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How to fill gap between entry way and door sill?

curiousblackswan

Hi community, would love some advice on the following.

Fill gap between entry way and door sill that has sub floor
Best way to pack out and trim left and right sides of where I removed bricks as this was a window.
Damp Proof / Inject Lime mortar?

This room was an old sleep out which was bricked up well and truly before I purchased it but entry was through the main house.

This was a window which I converted quite a few years back to French, parliament hinged doors. The doors have a solid jarrah frame, the etched glass was already 6.5mm but has been laminated for safety. They are being stripped and redone.

Bricked up with red kiln fired bricks, cavity (can’t see a damp proof course), but perhaps the subfloors and the other vents allow for that?

Also, in the process of stripping the paint. It’s a process and yes, it’s lead paint and I believe should never have been painted as those bricks should breathe? Will leave the render.

Sub floor of 700mm - Inspection Points / Access

Only where the gap is where I removed a floorboard and quarter round to re-do the door sill, paint doors, reinforce underneath traffic area.

Limited access as no inspection point other than one where the floorboards meet (well don’t meet) I made under the kitchen bench and one which has now been walled off to the main house.

Used my go pro on a piece of conduit and there is no sign of pest or rodent activity / treated anyway. No sign of rising damp but still wonder if I should do something about damp proofing?

Jarrah joists and bearers still look in great condition.

Mid doorway sits exactly where the middle bearer is. No bounce etc.

Questions and advice please:

Since everything is getting it's summer body back, can I please have suggestions of first priority to close the entry way gap. I originally packed out with off cuts of jarrah and sistered the bearer. And put a length of 19 x 135 jarrah and quarter round on top. Has been great for 10 years. No photos of the layout unfortunately.
- Have never used plastic shims.
- Do I need more flashing?
- Is it ok to completely fill the gap (not the full subfloor gap), but under the door sill.
- More sistering?
Fill gaps left and right of doors.
- Will obviously put trim back, but do I need damp proof? If so, what?
- Was thinking backing rods? and or expandable foam like HB Fuller Firesound. Have never used this one before, but do know expandable foam and I are only just becoming friends.

Thank you in advance. Hope this makes a semblance of sense.

Look forward to hearing back and thank you.

The Curious Swan

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Flooring

Doors and Windows

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MitchellMc

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @curiousblackswan . It’s great to have you with us and many thanks for your question on sealing gaps.

Thanks for providing all that background information. It sounds like you've got a few different areas you're looking to address while the doors are being refurbished.

Before recommending how to fill the area beneath the sill or the gaps down either side of the frame, would you be able to share a few photos of those areas? In particular, it would be helpful to see a close-up of the gap beneath the sill and the exposed brickwork on either side of the frame.

Whether the area beneath the sill should be packed with timber, shimmed, flashed or otherwise filled will depend considerably on how the sill, bearer and surrounding masonry are currently arranged. Likewise, I'd want to see the side gaps before suggesting backing rod, expanding foam or another method of sealing them.

Regarding the damp-proofing, given that you're not currently seeing signs of rising damp and the Jarrah bearers and joists appear to be in good condition, I wouldn't recommend injecting a damp-proofing product simply as a precaution. Let's first establish how the existing wall and doorway have been constructed and whether there is actually a moisture issue that needs addressing.

Once we can see those areas, I'm sure we'll be able to provide some more specific recommendations.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

JacobZ

Hi @curiousblackswan,

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community, it is fantastic to have you join us.

Alongside the areas Mitchell mentioned, considering it appears to be a deck leading up to the doorway, is there anywhere you can grab a photo showing what is underneath the doorway beneath the deck?

It could certainly help to see what the structure looks like beneath the doorway.

Jacob

curiousblackswan

Thanks @JacobZ and @MitchellMc , yes sorry, I meant to and then published it too soon.

The whole place looks extremely ratty (not of the rodent variety…) at the moment. The house is WWII Service Home so good bones, but won't be here forever. Let me know what else you need.

MitchellMc

Thanks for the additional photos @curiousblackswan . That makes the situation much clearer.

