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  1. #1
    lgswe is offline Registered User Promoted
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    Exterior door sill/jamb thickness

    What governs the thickness of the sill/jambs on exterior doors? I have outswing french doors and the sill area on the inside of the door is higher than the finished floor level. I don't want the sill to show on the inside. I was going to make a p-solid and make the material the same as my interior floor to fill the area between the finished floor and the doors and was hoping I could make the sill thinner (lower than the finished floor). I know I could lower the entire door unit to get the sill below the level of the finished floor--but. Am I going about this in the "correct way"? All help is always deeply appreciated.
    Larry Sweeney
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  2. #2
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    Hi Larry,

    I (probably just like you) just searched the Reference Manual with zero results and I looked squarely at the exterior door default settings dialog and came up empty.

    I just never thought of this as a problem that I needed to solve.

    My advice is to just adjust the "Floor to bottom" setting or use "Transform-Replicate" tool to get the look you want, adjusting the door height lost by doing so if you deem necessary.

    I do think the simplest solution is usually the best. I think it is safe to say that even if you intend to use the Materials List or make a Door schedule that getting the visual you want takes precedence and other matters can be adjusted to suit the overall outcome.

    DJP
    Last edited by David J. Potter; 03-10-2011 at 12:29 PM.

    David Jefferson Potter

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  3. #3
    lgswe is offline Registered User Promoted
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    David--Thanks. I was thinking on the same line as you. I was hoping for a different outcome though. I wish that at "some point/version" CA would give us options on sills. Both doors and windows need to be updated. At least you can adjust window frames.
    Larry Sweeney
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  4. #4
    lgswe is offline Registered User Promoted
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    I found some strange things happening when I lowered the door unit. Looking at the door in a cross section it shows the sill approx. 1/8" higher than my 3/4" finished wood floor before I did any lowering. I lowered the door 1/4" and the door dropped 1/4" below the subfloor and I lost the sill altogether. When that happened I thought I would try raising it to see what would happen. I raised the door 1/16" above zero and looking at the cross section the door raised 1/16" above the subfloor. It kept the sill this time on the outside but CA put an apron under the sill. WHAT GIVES CHIEF?!!!!! Does this happen for anyone else? This is happening for a out-swing door. I'll have to "research" a little more and see if CA behaves the same for a in-swing door. Would this be a "bug" or has CA always worked this way?
    Larry Sweeney
    Designer/Builder/Restorations/Period Cabinetmaker since 1972

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  5. #5
    lgswe is offline Registered User Promoted
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    Yes, it works the same way with a in-swing door. I don't know at this time how to avoid these "problems", but I don't think they are right. Could anyone running v10, X1 or X2 check this out and report you outcome. I know everything won't be the same because of the differences with X3 floor layers, but see if the problem with the sill disappearing when lowering or the addition of an apron when raising the door unit.
    Larry Sweeney
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  6. #6
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    Larry,

    That is a question for the likes of Doug/Dan Park, Dermot etc since it is a programming/code thing.
    I am sure your seat of Chief is not different from mine (same code symbols)
    I would be interested in their responses as well.

    DJP

    David Jefferson Potter

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  7. #7
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    Larry,

    I strongly suspect that this is SOP for Chief. Generally speaking the top of an exterior threshold in the real world is 1/8"-1/2" above the finished floor. With in-swinging doors this prevents the weather stripping on the bottom of the door from scraping the finished floor. Twenty years ago I build my house with a flush threshold on the front door - it's been a bit of an annoyance ever since. I wouldn't do it like that again.

    I'm just guessing, but when you move a door up or down, Chief is probably just making allowances for what's a non-standard condition. Maybe not right, but......

  8. #8
    lgswe is offline Registered User Promoted
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    I'll give this thread a little time. Maybe one of them will answer here. If not after a day or so I'll send it in for verification.
    Larry Sweeney
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  9. #9
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    Larry,
    Does suppressing the sill in the casing tab of the door spec dbx give you what you want? kinda?
    Jim
    Thanks, Jim

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  10. #10
    lgswe is offline Registered User Promoted
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    David- The problem with leaving the sill where it is is that it looks like heck. (I'm being conservative) When I try and do any kind of "adjusting" I get these unwanted looks on the exterior. As to actual sills on exterior doors--a in-swing door must have a threshold of some type on top of the sill so if you have weather stripping on the bottom of the door it would not rub the inside floor. One way to avoid this is to have the weather gasket/stripping mounted on the threshold, but you still need clearance for rugs or mats inside of the door. As to my case the doors are out-swinging so I don't have to worry about the inside clearance (we're talking the "real world" of course). Also on any door (well, almost all, with the exception of custom options) the actual sill stops at the inside of the door or no more than where a 2x4 wall would come. If any extensions are added it only applies to the jamb. I'm talking about out-swing doors in this case. The way CA works, if I had a wall 12" thick the sill still comes all the way to the interior side of the drywall. I know CA can't "adjust" things for every type of situation, but if I wanted to "adjust" the door myself (up or down) to get the "look" I'm after on the interior I should not have to deal with the results on the exterior of the door (sill w/apron or no sill) I get with moving it either up or down. Do we agree on that?
    Larry Sweeney
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  11. #11
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    Here I've used a custom doorway. Please notice that the sub-floor shows, there is no sill.

    It would be easy from here to make your own sill, and patch in the floor.

    Also notice the door symbol DBX
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    Last edited by billemery; 03-11-2011 at 10:47 AM.
    Bill Emery

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  12. #12
    lgswe is offline Registered User Promoted
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    Bill -- I can get that same look by lowering any exterior door 1/16".
    Larry Sweeney
    Designer/Builder/Restorations/Period Cabinetmaker since 1972

    Chief X5, AutoCad 2010
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