

A traditional installation involves drilling two or three holes through which the threshold will be secured in place. The caps of the self-tapping screws are recessed into the material of the product.

Hidden installation is typical for laminate thresholds, which consist of a fastening strip and an upper decorative element. The plank, hidden from view, is attached to the doorway with self-tapping screws, and the top plank is placed on top of it by snapping or gluing.

Installing a threshold on interior doors with your own hands is not at all difficult. Everyone can cope with this task.

Interior thresholds are functional design. Its main role is to mask the joint different coatings or floor levels. They are required to improve the design of rooms and make the home comfortable. Therefore, you should know how to set the threshold of an interior door to avoid mistakes.

The main advantages of the designs are:

• noise reduction.
• protecting the premises from odors;
• protection from dust and drafts.

Types of thresholds and their functional purpose

According to the design features, there are flat, T-shaped, flexible or overhead thresholds with external or hidden installation.

Rice. 1. Threshold options

Based on the building materials used, you can purchase the following types of systems:

Rice. 4. Plastic threshold

Fig.5. Metal threshold

Wooden products can be made with your own hands, but they will not look like those made using specialized equipment. Brass thresholds will last forever, aluminum products are more affordable, and you can accentuate your attention with a polymer profile with a textured finish. Plastic thresholds are quite flexible; they hide various joint defects.

How to choose a threshold for an interior door

Nowadays, even professionals find it difficult to make their choice from the variety of door thresholds offered by different manufacturers. In addition to wood products, stores have many components, which need to be selected according to the following criteria:

Choose correctly the right type The threshold is needed not only for external attractiveness, but also for functional and quality indicators. You should also take into account the features of the room, the opening where the structure will be mounted. For example, for a bathroom you should choose a product made of moisture-resistant material.

Based on the conditions of use and the characteristics of the room, an ordinary, multi-level bar or guillotine threshold is distinguished. Multi-level types are used in places where there is a difference in coverage different rooms, but a guillotine is not installed for every door.

Suitability of installation in the bathroom and toilet

Installation of any threshold for rooms with high humidity is rational decision, because if the pipes are damaged, washing machine the thresholds will protect against flooding of other rooms.

If you use a threshold as waterproofing in case of a possible water supply failure, then you need to install a stone version. To prevent humidity from increasing in the bathroom, you should install an electric fan in the ventilation duct or buy a box without a seal, leaving a gap of 4-5 mm between the threshold and the bottom end of the door.

Thresholds and associated inconveniences

Doors with built-in threshold structures have some disadvantages:

• They get in the way when constantly going to the room (especially when there are disabled people or children in the family);
• They complicate the installation of flooring.

Installation methods

Once the dimensions of the thresholds for interior rooms have been determined wooden doors, begin installation work. The installation process of such a structure can be carried out using different methods.

Installation of a wooden threshold

When choosing wood, it is better to purchase a ready-made kit with characteristics corresponding to the parameters of the opening. Before installation, remove the old fasteners, clean the surface of debris, and level the concrete screed.

After determining the dimensions of the future structure, its height is calculated and grooves are made from the bottom of the side posts based on the measurements taken. After measuring the width of the box, the wood blank is cut, inserted into place and hammered through a special gasket.

The threshold should be drilled in several places so that the points are visible. After you remove the threshold, holes are made according to the marks on the concrete and fasteners (dowels) are hammered into them. Then the threshold is put in place, screwed with self-tapping screws and their caps are recessed into the strip. The holes are filled with putty.

When installing wooden threshold in a toilet or bathroom, you need to ensure that its height is such that there is a gap of 4-5 mm between the panel and the strip for air flow into the bathroom and the efficiency of the supply and exhaust system.

External and internal methods of fastening door thresholds

The following installation methods are distinguished:

1. Drilling holes in the sill for fastenings into which elements are placed and fixed with self-tapping screws. Despite its simplicity, the method will not be aesthetically pleasing.
2. The hidden installation method is labor-intensive, but its use results in an attractive design. The lower part of the threshold is installed with self-tapping screws, and the upper part is mounted in special grooves. There are also sill models where a decorative layer is glued or snapped to the bottom element.

With the help of external fastening, the threshold is easier to fix, but internal method would be preferable due to aesthetics. This applies to laminate products where a neat appearance is required.

Rice. 8. Threshold fastening diagram

Guillotine threshold - a useful novelty

Recently, anti-thresholds have become popular, which are traditionally placed at the bottom of the door, but can be mounted at the top of the opening. The structures are called guillotine or smart thresholds, they are required for sealing, increasing noise and thermal insulation of the door, protecting the room from smoke, wind and dust. They are versatile, durable and attractive.

