How to remove a door bar threshhold

[MyNameIsUrl]

I’d like to remove a rather ugly and ill-fitting aluminium door bar without damaging the flooring on either side. There are ceramic tiles and one side and laminate flooring on the other. I suspect the door bar is like an H on its side in section.

Does anybody have any experience of removing these? I’m thinking possibly angle grinder to cut in vertically along the centre, or possibly sliding something sharp under one side to cut through the vertical web.

[richlist]

What are you planning to do with the gap once the old door bar is removed ? A new one won't fit. We had a mahogany one machined to fit our gap and at the correct height.... but we were able to screw it down across the threshold as we knew where the pipe runs were.

[bungeejumper]

Ceramic tiles, laminate, soft aluminium, angle grinder. What could go wrong? Better to take your time and do it the slow way with a hacksaw, unless it can be (tidily) drilled through at the two sides and then simply lifted out.

Speaking of which, do the two lower edges of the sideways-H shape fit underneath the tiles on one side and the laminate on the other? Are you sure it's not a T shape, which would be easier? If not, and if the bar is screwed down to the floor with the laminate on top, you might need to reckon on lifting the last half inch of the laminate and then fitting a slightly wider threshold in something kinder, such as hardwood.

Or buy a can of enamel and paint the ruddy threshold a different colour?

BJ

[Should have added]: if you do end up marking the laminate despite everything, a suitable filling wax such as Liberon (available in dozens of wood colours) could save your marriage.

[9873210]

Do you know how the laminate is installed? This is of course easiest to answer if you installed the laminate.

If you have a floating floor removing and relaying laminate can be almost as easy as rolling up a rug. Sometimes the hardest part is removing the furniture. If I had a floating floor I would not hesitate to temporarily remove the laminate before replacing the threshold.

[richlist]

But there are ceramic tiles fitted over the other half of the threshhold strip......lifting the laminate aint gonna fix it.....is it ?

[bungeejumper]

But there are ceramic tiles fitted over the other half of the threshhold strip......lifting the laminate aint gonna fix it.....is it ?

Well, it wouldn't be easy. But if the laminate could be lifted, the OP could probably access a few of the mounting screws and then use a chisel to jemmy a little bit of upward mobility under the bar. (I don't expect the screws are very substantial?) Then it'd be in with the hacksaw blade to saw through the remaining screws which he can't see yet, and Bob's your Barry Bucknall. (Look him up.)

OTOH, he could paint the bar a better colour and pour himself a nice cold beer.

BJ

[MyNameIsUrl]

What are you planning to do with the gap once the old door bar is removed ? A new one won't fit...

I don't expect necessarily to remove the whole of the door bar. Just the top part maybe - which is why I mentioned cutting through the vertical web or using a grinder to remove the top part of the bar.

An upside-down-T would be left in place, and the new bar would be something like this: https://www.stair-rodsdirect.co.uk/door ... or/chrome/

[9873210]

But there are ceramic tiles fitted over the other half of the threshhold strip......lifting the laminate aint gonna fix it.....is it ?

It solves at least half the problem. Probably a good deal more than half because it gives access. A place to put your reciprocating saw to cut horizontally or prybar to lift vertically. Things you can't do when there is flooring on both sides.

[richlist]

I wouldn't want to be prising anything up when there is a ceramic tile cemented on top of it !

[88V8]

What are you planning to do with the gap once the old door bar is removed ? A new one won't fit...

I don't expect necessarily to remove the whole of the door bar. Just the top part maybe - which is why I mentioned cutting through the vertical web or using a grinder to remove the top part of the bar.
An upside-down-T would be left in place, and the new bar would be something like this: https://www.stair-rodsdirect.co.uk/door ... or/chrome/

Can't see how that chrome one fixes... anyway to get the old one out, an angle grinder won't cut to the end, so to cut that last inch or so at each end I'd use a Dremel. The cutting discs are fragile but they'll do the job if one is careful.

V8

[Itsallaguess]

I don't expect necessarily to remove the whole of the door bar. Just the top part maybe - which is why I mentioned cutting through the vertical web or using a grinder to remove the top part of the bar.

I think some good cutting disks in a Dremel would be the way to go, although as someone's already mentioned, the whole job would be a whole lot simpler if the laminate could be rolled out on that side, to gain better access to the side you've got a chance with...

If that is possible, then depending on the depth of the rotated H-legs compared to the accessible depth of any Dremel cutting disks, you might need to do two cuts, one to the top bar on the laminate-side half of the bar, to expose the vertical bar a bit better, and then another one further down the vertical bar to remove the remaining top bar over the tiles, so something like this -



Source - my own picture

I've had good success with similar Dremel tasks when using these types of metal cutting disks - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dremel-SpeedClic-Cutting-Wheels-Accessory/dp/B001DHAT00

There's a good YouTube demonstration of how good they are with this type of application here - https://youtu.be/JSnXzMNgTHI?t=590

The only issue you might have is getting the required cutting access right to the ends, but I suspect you'll be able to get quite close with a full new disk in those areas, and then there may be a bit of peppering with a small drill needed, and then hopefully being able to peel back the final end sections with a good pair of pliers...

