I’ve been commisioned to make two exterior doors. The tops will have glass panels, and they’ll be painted. It’s my first time making exterior doors, so I thought I’d ask the voices of experience here. I’m looking for suggestions on what type of wood to build these out of. This is for New England, so insulation properties are keen. Any advice/resources for the windows is also appreciated.
Sub-question: Is there any major difference in the insulating properties of hardwoods and softwoods?
Thanx all
Replies
As a general rule softwood lumber will have a R value of 1.25/in.
Hardwood will have a R-value of 0.75/in. Not a whole alotta difference their for 1.5" door.
Good luck with the new job.
Enjoy,
Dale
You can't argue with Mahogany as a choice for exterior doors - painted or otherwise. It machines well, remains stable and resists rot. My home in Maine has double front doors made from Mahogany that date to the 19th century. Still straight, still strong.
Regards.
Mahogany was my first thought too, if for no other reason than it's striking beauty on a door. Teak, white oak, and cedar are all known as decent outdoor woods too.
Edit: I think cyprus is suppose to be a good choice for exposure to weather too.
Edited 10/27/2005 6:38 am ET by scotty
Hello
I have heard of iroko being used however i do not know if this is more expensive but it is very strong and stable.
Regards
Sam
I built my front door of Western Red Cedar. I used an oil finish and left it to weather naturally.
It has good insulating properties. When I put my hand on the door in sub-zero weather it felt just a touch warmer than an R-21 wall beside it. Obviously it doesn't have an R-21 insulating value, but the door was definitely not cold.
It is a very soft wood, however, that dents easily. And some people have an allergic reaction to the sawdust. Because it is so soft I wouldn't recommend it for a painted door.
I would suggest mahogany, with thermopane glass in the tops .You might check into the codes re tempering the glass.Also consider milling the wood in stages and allow it to stabilise before going to final dimension.Build a wind into the door and the insulation value of the wood is of no importance.
Codes will required tempered glass in a door. Even if you could sneak untempered glass by an inspector, I would still use only tempered glass for a door.
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