Terrace doors with low threshold

Hm, we had the problem of water ingress for example with our "old" balcony door despite a 15 cm threshold.

Of course, water should not already be standing on the glass, but I don't necessarily consider water ingress during heavy rain the most important criterion for or against a low threshold...

Hello Doc,

The water should of course not already be standing on the glass, but I don't necessarily think water ingress during heavy rain is the most important criterion for or against a low threshold...

But it should be, because "derstefanm" or the parents' window fitter is actually right. In "nordanney" it is probably not a problem because there is enough space under the bangkirai for the water to drain away.

There are quite a few window fitters - including ours - who explicitly point out this problem and get a "liability waiver" in case their concerns come true. Because DIN 18195 says at least 15 cm above the finished floor covering - so above the terrace. You can reduce it to 5 cm, if a drainage channel with a drain into the sewage system is present or if the terrace is covered.

From practice: some time ago we looked at a used property where a balcony had been built on one side in the attic and the access to the room behind it was sealed off with a door threshold (sliding door). Despite the balcony being covered, water stood in the room; very easy to see because night storage heaters were still installed in recesses behind the panes inside the building.

By the way, why was an external window sill installed on the terrace door in your construction project?

Rhineland regards

But there is something else - new construction thresholds. Google that, they look different.

I consulted Aunt Google. But I'm not really any wiser. Is it about having no thresholds at all anymore? Do you perhaps have a specific source of information or a picture so I can imagine the whole thing?

The window installer who installed the doors and windows in my parents' extension said that if you install a door with a low threshold, there is no warranty that water won't enter from outside during heavy rain.

Our construction company also brought up the topic. But he didn't mention anything about warranty exclusion. He said we need to use different window profiles, MD 90 instead of MD 82. These are permanently exposed to the weather. A corresponding drainage system on the terrace is also necessary.

Regards,
Alex

: Our terrace is open on three sides and at the edges it goes down just under 2 meters (in two steps). With this construction method, I can't imagine that the water on the terrace could ever rise so high that it would push in at the door.

The exterior window sill was installed to our standard – underneath there is a gravel bed with drainage to keep moisture away from the house wall.

Is that unusual?

Regards,

Dirk

Hello Dirk,

: Our terrace is open on three sides and at the edges it drops down just under 2 meters (in two steps). With this construction method, I can't imagine that the water on the terrace could ever rise so high that it would push in through the door.

It depends on the substructure and the slope, I would say. However, I assume that your supplier’s substructure would not take any risks and that the substructure along with the slope is correct.

The exterior windowsill was installed as standard with us – underneath there is still a gravel bedding with drainage to keep moisture away from the house wall.
Is that unusual?

Yes. Normally, the terrace covering is pulled into the recess instead of the windowsill. For this reason, no windowsills are planned at the terrace doors on our ground floor.

Rhenish greetings

We also omitted all window sills at all patio doors on the ground floor... Then there was a credit of about €1000 from the general contractor. Before they bend them for us, that's what we thought.