Wood for a wooden screen door

[joe milana]

Went to put a wooden screen door on the door going out into the garage. The ones available from the Borg are a joke, so I decided to build one. Problem is, I don't have access to any vertical grain fir. That's what all the old ones I see are made from. Any suggestions on what wood to use? The door will be protected from weather, but subject to high heat/freeze. Thanks!

[Jeff Bartley]

Will it be painted or clear? I just finished a reproduction of a late 1800's screen door that will be painted and live on a completely covered porch. I used popular. If it was exposed cyprus might be a good choice, albeit an expensive choice! As a bonus cyprus smells great when cut!

[joe milana]

Jeff, it will be stained & varnished. I've got some soft maple on hand I could use, but I didn't think it would be tough enough. Does your door have a closer on it, or just a spring, like so many had?

[Bill White]

I just installed two from the blue borg. Used spring hinges. No way would I build 'em for what I paid.
Just my view.
Bill

[Jeff Bartley]

I actually don't know what type of closure this client wants.....I'd imagine a spring would be the best choice. Have you thought about using quarter sawn white oak?? It would be stable, strong, and very easy on the eyes! I think soft maple would be strong enough for a screen door; soft maple is harder than poplar! Whatever wood you use I hope you have as much fun as I did.....seems like some projects are so much more fun than others. Here's a pic:232177

[Sam Murdoch]

Made a 4 doors last summer with South American Cedar, aka Spanish cedar. No special regards to 1/4 sawn though I did carefully select my stock. This cedar is quite rot resistant and looks beautiful with a clear coat but paints nicely as well. 2 of these were painted with marine paint (Easypoxy by Petit) and the other 2 were finished with only a marine oil finish. I also sealed the end grain of the stiles (top and bottom) with a few thin coats of epoxy.

The finished thickness was 1 3/16". Here are a few photos of the 2 styles. -

232178 232179

[Myk Rian]

4 years ago I built a screen for one of the garage/shop windows.
Made it out of cherry. Still good, and I didn't put any finish on it.
Although the screen never moves on hinges, the wood is stable.

[joe milana]

I just installed two from the blue borg. Used spring hinges. No way would I build 'em for what I paid.
Just my view.
Bill

Not sure what you paid Bill, but the ones I found were finger jointed white pine with no way to remove the screen for finishing. $29 I couldn't get excited about 'em.


I actually don't know what type of closure this client wants.....I'd imagine a spring would be the best choice. Have you thought about using quarter sawn white oak?? It would be stable, strong, and very easy on the eyes! I think soft maple would be strong enough for a screen door; soft maple is harder than poplar! Whatever wood you use I hope you have as much fun as I did.....seems like some projects are so much more fun than others. Here's a pic:232177

Nice Jeff! I was actually thinking White oak, but thought it to be overkill, and I was worried about warping. I agree...fun project!

[John W Johnson]

I just helped my brother build one with QS white oak. He has a place on the Gulf Coast for twelve years and has gone through 7-8 screen doors. His screened porch faces south and has little in the way of a protective overhang. That door gets it all, sun, spray, wind, dogs, and ten year old boys. I made it from 6/4 material, and used draw-bored, wedged thru tenons, which might have been overkill, but that thing is solid. I encouraged him to paint it, but the oak looks so good his wife wants him to put on a clear Spar varnish.

Bad news: it is very heavy and will be a bear to hang, but that is his problem.

[joe milana]

Nice Sam. No spanish cedar around here though. Plenty of d grade western red though. I wonder how the two compare?

[Richard Wolf]

I have used Spanish cedar, which works great. Also if you are looking for vertical grain doug fir, call some lumber yards and ask for VGF "stepping". I use it for stair treads, it comes 1 X 12" with a bullnose edge but is very nice stuff, not cheap. I pay $10.00 a foot. The point is, sometimes, if you ask for vertical grain fir they say no and don't realize they have stepping in stock.

[Sid Matheny]

In the process of starting one myself and am using pine 2 X 4's. My door will be oversize about 43" wide. I'll be using 4 spring hinges because of the weight. I will finish with marine spar varnish.

Sid

[Sam Murdoch]

Nice Sam. No spanish cedar around here though. Plenty of d grade western red though. I wonder how the two compare?

I'm not sure what D grade is but I would generally not hesitate to use western red cedar. A good rot resistant and lightweight wood. The lightweight is a bonus for screen doors in my opinion.

[John A langley]

Joe I can get it at Liberty Hardwood north KC or Paxtons

[Buck Williams]

Is clear White Pine available in your area? I've made a number of screens and storm windows with it. