Oak front door

[deema]

In this crazy world, you can repair but not replace doors and windows without notifying building control. When I had a good discussion with BC on what exactly a repair was, we ended up agreeing that if any of the original remained it was a repair, we also agreed it didn’t have to be a specific minimum size.
You can also remake a frame hang the old door, build a new door and fit that to the the new frame. That’s is also I understand a repair. No specified time for the old door to remain in place……well long enough for a photo

 

[AJB Temple]

^^ Indeed.

BC in our area don't care as they are totally overloaded with thousands of dreadful new builds.

Mainly I use oak sourced from our own land some while ago, but when I buy oak (eg floorboards), I tend to be very fussy and will often buy at least a year ahead of time. Every door on our house, internal and external, is oak. Lots of doors. All of the oak was stored in the house for 15 months before I started using it and I only used dead straight boards. A lot of the planks were "character" grade (which is what we wanted) but high quality air dried in a dry barn.

if you can, buy the wood well in advance and stack it carefully and allow to acclimatise fully.

 

[johnnyb]

just the panels are cored.

 

[johnnyb]

people are making 3 inch thick doors to put a bit of insulation in when the kitchen at the back is 90 percent glass! common sense and vested interests are mutually exclusive.

 

[OrangeFive]

I was asked last week to make a custom oak door, I turned it down, partly because Im too busy with a house, but also because oak doors are a nightmare! They move, and customers don’t understand why they can end up with say a door that gaps at the top and isn’t completely straight. I’ve made the odd one for others, but always put in writing that it can move as it’s a natural movement. It doesn’t seem to make any difference when it does happen. For this reason, I believe, I was asked to make a door as every other joinery shop in the area had turned down the job, south facing not protected!!

I too have stopped making them and always turn them down now. Nothing but trouble. Mortice, tenoned, wedged, glued and draw dowelled with 19mm oak dowels and still movement. I should add that was using the best grade kiln and air dried (not on the same doors!) so I certainly won’t be making anymore. As mentioned I think the only chance you stand is if they are not south facing, sheltered from the weather and a whole host of luck.

 

[johnnyb]

btw the big door was on Berwick on tweed Town hall

 

[HOJ]

may I ask, exactly how you make your doors? Are the styles abd rails cored or just the panels. Understand if it’s a trade secret, but I’m genuinely very interested and intrigued.

No secrets, I only insulate in between the panels, that's when I make them as double boarded, which is not always the case, but they are all usually still 56mm thick anyway.

@johnnyb I get everything you say, I am only trying to make my living by working within the regs, rather than fight against them, and It's not for me to dictate how or what the client wants, I don't take on all jobs I am offered, I always go and survey and check the risk factors.

Double seals not only help to reduce drafts, but also noise and they stop the door from banging shut onto a hard stop rebate.

I use Stroma BC.

 

[LewisB]

How technical is making a front door? They are expensive to have one made and I’m wondering if it would be worth attempting myself? (Novice woodworker)

 

[johnnyb]

I would suggest not leaping straight in with a front door. Creep up on it gently. Maybe a ledge and brace. Fitting a door is also quite technical.
Make 3 or 4 doors and frames minimum before making a hardwood door to iron out how you make long offset tenons 4inch through mortices and rebates/grooves. These are the basics to make a decent job.

 

[LewisB]

I would suggest not leaping straight in with a front door. Creep up on it gently. Maybe a ledge and brace. Fitting a door is also quite technical.
Make 3 or 4 doors and frames minimum before making a hardwood door to iron out how you make long offset tenons 4inch through mortices and rebates/grooves. These are the basics to make a decent job.

Thanks for the advice.

 

[johnnyb]

See my post making a traditional front door for typical steps.

 

[Croolis]

I am not going to be making a front door for a very long time lol, but I'm curious - can I make a front door without replacing frame, then later on replace the frame and keep the front door I made? I guess it's hard to make a frame for an existing door...

 

[johnnyb]

It can be done in any order. If your careful.