Looking at the sides of the doorway, I wouldn't try to fill those larger gaps as they currently are. Since the brickwork sits proud of the door frame, I'd be inclined to cut back the existing bricks on either side of the opening and continue suitably sized timber down each side to the sill, as above. This would pack out the sides and leave you with a much smaller and more consistent gap between the new timber and the brickwork.

You could then seal that remaining gap with an appropriate exterior flexible sealant, using backing rod first if the gap is still too deep. That should give you a much neater result than trying to fill the large irregular cavities with expanding foam or sealant. Once painted, the additional timber should also look like a natural continuation of the existing trim above.

For beneath the sill, if your previous arrangement of solid Jarrah packing supported by the bearer remained firm and trouble-free for 10 years, I wouldn't see a reason to introduce plastic shims simply for the sake of it. The important thing is that the sill is continuously and firmly supported rather than relying on isolated packing points. I'd also avoid blocking any necessary subfloor ventilation or creating a situation where water can become trapped against the timber.

On the damp-proofing side, I still wouldn't be inclined to inject a damp-proof course when you're not seeing evidence of rising damp. The condition of the Jarrah framing after all these years is also encouraging. I'd concentrate on properly weather-sealing the new doorway rather than introducing a remedial damp treatment for a problem that doesn't appear to exist.

Mitchell

curiousblackswan

thanks @JacobZ & @MitchellMc - I am really hopeless at this, but love the suggestions. And no idea if I am using the right terminology.

DOOR SILL / SUBFLOOR / GAP ETC -

Ok, I will stick to my original jarrah packing configuration for the gap. And sand, varnish etc the 19 x 135 jarrah board I used on top, with quarterround.
So no need for extra flashing? The lead flashing that I put underneath and around edges of the oak door sill is still good, but anything underneath where the bricks and gap is? It's not really exposed to weather there mind you.

BRICK GAPS LEFT AND RIGHT

Any particular backing rod you would suggest?
I am a bit confused about "cut back the brick because it sits proud". It's a me thing, don't worry. I get that it sits proud, but when I cut the old sash window out, I used the same lintel and frame of the window. This is what the inside looks like. Will be replacing those parliament hinges (I think that is the right name?), once I've taken the doors off and repainted etc. The doors open completely outwards and sit flush (well apart from the conduit on the right hand side. I did have angle trim over the gaps prior, but have removed for the surgery! And some of the architrave is actually made from skirting boards because I was exceptionally broke at the time. 😀

MitchellMc

I'm referencing the bricks on the left and right-hand sides, on the lower half, @curiousblackswan.

As per the image below, the proud bricks need to be cut back, to form a neat edge, instead of the stepped appearance. The above timber, that surrounded the window, should be continued down to the door sill at the bottom. That is how you fill the large gaps.

The current gaps are far too large for backing rods and it would be difficult to fill these areas as is. You really need to install a door frame for the lower section.

Mitchell

curiousblackswan

thanks @MitchellMc and thank you for the diagram. It has been working fine for 10 years and I literally put angle trim on the left and right to make it look presentable. The house will not be here for more than say 3 years so I might just fill it the shark bites with backing rod again and then put trim back on.

With regards to the old school soakwell, which works totally fine, never floods etc and there are several around the house, would they lead to teracotta soakwells from late 1940's, mid 50's and should I just leave as is? I have never been able to get any plans for my house. I have put new soakwells, grate drains in the driveway, backyard etc.

MitchellMc

If the existing soakwell is working perfectly @curiousblackswan, isn't overflowing during heavy rain and there are no signs of persistent dampness, subsidence or other drainage issues around it, I'd be inclined to leave it exactly as it is. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Given the age of the house, it's certainly possible that the original drainage leads to an older-style soakwell or rubble-filled soakage area, but without plans or excavating the area there's really no way to know exactly what was installed. Older soakwell systems can continue working perfectly well for many decades if the surrounding soil continues to accept the water.

You've already added new soakwells and grate drains elsewhere where they were required, so I wouldn't disturb an existing system simply to determine what's underground. The main things I'd keep an eye out for are water backing up through the drain, pooling after heavy rainfall, persistently damp ground or subsidence. Those would give you a reason to investigate further.

Mitchell