The best and longest-lasting is a bronze threshold and interlocking J-hook seal. Like #70 or 80 here: http://www.zerointernational.com/catalogpage.aspx?pageID=4 And the corresponding hook #23B. It is kind of expensive, but it will last several lifetimes. Casey Here is a link that might be useful: Metal thresolds.

If they had tapcons through them they are beyond toothpics. Anyway, that technique is not good for heavy exterior doors that are always working the hinges and shifting the stress. I would drill them out 5/8" and glue face-grain plugs into the holes (use epoxy), chisel/sand them flush and drill brand new holes. My preferred wood for this birdseye maple because of the interlocking grain it is loath to split, and the screw holes will take any stress the door will give it. If you could get the frame out, tee-nuts installed from the hidden side would also be great, use a #10 thread. But you need to position them accurately. In the past I have also inserted a rectangle of 3/4" plywood between the frame and the studs; then used longer screws to reach it. It was an unusual case where 3/4" was available behind the frame. Another dowel technique is to take off the casing and carefully bore 1/2" holes that meet the hinge screw locations, drive in dowels, then pre-drill before putting the screws back in; this orients the grain of the dowel better to take a screw than the dowel-plug method, which is into weaker end-grain material. You could try simply filling the holes with 5 min epoxy thickened with wood flour, let it harden completely and re-drill the holes. If you wax the screw threads they will be able to be removed, if the glue is still curing they may cement themselves in. Casey

What I would do: (and what would help with curb appeal), is a larger front porch. Then you can place a bench out there--sort of an outdoor mud room. But you don't want folks through the front door, I understand. I'm curious where you live? And you still haven't answered about who are these people who come to your front door, but you'd prefer to have them come through the mudroom. I'm thinking about my own home. We accept UPS packages, the plumber, kids' friends, my friends, the grandparents.... all through the front door. We do have a foyer there though, for the removal of wet things. The only people who actually enter through the other door are kids who are VERY familiar with our household (dogs etc), and who are perhaps mid-playdate with our own kids. You can spend some time reading through other threads in design dilemmas. There has been one within the last week or so about the opposite problem--guests using backdoor when front door is somehow less obvious--though close by. Since your problem is the opposite, and based on your local culture, you can glean the advice and use it to your advantage. (painting front door to match siding so it disappears; removal front walkway; careful planting of bushes and trees to obscure what you want obscured; remove decoration from undesired door).

The casing looks like it was added at the end, at least from the pictures. Can you very gently lift it up at the bottom (insert a putty knife underneath it and slide it up about a foot or so) and see if it releases?