ADA and Section 504 threshold drain sill for flush thresholds

[Jean Tessmer-HI]

Has anyone used a sill drain to protect the structural integrity of a home entrance or patio access from water intrusion? I have seen ones made from copper and their are some named such as suresill or jamsill. I don't know how good they are. Can any be used to create that low profile entry without causing the door jambs and framing behind it to rot away?

 

[SCBO1]

Jean, I would think that the jamsill or sureseal would raise the threshold up and you would have to accommodate the increase sill height in your design by adding material inside and out or lowering the framing below the sill to meet the ADA maximum sill height allowed?

Thanks for sharing the information, I have not seen that product, we used silicone caulking for years and set our decks down a 2x6 width to help prevent snow intrusion.

 

[Jean Tessmer-HI]

Pcinspector1 - thank you for the response. I was looking at a way to prevent water intrusion for FHA and ADA low profile thresholds. It seems they are so low that water could wick into the sill plate and rot the structure surrounding such a flush door entryway. The inventor of the sureseal says he is an expert on water intrusion on his website. I think its suresill.com. These are also manufactured in copper. I was thinking of depressing the entry finished floor to the back line of the wall sill plate about 1/2" to allow for a three sided sill pan and the thickness of the threshold 1/2 to 3/4 inch is allowed. The problem is where will the water being drained from the suresill or jamsill go to outside since it has to run downhill. I have seen systems with trench drains for the threshold drain pan but that would increase material costs and labor. Plus if there is no legacy or manufacturers assurance that the system as a building component would work, could create domino effects of problems down the line. Your systems seems good and simple, its just not considered wheelchair friendly. Even with a ramp that may allow the water a way into the house. Let me know if you know of a manufactured system that would include where the water would go once its on the outside. Here are a few links.

Window & Door Sill Pan Flashing - Aluminum, Copper, Stainless

Window and Door Sill Pan flashing Metal custom made. Any size or shape. Shipping Available. Copper, Stainless Steel, Freedom Gray, LCC and more.

www.riversidesheetmetal.net

VersaPan™ Universal Sill Pan | Door Threshold Solutions

VersaPan™ Universal Sill Pan is an easy-to-install, sloped sill pan solution that helps protect your door threshold by driving water away.

www.betterdoor.com

How to Install a Door Sill Pan - BetterDoor

www.betterdoor.com

 

[Yikes]

If it is new construction, then here's one approach:
Make the exterior concrete slab 1/4" lower than the interior finish floor.
Use an ADA compliant offset saddle threshold, such as the Pemko 158 or equivalent:

Run a bead of silicone caulk on top of the concrete under the threshold to serve as a total 1/2" high "dam".


On the exterior side of the threshold, install either a linear shower drain or pool deck drain across the entire door opening.


Checkout ADA 302.3 for size and orientation of drain openings at required door clearances / maneuvering spaces.

Another alternative is to slope the exterior landing away at 2%, under a canopy or covering.

 

[Jean Tessmer-HI]

Yikes! Thank you for your response. Can you tell me how you would suggest resolving the wide channel of the sliding door track and how to add on a make shift bevel for the inside face, since the outside can drop vertically 4" for impervious surfaces. Seems like a sill drain pan could work but do I need some kind of removable infill in the close to 3" wide channel track for the sliding door that creates more than a 1/2" wide gap deeper than 1/4"? Are there recommended trench drains like the shower one that can be used outside that you may have tried. I like the Pemko threshold! I think that might be the best solution but instead of bevel back a flat back to accommodate the height of the flooring?
Jean T.

 

[Yikes]

Jean, sorry if I missed it earlier, but I wasn't aware until now that you were referring to a sliding door.
Most residential-grade sliding doors simply do not meet ADA. The track exceeds 1/2".
If I'm doing ADA on a residential (public) housing project, my patio doors are usually swinging doors.

If you have the money to spend and can afford a recessed track with built-in drainage, check out a company like Panda Doors:

 

[Jean Tessmer-HI]

Yikes! I also found out that, there is no such thing as a way to make a
Sliding door — a door that consists of manually operated door panels, one or more of which slide or roll horizontally within a common frame, and can also contain fixed lites/panels.

I checked the WDMA site - Windows and Door Manufacturers Association and called some of the bigger manufacturers like Milgard and Andersen, both said they could not build them to meet ADA or FHA without compromising the drainage channels requirement enforced by certification testing under the WDMA. There seems to be no such thing. Your idea of using swinging doors seems to be the best. As always thank you for you information.