Anyway, something to throw into the mix for consideration...

Cheers,

Itsallaguess

[9873210]

The only issue you might have is getting the required cutting access right to the ends, but I suspect you'll be able to get quite close with a full new disk in those areas, and then there may be a bit of peppering with a small drill needed, and then hopefully being able to peel back the final end sections with a good pair of pliers...

There are Dremel tools that cut on the other axis, you could use one of those for finishing the ends rather than chain drilling.
(basically the difference between a horizontal and vertical mill).

https://www.quill.com/Dremel-Tungsten-Carbide-Cutters-1-8-TUNGSTEN-CARBIDE-CUTTER/cbs/265627.html

[servodude]

The only issue you might have is getting the required cutting access right to the ends, but I suspect you'll be able to get quite close with a full new disk in those areas, and then there may be a bit of peppering with a small drill needed, and then hopefully being able to peel back the final end sections with a good pair of pliers...

There are Dremel tools that cut on the other axis, you could use one of those for finishing the ends rather than chain drilling.
(basically the difference between a horizontal and vertical mill).

There's also the vaguely named multi tools:
https://www.blackanddecker.com.au/products/power-tools/multi-function-tools/oscillating-multi-tools
- which with the right blade can make quick work of plunge cuts

-sd

[Itsallaguess]

There's also the vaguely named multi tools:

https://www.blackanddecker.com.au/products/power-tools/multi-function-tools/oscillating-multi-tools

- which with the right blade can make quick work of plunge cuts

They can, and I've had great use out of mine for similar 'slicing and dicing' jobs with the brilliant plunge-blades, on all sorts of materials including metal sheeting, but they're certainly not the most delicate of tools to be working with, and the opportunities for long-term regret when working so closely to any already-installed ceramic floor tiles are, I think, enough to urge a little caution around the use of one for this particular task...

A dremell might take a little more time, but they can be used much more delicately and in a much more forgiving way on this one, I think...

Cheers,

Itsallaguess

[88V8]

There's also the vaguely named multi tools:
https://www.blackanddecker.com.au/products/power-tools/multi-function-tools/oscillating-multi-tools
- which with the right blade can make quick work of plunge cuts

Indeed.
As IAAG says, multitools can get a bit overenthusiastic until one has had a bit of practice, but they do make light of tasks that would otherwise be difficult.

I have a cheapo Ryobi multitool, and buy blades from Saxtons who are one of the leading specialists. Here are their metal blades https://www.saxtonblades.co.uk/fein-multimaster-bosch-makita-compatible-blades/metal-blades

This one in particular is designed for getting into awkward corners https://www.saxtonblades.co.uk/fein-multimaster-bosch-makita-compatible-blades/metal-blades/flooring-blade

V8

[servodude]

There's also the vaguely named multi tools:
https://www.blackanddecker.com.au/products/power-tools/multi-function-tools/oscillating-multi-tools
- which with the right blade can make quick work of plunge cuts

Indeed.
As IAAG says, multitools can get a bit overenthusiastic until one has had a bit of practice, but they do make light of tasks that would otherwise be difficult.

I have a cheapo Ryobi multitool, and buy blades from Saxtons who are one of the leading specialists. Here are their metal blades https://www.saxtonblades.co.uk/fein-multimaster-bosch-makita-compatible-blades/metal-blades

This one in particular is designed for getting into awkward corners https://www.saxtonblades.co.uk/fein-multimaster-bosch-makita-compatible-blades/metal-blades/flooring-blade

V8

I've got an 18V cheapo one that gets far more use than I ever thought it would - it does have really good speed control, going nice and slow to get things started
The real trick though is they let me come in to a cut from the right side at the right pace and moving only one Cartesian axis!!
- or perhaps I'm just carp with rotary tools... often ends up looking like a 5yr old dragged a crayon over whatever I was working on

[jfgw]

Do you have any record of the type and brand of threshold this is? Different ones fit in different ways. One thing you can be certain of is that it is not a simple "I" shape—remember that it had to be laid in the first place. (That should be a seriffed "I", like an "I" beam or an "H" on its side.)

The transition strip may be in two parts, where one part is fixed to the floor first (possibly under the flooring one side), then the top part clips onto this. Another type is one-piece but, rather than being a simple "I" shape, the vertical part is a zig-zag shape that allows the cover to be knocked down with a hammer and a length of wood, https://www.amazon.co.uk/Door-Bar-Tile-Laminate-12mmx915mm/dp/B00G93AZ9I.

This is not something I have done but I would probably first try to pry up the strip and see what gives.


Julian F. G. W.

[jfgw]

Regarding multi-tools, a word of caution if buying a new one:

Many of these now come with the Starlock blade fitment. The patent is owned by Fein and Bosch but other brand machines also use it. This has at least two disadvantages:

You have to buy Starlock blades. I have only ever seen Bosch and Fein ones. The cheaper blades from other manufacturers do not fit.

You cannot fit a Starlock blade the "wrong" way around so that it is offset the other way. Doing this can be useful in tight spaces.


Julian F. G. W.