Mention ADA-compliant door sills to most contractors and the first thought is liable to be “Callback!”
It’s no secret that door sills that meet Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards have earned a reputation for air and water leaks. As the accompanying photos show, the result isn’t pretty. Exterior sill failure can leave you on the hook for a damaged subfloor, flooring, trim, drywall, and interior finishes.
The problem is so pervasive, some fenestration pros will bake-in callback dollars into the quote, assuming the worst. Others resort to homegrown, improvised solutions in the absence of a compliant, water-rated system. Architects also get into the act with defensive designs like extended overhangs or recessed doorways to keep water away.
Crack the Code?
No one faults the need for a low-rise threshold. The minimal half-inch height is essential for a wheelchair, walker, scooter, or other mobility device, as well as minimizing tripping. What’s more, a surging Baby Boomer population makes this design feature a smart and welcome addition to nearly any single-family or multifamily housing project.
Yet up to now, no manufacturer has cracked the code on a water-rated, ADA-compliant sill system.
Few in the industry have investigated the issue more fervently than Adam Kendall. For Kendall, a product development engineer, the quest for a water-rated solution begins with a confession.
Difficult Lessons
“We’ve offered ADA-compliant door sills for many years,” Kendall says, explaining his work for building products manufacturer, Endura. “Unfortunately, our products suffered from the same air and water performance problems of every other manufacturer. There had to be a better way. We went back to the drawing board after listening to contractors and pre-hanging door specialists.”
Infiltration can come from multiple directions. Kendall and his team identified three performance vectors:
- Between the base of the jamb and edge of the sill
- Upwards pressure at the weatherstrip
- Sill underside
Solving for one doesn’t help. The engineering team understood only a comprehensive, whole-system solution would solve the vulnerabilities.
Modular Adaptability
The Endura development team reimagined an ADA-compliant door sill structure, inside and out. Innovations include:
- Full-length caulking strip on the sill underside, creating a seamless water barrier
- A sealing beak fitted beneath the weatherstrip to block upward hydraulic pressure
- Jamb boot and sealing gasket to block moisture movement between sill and jamb
- Switchable sill cap to conform to the flooring application – laminate, tile, or vinyl
- Inswing and outswing applications as well as sill extenders
- Specialty bulb cap options are also available (not ADA-compliant)
“We focused on adaptability,” Kendall reports. “Contractors, remodelers, architects, and pre-hanging pros want plug-and-play simplicity with water-rated confidence. It’s time to end callbacks and compromises over ADA compliance.”
Certified Up to DP-35
The patent-pending product is called the ADAptive Sill System. “It’s a modular assembly with a DP rating of up to 35, which is unheard of. The idea you can meet ADA standards without risking callbacks will be a pleasant shock for many,” observes Kendall.
For an aging marketplace increasingly mindful of housing safety and convenience, it’s a solution right for the times.
Learn more about a water-rated ADA-compliant sill system for your next project.
