I'm in the middle of rehabbing a duplex. The units have a common foyer area. I want to put new steel doors on each unit so they can be secured separately from the foyer. That way the foyer door won't be the main security for the units. All I can find though is exterior doors with a sill plate. What have you done before? Any recommendations?
You can go with the commercial-grade steel doors designed for apartments or condos. They are solid, secure, and can be installed with just a threshold, not a full sill. Look for doors rated for exterior use, with proper stripping, but that don’t require a big step over. Adding a quality deadbolt and strike plate will give each unit its own security, independent of the foyer.
You can go with the commercial-grade steel doors designed for apartments or condos. They are solid, secure, and can be installed with just a threshold, not a full sill. Look for doors rated for exterior use, with proper stripping, but that don’t require a big step over. Adding a quality deadbolt and strike plate will give each unit its own security, independent of the foyer.
Agreed. I read the OP's question as "threshold" and answered appropriately. I'm not sure about steel doors, but the exterior grade fiberglass doors come pre-hung with a threshold. This is what I have installed a bunch of times. I've never actually seen a pre-hung door with lumber below the transition piece. If you went without "anything", I think you'd have trouble with sealing the bottom of the door with the foyer if you were looking for something without a dedicated threshold. Not to mention, during installation the door frame would rack without a bottom piece and be a pain to hang. A door slab would be even worse. I've tried that before, with abyssmal results.