The passage between adjacent rooms is a place of increased risk of injury, since most often the joint created when combining floor coverings in these places is covered with a threshold, which many people “really like” to trip over. Let's look at what the thresholds are for interior doors, what are their features, advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages of door thresholds

Many homeowners install door threshold interior door for a specific purpose.

They are based on the following advantages of this element:

• the level of noise generated during operation of doors is reduced, but the degree of reduction directly depends on what the door leaf is made of. More solid wood has best characteristics sound absorption, and when installing hollow there is a high risk of squeaks and other noises. Separately, for noise absorption, thresholds with a rubber backing are used, which acts as a seal;
• the threshold reduces the passage of air masses between rooms, which is very useful function when installed in the doorway of a kitchen unit. When the kitchen has open hearth, oxygen is used for its combustion, which means that if there is a shortage of it, some of the air will come from neighboring rooms. It is best to make the room airtight from the side front door using a threshold, and access oxygen through a high-quality window unit with ventilation function (more details: " ");
• the previous function also works in the opposite direction, protecting the rooms adjacent to the kitchen unit from the penetration of smoke, odors, etc. Naturally, maximum protection is not guaranteed and installation of a hood will be required to improve the ventilation characteristics of the room;
• finally, the door frame with a threshold at the junction between the coverings of two adjacent rooms will be protected from the penetration of dust and the formation of drafts;
• some owners will also like the aesthetic side of the issue. In the photo and during visual inspection, the gap under the door will not be visible, which will create an additional feeling of prestige from such a high-quality element in the decoration of the home.

From all of the above, we can conclude that refusing to use the described element and installing a door without a threshold is acceptable, but it will be necessary to use alternative means for noise and sound insulation.

Installation of doors with a threshold in a plumbing unit

It is not difficult to understand that an elevated threshold can protect owners from potential flooding of the apartment if a leak occurs in the plumbing unit, but such protection will not be absolute. Reliable protection thresholds provide only when there is a small amount of flowing water, and a full-fledged flood, which was prevented, will render the protective structure unusable, after which it will need to be replaced.

Best in quality waterproofing protection use a stone threshold that is not afraid of intense exposure to moisture. However, such an element has a significant disadvantage - high risk injury when hitting a hard stone surface.

Before installing an interior door threshold in a plumbing unit, think about whether the ventilation in the room is secure. If you close the only escape route for air in the form of a gap under the doorway, then there is a high risk of increasing the absolute air humidity. A built-in electric fan or a 4-5 mm gap under the door can solve this problem.

Types of thresholds for doors

When choosing a threshold for a doorway, you should familiarize yourself with the varieties of such an element:

• wooden products are most often pine or oak. It is most effective to use them in residents’ personal rooms: bedrooms, children’s rooms, living rooms, offices;
• metal - made from a number of materials, but the most practical are aluminum. Metal allows you to give the threshold any shape during the production process. In this regard, single-level, multi-level and corner structures appeared;
• a less durable, but more beautiful and neat material for the manufacture of thresholds is plastic;
• The most expensive type of thresholds is stone, since it has high strength and a number of positive characteristics that allow it to be used in absolutely any conditions. It is very difficult to install such a threshold in an existing doorway with an inserted door.

Smart interior threshold

A unique product is the guillotine or, as it is also called, “smart threshold”. With its use appearance the room does not deteriorate, and cleaning does not become more difficult, as is the case with analog products.

The point is that such a threshold is installed on the lower part of the door leaf and begins to perform its main tasks only when the door is closed, and then open form- invisible to the eye. Thus, even the appearance of the door will not be spoiled in the photo due to an extra insert, and the room will be protected from the factors listed above.

The guillotine is cut to a door thickness of 2 centimeters, which makes it impossible to use such an element in the case of cheap door blocks, which have a hollow fabric structure.

Installation without threshold

If it is not possible to install a threshold, then you should study the installation technology without it:

• under door hinges inserts a strip of metal with a special button, which is pressed in when the door is closed. At this time, a spring is activated, lowering the rubber seal strip, reliably closing the gap under the door;
• the service life of such technology can reach 25 years;
• the only drawback is that the installation of functional parts will require work on the door leaf.

Bottom line

The article describes the main types of thresholds for interior doorways, as well as features of their application. In order for such a decorative element to last a long time and perform its functions effectively, it is necessary to purchase products from quality materials V construction stores. A low-quality design will quickly fail and new costs will be inevitable.

