A new whitepaper from Stormtech on seamless threshold drains examines their evolution into becoming the mainstay of sleek, contemporary and organic home design.

The whitepaper ‘Meet the Threshold – A seamless solution for your drainage project’ explains the need to install threshold drains to provide a seamless connection between indoor and outdoor living areas, eliminating the trip and wheelchair hazards of stepdown partitions.

The threshold drain’s smooth integration into the door track not only delivers unimpeded access for mobility-impaired occupants, but also creates excellent continuity between indoor and outdoor environments.

The threshold drain consists of an external linear grate placed beside the door-track. An integrated, concealed, sub-sill collects water and condensation around the doorway and conveys it to the external drainage system. The streamlined design creates a disguised water barrier between indoor and outdoor living areas, eliminating ‘trip-and-slip’ hazards such as stepdowns and high gradient falls that historically existed across doorways with rolling, sliding and bi-fold doors.

The white paper explains the ‘Three Key Benefits and Considerations’ of threshold drainage including equitable access design, waterproof compliance for the threshold, and meeting the needs of open plan design.

Equitable Access Design

Australia’s Access and Mobility code (AS1428) requires a ‘continuous accessible path of travel [that does] not include a step, stairway … or [any] other impediment’. The threshold drain’s ingenious level-plane design overcomes a major obstacle for universal doorway access, i.e. step-barrier water containment. By integrating drains into the door-track, the threshold drain provides an unbroken path between internal and external surfaces, allowing uninhibited movement.

Making the Threshold Waterproof Compliant

Threshold drains were a belated addition to Australia’s Waterproofing codes, first appearing in 2010. Extra vigilance is therefore required to ensure the threshold complies with the requirements of both internal and external waterproofing standards (AS- 3740 & AS-4654), which mandate that the threshold drain must be manufactured with 316 marine grade stainless steel; it can resist shrinkage and expansion of substrate materials, framing and finishes, and temperature variations from -5°C to +50°C; and substrate area is supported by waterproof membranes that meet strict requirements of AS/NZS 4858 (Wet Area Membranes).

Threshold as a Trendsetter

The increasing popularity of open-plan living is dissolving the traditional barriers between indoor and outdoor spaces. In the push to harmonise these once discrete environments, designers must find creative ways to integrate practical building elements seamlessly into the design fabric. Threshold drains provide the ideal means to integrate high-quality drainage into low-impact organic design, creating a seamless link between indoor and outdoor environments.

The whitepaper also provides advice on choosing the ideal threshold design for any drainage project.

To download the whitepaper, please click here.