# Garage side door supplier/manufacturer recomendation sought



## The Bear (17 Jun 2020)

Afternoon folks,
I'm after a new side door for my garage. Similar to the one in this link
https://www.roundwood.com/product/64.aspx
Due to a previous burglary I want it to feel and be nice and solid/strong. Seen a few flimsy looking ones but struggling with something that feels properly solid. It will be painted and would prefer some sort of hardwood if possible, though not the top priced ones.
Current door is a rather strange 767mm (30 1/4 inch) wide by 1982 tall. Guess I can pack the frame out for a normal 760mm door, I'd like to reuse the old frame to save cash if possible.

Anyone bought/seen one like I'm after that they would recommend?

(I know someone will say make your own this is a woodworking site, I'm not going to be making this for reasons I wont bore you with.)

Thanks in advance

Mark


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## Trevanion (17 Jun 2020)

They're charging _that much_ for a door like that? :shock:

A door like that in oak, unfinished supplied to bespoke measurements would be roughly £400-500 off the top of my head. It might be worth approaching a few local back-street joinery firms and asking for a quote and you might be surprised.


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## Lons (17 Jun 2020)

Have you considered a solid core exterior fire door blank? You get one oversize around 2100mm x 900mm x 44mm and cut it down, I've used a few from Howdens over the years and they're damn heavy and solid. Just veneered over engineered hardwood core but fine when painted.


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## The Bear (17 Jun 2020)

Trevanion
I agree, I wouldn't pay that. Its also bigger than I want and in oak which I don't need, which is also why its no good to me. It was to illustrate the look I wanted and also the fact it looks solid rather than some of the ones I've seen on the various doors.com type websites (I just made that website up, you get the drift)

I might try the guy that built my stairs he might be up for it.

Lons
No I haven't, to be honest I haven't seen a fire door blank in the flesh. Could the grooves be routed on and is there any chance of the veneer delaminating outside when painted? I assume its just hundreds of hardwood strips glued up into a panel with 2 faces stuck on from your description?

Thanks for the thoughts guys

Mark


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## Lons (17 Jun 2020)

I probably wouldn't route grooves into it Mark as if the paint breaks down you're asking for trouble. 

I think an L&B door while it looks great wouldn't be my choice for security as the boards can't be more than 20-25mm thick which would be pretty easy to get through. Having said that I made one for my son a few years ago from reclaimed 30mm thick mahogany (?) ex. school science benches and it's stood up pretty well.

If there's a way to accommodate extra thickness you could maybe clad the external face of a blank to give the impression an L&B door but would be much more secure.


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## The Bear (17 Jun 2020)

Lons
just had a quick look at external firedoor blanks. Can't see any with hardwood cores though all seem to be softwood with hardwood face, which is fine I guess. Some seem to state you need to apply a hardwood lipping after triming, whats your experience of this is it necessary if painting?

Many thanks

Mark


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## Trevanion (17 Jun 2020)

Lons":tepcgva0 said:


> I think an L&B door while it looks great wouldn't be my choice for security as the boards can't be more than 20-25mm thick which would be pretty easy to get through.



People are always concerned about how easy it is to get through wood, but it's almost always the hardware that lets someone in and I frankly love to terrify people when I start explaining to them how easy it is to get through some things :lol: 

Yale lock in your way? 10" length of 25mm steel rod and a heavy hammer, place rod over yale lock and hit very hard with hammer until lock body breaks off on the inside, quite loud but very quick. If you want silent most locks are pretty rubbish against picking tools and a deft pair of hands can be inside the building silently in less than 10 seconds.

The same idea goes with a euro cylinder but if anything a bit easier and not as loud since you're only shearing the pawl and side screw of the euro cylinder, a homemade tool to work the lock rack on the locking gear and you're in. You can get anti-shear cylinders which helps prevent this.

Those "security" garage roll-up doors are pretty easily defeated, drill a 4" hole in the middle of the door near the bottom with a hole saw and shove a rigid pipe or steel bar through the hole upright with a chain or strap attached to it, attach the other end to a strong vehicle and it will pull the door straight out of the tracks either side.

I remember when I was in college one of the lecturers had bought this disc tumbler padlock to secure something and they were showing it to me "This is what the insurers specified to lock the cellar blah blah blah" and I replied "How much you wanna bet I can break this with a screwdriver?" and I proceeded to pry off the front ring of the lock, dump out all the discs, turn with the screwdriver and the lock opened all in about ten seconds. His face was priceless!

And that's just what I'm willing to share, I'm not dodgy I swear! :lol:


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## Lons (17 Jun 2020)

Trevanion":36lzq228 said:


> Lons":36lzq228 said:
> 
> 
> > And that's just what I'm willing to share, I'm not dodgy I swear! :lol:


Tell that to the judge. :wink: :lol:


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## Lons (17 Jun 2020)

The Bear":3ocb9bet said:


> Lons
> just had a quick look at external firedoor blanks. Can't see any with hardwood cores though all seem to be softwood with hardwood face, which is fine I guess. Some seem to state you need to apply a hardwood lipping after triming, whats your experience of this is it necessary if painting?
> 
> Many thanks
> ...


I didn't look at the spec on the Howdens doors Mark, it's a few years since I bought the last and that was mixed hardwood core, the damn thing was so heavy I could hardly lift it. From memory they were always lipped and if being painted I just sanded the cut edges but there were a couple being stained and I lipped those.

I've just looked at the door specs and it says core is Albasia Falcata which is bamboo pro, a new one on me, while the specs further on say construction is mixed hardwoods. :? The core of the ones I had were mostly dark coloured, I thought cheap mahogany type so I guess things have changed.


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## thetyreman (19 Jun 2020)

I'm wondering if getting an eye iris reader james bond style is a good idea, or finger print recognition that kind of thing.


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## The Bear (19 Jun 2020)

Tyre man after previously confronting masked burglars with weapons breaking into my garage I’m up for a machine gun post

On another note anyone know of a supplier of external fire door blanks with a hardwood core? 

Cheers

Mark


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