You are making renovations and decide to install new doors. It doesn’t matter if it’s a new living space or a refurbishment of an old one. Having decided on the door model you like, entrust the measurements of doorways to a specialist. In addition to the fact that the master will make the correct measurements, he will also give useful recommendations and advice.
When I come for measurements and make the necessary notes on the measurement sheet, I always ask the client if thresholds are needed.

What is a threshold?
The door threshold is the lintel of the door frame, which closes its contour at the bottom. Ensures a tight fit of the door leaf to the seal (if any) around the entire perimeter. Most often it is made from the same timber as the main structure of the door frame.
But! I almost always try to dissuade the client from setting thresholds, if there is such a desire, and in nine cases out of ten I succeed. Basically, when modern renovations they want to install thresholds in the bathroom and toilet.

Why do clients want to set thresholds? As a rule, the answer I hear is:
“It was like this before, we’re used to it.”
- So that you can’t hear it. (mostly we're talking about about the toilet)
- So that water does not leak through the threshold into the house. (this is about the bathroom)
– To hide the difference in floor level.
- So that it doesn’t get drafty.
The last argument is the only one that is difficult to argue with, especially if you really need to separate warm room from low temperature.

What am I guided by when dissuading clients from thresholds? I will express my personal opinion on this topic.
There is such a concept - to do it as for yourself, that is, well. So I would never set thresholds for myself. I don't want to bump into obstacles on the floor again. Especially if you have small children. The absence of thresholds makes cleaning the premises easier. Allows you to easily move furniture with wheels. Try to live without thresholds, you will see, you will like it.

As for the myth about sound insulation with a threshold. As practice and repeated tests in various TV shows show, the threshold almost does not save you from noise. How much you can hear what is happening in the room behind the door mainly depends on the design of the door itself. If the door itself does not block sounds well, then no threshold will help you. And in the absence of a threshold, sound vibrations reflected from the surfaces in the room in large quantities do not have the opportunity to penetrate the centimeter crack under the door. Whatever the door, if the sounds behind it are too loud sounds, the threshold is not a hindrance for them.

Now about the danger of water leaking into the house. If such a situation occurs, then the threshold is unlikely to help, and most likely its presence will aggravate the situation. At good repair Designers and builders will most likely make the floor level in the bathroom slightly lower than the main one in case of water leakage. If not, then the leaking water will still seep under the threshold through the gap, or overflow through it. In this case, the threshold will absorb large number moisture and will become unusable. If the threshold is made of solid wood and painted, after drying the paint will begin to peel off along the edges. If it is covered with veneer, it will most likely begin to peel off. If it is made of MDF, it will swell on all sides where moisture gets in. Even in the absence of leaks, sand particles will fall onto the threshold with shoes or slippers. In the middle of the threshold, wear will appear, especially on the threshold of the front door. On feet and house shoes, moisture from the floor in the bathroom will also get onto the thresholds, and over time the threshold will deteriorate.

If you have a difference in floor level, then when you set the threshold, it is possible that this difference will become even greater. Nowadays in stores you can find a lot of empty planks made of various materials, intended for connecting floor coverings laid on at different levels. But more often than not, with a good renovation, builders try to lay floor coverings in one plane. In my opinion, this is convenient, and therefore correct.

One of the justified options is to install thresholds to cut off the flow of cold air into a heated room from an unheated room, as well as from the street. Setting a threshold in this situation is simply necessary. This is also the most budget-friendly way out of the situation. But here, too, you can avoid installing a conventional empty beam by using a retractable threshold. But unfortunately this system is not cheap.

In addition, the height of the upper edge of the platband on a door with a threshold will be two to three centimeters higher than on doors without a threshold. If you place doors with and without a threshold next to each other, the difference in the height of the trim will be noticeable.

I will give the last and most compelling argument, after which customers almost always refuse thresholds.
The bathroom is a room with high humidity. Let's consider the situation when the threshold is set. After you have washed, the humidity increases significantly. To ventilate the bathroom, you need to either leave it for at least an hour. open door, or enable forced ventilation. But when the threshold is set, especially with a seal, there is no air flow, and ventilation practically does not perform its functions. Time after time, due to insufficient ventilation, fungus and mold begin to appear in the corners. Surely many have observed this in damp rooms.
Let's consider the option without a threshold. During installation, the technician makes a one-centimeter gap between the door and the floor. After you have washed, not only the humidity in the room increases, but also the temperature. In the presence of ventilation, even without turning on the fan, draft appears due to temperature differences. At this moment, bring your hand to the gap under the door and you will feel a fairly strong flow of air. The humidity in the bathroom will return to normal fairly quickly, and mold and mildew will not appear in the corners at low humidity.