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.

Trouble is I need about 70". Will that leave enough of the door for
strength?
Chas

"Charles Self" wrote in message
...
"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.

"Chas12" wrote in message
...
Trouble is I need about 70". Will that leave enough of the door for
strength?
Chas

"Charles Self" wrote in message
...
"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.


You're asking about height, I presume. No way to tell without seeing the
door, but you're getting into an iffy area when you remove 10" total from
the top and bottom. I think if I cut that much off the height, I'd find some
way to install angle iron top and bottom, preferably in a manner that made
it decorative as well as strong.

Most I've ever sliced off in height is about 5", and that made me nervous
(in six panel oak doors, where the replacement cost would have REALLY made
me whimper).

I agree. What prompted the idea was that I measured my front entry door, a 4
panel, 4 light solid raised panel door. From the floor to the base of the
windows was about 70" high. Maybe I can locate a raised panel door that has
a similar layout, and just cut the whole top off, leaving a symetrical,
smaller door?
Chas

"Chas12" wrote in message
...
I agree. What prompted the idea was that I measured my front entry door, a
4 panel, 4 light solid raised panel door. From the floor to the base of the
windows was about 70" high. Maybe I can locate a raised panel door that has
a similar layout, and just cut the whole top off, leaving a symetrical,
smaller door?
Chas

You are probably going to have to buy one custom made or make your own.
Doors are designed as coherent units. If you take away the top of a door,
you take away one set of mortise and tenon joints (in good quality doors)
that provide the strength for that upper panel, and, by extension, on down
the door. The more you remove, the weaker the door.

That makes sense. I could always add a 1/2 plywood panel to the inside.