Help with Door Project

[Mike OMelia]

I have ALWAYS hated how the contractors finished my front door, inside and out. Now, I want to do something about it. The door is solid mahogany. I want to do stuff on the inside and the outside (casing). If this is something you understand, please help me. I am not looking to buy casing kits... gonna build them.

Thanks!

Mike

[Chip Lindley]

Mike, milling the needed casing profiles of mahogany will give you what you need to replace the painted trim. Exterior mahogany trim will blend with the door against brick perfectly. But you have all-painted trim on your interior. Redoing the door casing in mahogany will present another inconsistency that may stand out in a negative way rather than enhance your entrance. Your home is your castle! It's your decision.

[Mike OMelia]

Well the entire house hase painted baseboards. Can't do much about that. Guess that is part of the magical solution. I will be replacing ALL quarter round with clear finished red oak. Does any of this help? It's NOT about milling the new casing to match the current. It's more about coming up with a creative casing design that accentuates the door. I'm trying to think big!

Mike

[Paul Girouard]

You could extend the exterior jamb so the "brick mold / exterior trim could over lay the brick maybe. That would let you "go big".

This should be fun, I understand a little bit about door casing, this was last weeks project, it's all paint grade ,

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b299/PEG688/2July20114.jpg


http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b299/PEG688/2July2011.jpg

This is Khaya stained with Mahogany,

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b299/PEG688/2July201113.jpg


http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b299/PEG688/2July201110.jpg



Some Cherry work ,


http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b299/PEG688/Jan220103.jpg


http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b299/PEG688/Jan220109.jpg




Some Mahogany work ,


http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b299/PEG688/Jan1620084.jpg


http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b299/PEG688/Jan1620087.jpg


So hopefully some thing there inspires you in some direction.

[Mike OMelia]

I was kind of hoping someone would add some more pictures (current ones are appreciated!) or links where I can see other designs. Any more help out there?

THanks,

Mike

[Paul Girouard]

I was kind of hoping someone would add some more pictures (current ones are appreciated!) or links where I can see other designs. Any more help out there?

THanks,

Mike




Well OK lets see if any of these strike a note for you,

How about a no trim look,

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b299/PEG688/June120111.jpg


or a disappearing door look,

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b299/PEG688/June12011.jpg


http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b299/PEG688/29April20115.jpg


How about arched stuff, with a straight beam ,


http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b299/PEG688/Feb1120102.jpg

or maybe a arched beam is better,

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b299/PEG688/June22010005.jpg


http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b299/PEG688/June22010007.jpg

Or the unified look ,


http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b299/PEG688/Jan42010-1.jpg


Maybe some stacking effects ,


http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b299/PEG688/Jan26200910.jpg


Oh , and watch your step,

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b299/PEG688/Jan2620099.jpg


A simpler Shaker style maybe,


http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b299/PEG688/Sept13200810.jpg


Real simple,

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b299/PEG688/sept17001-2.jpg



So any thing hit ya??

[Mike OMelia]

Paul, your work is stunning, artistic, beautiful. Thanks for the pics.

Mike

[Paul Girouard]

Paul, your work is stunning, artistic, beautiful. Thanks for the pics.

Mike


Thanks Mike.

It seems either there's no one else here who ever trimmed out a door , you're not well liked here , or I scared everyone else away:D Maybe a little of all three:o


Anyway here a door I re-stored some years ago , I really liked doing this project and it's a pretty nice entry , at least I like it.


http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b299/PEG688/doorrepair.jpg


A few cool things , not directly related , but sort of fun to build things,

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b299/PEG688/Oct2320074.jpg


http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b299/PEG688/Aug1220084.jpg


http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b299/PEG688/Aug1220083.jpg


How about a little help for Mike here fella's! :D

[Bill ThompsonNM]

Hard to even come near Paul's work-- but looking at your pictures again Mike, I'm struck by the apparent narrowness of you door. (in appearance). It would look better with wider more complex casings. Something to decrease the large gap above the door inside would also be nice. If you didn't have all of that brick I'd suggest side lights and some sort of transom or window above the door. I think the door trim should match the door. It's not the division between wood and paint that's the issue. Just that the wood door looks small by itself in the vast paint.

[Neal Clayton]

i agree, mike, it's that the trim is too narrow. going by the measurements on my house (built in 1908, craftsman style) the casings are 4.5" wide. they're roughly 40% of the height of the baseboards. the baseboards with the cap on top are around 7" to 8" high. that 4.5" is about the same as the stile width, it gives a look of symmetry throughout. that's why newer buildings with cheapo money-saving moldings look 'wrong' for lack of a better word. casings should mimic stile width to keep the visual flow/symmetry going.

the header on top, like you have outside, is the same width as the baseboards.

you could cut a new frame for the door that extends out to flush with the brick, and lay the casings over the brick, but that's about the only way i can think of without removing brick itself.

if you just wanna do the inside, that's easy. cut your wider casings, something similar to the profiles on your columns (a recess in the middle), and add toe caps and a header, or caps at all 4 corners whichever you prefer. the baseboards can just butt to the toe caps, the header should be assembled with rabbets and toe nailed, with glue if you prefer but toe nailing is key to stop them from separating with seasonal change. the caps and/or the wider header will give you some 'bulk' on the inside. if you use caps mimic the pattern on those columns, though. use square patterns so that they look like they belong, don't use the circular profiled pre-cut ones that are popular at the hardware stores. you have square patterns, so stick with square profiles.

[Mike OMelia]

Paul, my rep is not that bad around here, at least I think that is the case. :)

Door is over 8 foot tall. It appears narrow because of the entrance design also. Nothing to do about that. I like these ideas and will ponder a bit.

Thanks!

Mike