Front Door Dilema

[Kev]

Would welcome any views on something I have been asked to price for.

A builder friend I do some work for needs a wide front door and sidelight for a client. Basically the design needs to look something like this:

https://www.howdens.com/content/image/2724-4994-1.jpg

Now these are obviously composite core doors with a veneer on them. I am not sure how you would go about making such a door like this as have always assumed this is a large scaled manufacturing approach which a 1 man band with small joinery shop like myself would not be able to achieve.

If made it using traditional joinery assume you make frame as normal and then have either very this T@G planks or thinners t@g either side to make it look solid (needs to look the same from both sides). The concern about making it in solid wood is that given the thickness of the door (45mm at least) it would be a) very heavy and b) would have some concerns about the level of movement of solid T@G. The door needs to be 926mm wide which is why is needs making rather buying off the shelf. Has anyone had a similar experience of making something like this before and if so how did you overcome it?

Thanks

Kev

 

[dzj]

I would decline the offer.
Your concerns about making it from solid wood are correct.
Perhaps if you used a some kind of ply wood core and glued thin stock on both sides to imitate the T&G look, but
I think it is too much hassle...

 

[Chrispy]

Make it out of solid wood, give every other board a tenon to locate them and infill with flush panels rather than TGV it will look the same in the end, the bit that would concern me is keeping rain water out of the groove at the bottom.

 

[RobinBHM]

Its a version of a framed ledged and braced door.

In solid wood it can only really be done well by running the boards down to the bottom.

12mm T and G, 20mm rails for 44mm door, or for a better job, 12mm T&G and 34mm rails for a 58mm door.

Grooved stiles and head. I tend to use 3 or even 4 rails to keep the T&G flat. The mid rails dont have to be through tenoned or made in oak


Celetex between the rails

It uses a lot if timber as the T&G has to be machined from 1"

Its quote a lot of work for a single door, so it won't be at Howdens prices!