Laminated or solid external door

[Halo Jones]

We are wanting buy a new external kitchen door and are going for a full glass (pattern 10?) design as our kitchen is pretty dark. I would prefer a solid wooden frame but the boss is worried about the door swelling and sticking etc. If we go for a engineered door I am worried about it delaminating! The kind of thing we have been looking at is:
http://www.doordeals.co.uk/products...ternal-doors/hemlock-pattern-10-external.aspx
http://www.fine-doors.co.uk/externa...ors/pattern-10-external-hardwood-door-unglaze

Note that I wouldn't have minded having a go at making the door myself but it has been vetoed on time grounds.

We don't need super ridiculous U-values but would like something around 1.6 and this seems reasonably achievable.

Does anyone have any recommendations for companies, or what to look for and avoid?

 

[Mike Jordan]

In the days when I did this sort of work I tried to avoid the hemlock doors, it doesn't seem to me to last very well and it's a pain to plane by hand.
The hardwood one is quite likely to be made from one of the poor quality materials like light red meranti, again not a long lasting material.
Now to be constructive - My suggestion would be a softwood door made from unsorted grade pine and using mortise and tenon joints rather than dowels with a double glazed unit in laminated glass for safety.
Not an easy thing to get at the sheds, the imported rubbish has taken over at bargain prices. In this area I think they are only available from local makers.
Mike.

 

[Halo Jones]

So you are recommending that I tell the boss that I should make my own out of unsorted pine? [-o<

 

[Mike Jordan]

Since your good lady is located in Scotland and I'm safe and anonymous in the midlands I will risk saying yes, go for it!
Mike.

 

[RobinBHM]

I havent had a good experience with making doors from softwood, I found in service there is too much movement, the bottom rail expands and the stiles change width too much.

mostly we make doors from iroko, red grandis or accoya these days

 

[Jacob]

I havent had a good experience with making doors from softwood, I found in service there is too much movement, the bottom rail expands and the stiles change width too much.

Properly made they are very good and last forever if you use only Linseed oil paint (on all external joinery, all else is cr*p.)

 

[Halo Jones]

Properly made

I think that is the bit the boss doesn't quite trust me with :lol:

I have almost convinced her that linseed paint is a good option for our exterior woodwork but that has taken a year or so. The thing that swung it in my favour was the renovation of a local listed building she likes and Scottish Heritage wanted all the woodwork painted in linseed paint.

 

[Jacob]

Properly made

I think that is the bit the boss doesn't quite trust me with :lol:

I have almost convinced her that linseed paint is a good option for our exterior woodwork but that has taken a year or so. The thing that swung it in my favour was the renovation of a local listed building she likes and Scottish Heritage wanted all the woodwork painted in linseed paint.

Scottish Historic Buildings Trust used to do a good selection of advisory leaflets, booklets etc. If they still do they could be useful for door advice.
http://www.shbt.org.uk/

 

[Halo Jones]

A lot of the learning and information seems to have moved to Historic Environment Scotland:
https://www.historicenvironment.scot/

And I am looking forward to this place opening in Stirling:
https://www.engineshed.org/

 

[Doug71]

I have given up on supplying the veneered/laminated type external doors to customers because I got so many problems with veneer lifting etc. No matter how well they were sealed water still seemed to get in. My supplier would often replace the door but did not cover rehanging and repainting so I would be out of pocket. If somebody wants one now I let them source it themselves so I am not the middle man stuck with all the problems.

Go for solid wood if you can, Accoya is great.

Doug

 

[Halo Jones]

Ah. Good to know. None of my local timber merchants want to supply Accoya to me but I have just discovered that the main distribution centre in Scotland is happy to supply to the public and even offered me a tour of their factory!

If I were to build it myself is it better to machine the rails and styles out of solid stock or could I go down the lamination route like RogerM did with his bi-fold doors https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums...ng-bifold-doors-loads-of-wip-pics-t60919.html.
I see this is how Nordan seem to make their windows and doors and could only increase stability. Also does Accoya work with something like titebondIII or are other types of glues best?

 

[Doug71]

The beauty of Accoya is that it is totally stable, it doesn't bend, twist, expand or contract with changes of conditions so will be fine solid.

It is recommended to use a PU (Polyurethane) adhesive with Accoya.

Only downside is any fixings in contact with Accoya should be brass or stainless steel.

Doug

 

[Halo Jones]

Only downside is any fixings in contact with Accoya should be brass or stainless steel.

That'll keep the boss happy then! (hammer)