Hi all:
I’m fairly new to woodworking, but have a decent shop and surprise myself at what I can do with these wonderful tools. My wife is adamant I install new front doors to my home. I live in an area which is fairly dry, summertime temps to 40 deg C (Canadian, eh?) and wintertime temps dip to -20 deg C. The doors have a west exposure in an entryway with no overhanging roof, so are almost fully exposed to the elements. In summer with the exposure, I suggest the temperatures at the door would easily exceed 50 deg C. when the sun hits.
I’d like to tackle the project of building myself sturdy, attractive and durable doors. My entryway presently consists of two standard doors with a locks top and bottom on the left exterior door facing out to the street from my foyer, and the right door is the normal entry, and a decorative vertical post creating a seal for both doors at the intersection of the closed doors. I’m open to taking this overall space and creating two sidelites and one larger door, say 4′ wide x 6’8 high, to accommodate moving in/out of large and awkward items.
What I’d like to get is advice/plans on the best wood types, construction and finishing techniques that would see this door last a long time and be a source of joy for the owners. Any takers on this request?
Replies
With a western exposure, and no overhang, these doors will get killed on a regular basis by weather.
My recommendation for materials are steel, or fiberglass. If you absolutely must use wood, build up a core from a rot resistant hardwood, then veneer it with white oak (also quite rot resistant).
And finish it with epoxy.
I've been turning perfectly good lumber into sawdust, scrap wood, and an occasionally decent piece of furniture for over 30 years and - if I may be blunt - wouldn't even try doing a front door for a situation like yours.
With your environment (wide temperature variations, full exposure to the sun and rain), even the best wooden door will eventually have problems with joint failures and the exposure issues will have you touching up the finish every year, or so. And, after you get it built, you still have to get it hung with all the weather stripping necessary to keep the warm air in and the cold air out.
If you were my customer, I would urge you to buy a pre-hung, fiberglass or steel door and call it good. Fiberglass can be stained to look like real wood and - if you're into a paneled door - is a far better insulator than wood.
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