Replies

1. 
   BoardmanWI | Mar 31, 2007 04:23pm | #1

   Phillipine "mahogany" is a good choice.  It's some of the most dimnsionally stable wood, and the Phillipine variety is lighter than real mahogany.  I built a set of 4' x 9' garage swing doors with it.  I imagine it takes paint well, although I've never painted it.

   Poplar is also a possibilty.  Paints real well, but I don't know how stable it is.  Maybe someone else has used it for exterior applications.  Also cheaper than mahogany.

2. 
   Glaucon | Mar 31, 2007 04:24pm | #2

   I would use Douglas Fir. It is stable, stronger than cedar, but almost as rot resistant (unlike pine), takes paint well. It has been the traditional wood for doors in New England. Most of the hardwood choices are ither not rot resistant (poplar) or too expensive (teak, mahogany, white oak).

   Glaucon

   If you don't think too good, then don't think too much...

3. 
   acornw | Mar 31, 2007 10:31pm | #3

   Poplar (Indiana Mahogany) would be your last choice. It is terrible in any/all exterior situations. I have seen it sprout mushrooms in 2 years.
   Philippine Mahogany (Mahogany fakeus, or Shorea spp.) is actually a Shorea and many people, including large door shops, confuse it with real Mahogany (Sweitenia Macrophylla or Honduras Mahogany) and use it. It is very soft and does not weather/age well.
   First choice is Honduras Mahogany, second would be good Doug Fir or clear Sugar Pine. Cedar and Redwood are too soft to take joinery.
   Dave S
   http://www.acornwoodworks.com

4. 
   terrylee86 | Mar 31, 2007 11:19pm | #4

   Lou,

   Of all of the options you have been given, nobody has talked about expense.  Douglas fir is probably your best choice for your project, but it is pretty expensive in the East.  Luan (Philippine mahogany) is a viable choice if it is kept painted and primed with Kilz, but I would check the price of cypress in your area it might suite your needs and is cheaper in my area (AA, MI ) than doug fir. Check the properties on buckwoodcraft.com and I think you will agree cypress might work for you.  Cypress is available in the the dimensions you might need (1", 5/4, 2")and holds paint very well.   Cypress sells in my area for about $2.50/bd.ft.  Doug Fir is about $6.00(VG) but every area is different.   Red Pine would work, but not the best on paint retention and durability.   I would not use yellow poplar unless you seal it very well. It holds paint very well, but is not very decay resistant.  Lets see what some of the knotheads from the south think.  Cypress has been kinda of their little secret for a long time. 

5. 
   JMartinsky | Apr 01, 2007 01:57am | #5

   Dear Lou,
   Paint Grade exterior doors? If price is no object, then Atlantic White Cedar, or Port Orford Cedar. You may want them to weather for a year, to dispel some of the oils, prior to painting. An oil stain might take nicely. Both woods are fairly hard for cedars, far tougher than Western red. As mentioned, Doug Fir is the tradition here in the New England. It will serve the purpose, and it is not terribly expensive. I would stay away from pine and Poplar is a no no.

   Best,

   John

1. 
   jeff100 | Apr 01, 2007 10:54am | #6

   What about Ipe? Seems to be very popular for decking, does anyone have any opinions on using Ipe for a exterior door???Jeff

1. 
   BoardmanWI | Apr 01, 2007 03:07pm | #7

   The problem with Ipe would be the weight - it's gotta be one of the heavist woods around.  The doors would weigh a tom - almost literally.

6. 
   Pondfish | Apr 01, 2007 03:56pm | #8

   I'm planning on redoing my garage doors this year; I'm by the Jersey shore, so maybe we have the same climate conditions and will be making the same wood choices.

   My leaning at this time is cypress and mahogany; vertical grain doug fir would be my first choice, but getting that on the East Coast is difficult and really expensive.  I thought about Ipe, but the weight, as the previous poster pointed out, is prohibitive. 

   The most important thing I learned this past year about making garage doors is to not make them solid, but rather as a sandwich of thick "veneers" and a stable, lighter core.  There is an article in the Dec 2004/Jan 2005 by Scott McBride about making garage doors ("Custom Doors, Done Easy") that shows how to make the core with something like ACQ and galvinized pocket screws, and then to glue together the outer skins in a snadwich (something that I will use a vacuum press to do).  With this method of construction, the thickness (and hence weight) of the mahogany and cypress layes goes down; it also reduces costs since I can resaw the mahogany into 3/8-1/2" slices that sit in thicker cyress frames, giving the look of a recessed panel (and in one swell foop, solves the problem of dealing with expansion since I can leave this layer free floating).

   Search the FHB archives for the article if you don't already subscribe.  And good luck!

   Recommending the use of "Hide Signatures" option under "My Preferences" since 2005