Wood sugestion for Exterior Stave Core Door

[brett gallmeyer]

I work for a company that is just getting into manufacturing custom solid wood doors. We have been back and forth about what to use as a standard for our exterior doors. This is a multi part question, so here it goes. All these questions apply to exterior doors only. Every door we make has a stave core construction. Obviously cost is a concern to, for some customers... We are located in northeast indiana.

1. What wood would u recomend to use as the stave core? We have been useing poplar with ok results. Also, if using a different would species for the core and skins, is this going to cause delamination problems?

2. For a Painted Door, what would u recomend as a wood choice? We have been using Mahogany for most. But, it seems like such a waist of money and beautiful wood just to paint over it.

I'm sure I'll have more questions as this thread continues, and I would like to thank everyone ahead of time for there replies.

Thanks, Brett G.

[Mark Stephens]

Paint is one of the best ways to protect wood from the elements - it lasts long and needs less maintenance than other top coats.

If you're painting, you certainly don't need a wood that weathers well, because the paint is taking on the job of protecting the wood. You're not adding any protective value to the doors by using mahogany skins and painting them. Plus it's porous, so it's not a good wood for painting anyway.

Poplar is actually one of the best woods to paint. If you're having problems with the poplar degrading in the core (if that's what you mean by "ok results"), I'd be looking for compromises in the door where water is getting in. A well painted exterior door should go years before needing much maintenance.

[Jamie Buxton]

There's a big high-end door manufacturer near my shop. For their cores, they use something that looks like LVL beams. That is, it is kinda like plywood, but all the laminates have the grain running in the same direction. The core works like a stave core. That is, it expands and contracts the same way as the face laminate, and you can run it through thickness planers. It even supports mortise-and-tenon joinery. The guys tell me that it is pretty standard in the door industry. They buy it in sheets, and just cut it to width before laminating it into door parts. Sorry, I don't know a supplier's name.

I just googled around, and found this --http://www.weyerhaeuser.com/pdfs/businesses/whip/TimberStrandSellSheet.pdf It might be what these guys are using.

[brett gallmeyer]

Ok So I understand about paint protecting the door. But what about dimensional stability when exposed to elements. We do alot of work on lake houses so humidity and exposure to mosture is a concern.

I guess my boss is just looking for sugestions for something dimensionaly stable and able to resist the seasonal changes of the midwest that we can sell to customers...

thanks, brett g.

[brett gallmeyer]

There's a big high-end door manufacturer near my shop. For their cores, they use something that looks like LVL beams. That is, it is kinda like plywood, but all the laminates have the grain running in the same direction. The core works like a stave core. That is, it expands and contracts the same way as the face laminate, and you can run it through thickness planers. It even supports mortise-and-tenon joinery. The guys tell me that it is pretty standard in the door industry. They buy it in sheets, and just cut it to width before laminating it into door parts. Sorry, I don't know a supplier's name.

I just googled around, and found this --http://www.weyerhaeuser.com/pdfs/businesses/whip/TimberStrandSellSheet.pdf It might be what these guys are using.


I aggree that an lvl material would make a great core. however, customers are convinced that they want a "solid" wood door. That somehow its going to be a better product that using a laminate...

[Sam Layton]

Brett,

Did you get my PM?