A threshold (or doorsill) is what you have to step over when you enter most homes or shower enclosures. More specifically, a threshold is the area directly beneath any door when that door is in the closed position. THRESHOLDS ARE WHAT WE TRIP OVER, UP, OR DOWN THE MOST! Traditionally there have been two rationale for thresholds:

1. To keep water and critters from entering the home; and
2. To stop water from coming out of your shower enclosure. 
   for photos of shower thresholds click here

In 1995 Three and one half million people in North America had tripping accidents in their homes which resulted in perrmanent disability or death. In addition to these serious accidents, the number of people who suffered other injuries is over nine million. The majority of these accidents occurred to people over the age of 60. The next largest group was children under the age of 5.

The cost of eliminating a threshold on an exterior entrance door will run anywhere between $25.00 - $40.00 per standard door. The cost includes labour and material and assumes that you do not have some weird and wonderful non-standard flooring.

Executed properly the USER FRIENDLY Threshold will provide you with a more effective water barrier than standard construction and should far exceed your local building code specifications.
In his book, USER FRIENDLY HOMES - Building for the Future, Patrick Simpson details a step by step process for :