Hi, my 1923 house has a 31" X 6' door that accesses the stairway to the
basement. It has a large window and is only 1 3/8" thick. I want to put in a
good, solid wood door, but I have a French Cottage style house, and a plain
door would not look good. (btw, the current door is hollow plastic). I don't
want a six panel door because the wood is so thin on the panels.
So I have 2 alternatives:
Get a solid door and try to make it decorative somehow...OR
Build my own door.
Any ideas?
Thanks,
Chas

"Chas12" wrote in message
...
Hi, my 1923 house has a 31" X 6' door that accesses the stairway to the
basement. It has a large window and is only 1 3/8" thick. I want to put in
a
good, solid wood door, but I have a French Cottage style house, and a
plain
door would not look good. (btw, the current door is hollow plastic). I
don't
want a six panel door because the wood is so thin on the panels.

Not sure why you feel the wood is so thin on the panels. They float within
a 1 3/8" frame and there's quite a bit enough wood mass there for the panels
to be substantial. Have you actually looked at 6 panel doors and decided
that you don't like what you see? If so, then you're likely facing one of
the two alternative you list below... neither of which is a bad alternative.

So I have 2 alternatives:
Get a solid door and try to make it decorative somehow...OR
Build my own door.

I'm all for building your own if you can't find something ready made that
satisfies you. It's much more rewarding than decorating a solid door.
Assuming of course, that you have the tools. Ahhhhh! "Look Hun! I can
build the door we need, once I get this new..."

--

-Mike-

You might be able to find an architectural salvage yard with something
appropriate in style and close in size. I've acquired many well made
components with very nice wood in good shape at very low cost.
With a small investment in trimming out and refinishing, you could wind
up with something very nice.

Chas wrote:

So I have 2 alternatives:
Get a solid door and try to make it decorative somehow...OR
Build my own door.
Any ideas?

Building your own door isn't that hard. The challenge for you if you
don't do this kind of work will be trying to fit the finished product
into the old frame. You will build your door square (all right angles)
and then have to trim it to a frame that is no doubt out of square and
out of plumb. Probably out of level, too.

If you build your door, I would strongly suggest that you take the time
to find some honest to Pete kiln dried wood. Buy the lumber yard crap
that looks good will give you green wood that is sawn in such a way
(mostly flat) that will guarantee twisting and warping.

I think Martin is on to something with the salvage yard if you can find
something nice at a reasonable cost. However, the salvage yard by me
gets more for a door than I think I should pay since every one he has
needs scraping, sanding, painting, and has already been trimmed,
planed, etc.

Good luck!

Robert

Thanks Gang, I was an Industrial Arts Teacher and my Dad was a
cabinetmaker/carpenter, so making a door, tho' an adventure, is within my
ability. Trouble is finding decent dry, straight wood, thick enough for the
job. I will definitely check the salvage yards!
Chas

wrote in message
ups.com...
Chas wrote:

So I have 2 alternatives:
Get a solid door and try to make it decorative somehow...OR
Build my own door.
Any ideas?

Building your own door isn't that hard. The challenge for you if you
don't do this kind of work will be trying to fit the finished product
into the old frame. You will build your door square (all right angles)
and then have to trim it to a frame that is no doubt out of square and
out of plumb. Probably out of level, too.

If you build your door, I would strongly suggest that you take the time
to find some honest to Pete kiln dried wood. Buy the lumber yard crap
that looks good will give you green wood that is sawn in such a way
(mostly flat) that will guarantee twisting and warping.

I think Martin is on to something with the salvage yard if you can find
something nice at a reasonable cost. However, the salvage yard by me
gets more for a door than I think I should pay since every one he has
needs scraping, sanding, painting, and has already been trimmed,
planed, etc.

Good luck!

Robert

I had to buy a 31" (non-standard door) half a dozen years ago. I looked for
a solid pine door at 32" to cut down on one or both sides to 31".
Especially 6-panel. Th only one I could find was a 6-panel solid pine -
but it had Glass panels, not wood. I ended up custom ordering a birch
hollow core door for more. Instead of $35 for a 30" or 32" birch it was
$110. I can't remember if I knew to check HD then. I now wish I had made
more of an effort because in the last month I've seen a 6-panel solid pine
with solid wood panels at HD. I didn't look, but I'm sure they had 32". It
is ~$100 CDN. There are other big chain stores here, and some just large
stores. I will be buying more doors from HD soon. I haven't asked which
are custom orderable. I just bought a custom order size 3-pane sliding
glass door from HD. Some stores will have Birch, Mahonany, some stores will
be able to custom order sizes. Check it all.

"bent" wrote in message
...
I had to buy a 31" (non-standard door) half a dozen years ago. I looked
for
a solid pine door at 32" to cut down on one or both sides to 31".
Especially 6-panel. Th only one I could find was a 6-panel solid pine -
but it had Glass panels, not wood. I ended up custom ordering a birch
hollow core door for more. Instead of $35 for a 30" or 32" birch it was
$110. I can't remember if I knew to check HD then. I now wish I had made
more of an effort because in the last month I've seen a 6-panel solid pine
with solid wood panels at HD. I didn't look, but I'm sure they had 32".
It
is ~$100 CDN. There are other big chain stores here, and some just large
stores. I will be buying more doors from HD soon. I haven't asked which
are custom orderable. I just bought a custom order size 3-pane sliding
glass door from HD. Some stores will have Birch, Mahonany, some stores
will
be able to custom order sizes. Check it all.


And remember when trimming to take half off one side and half off the other,
or the door is going to look really odd.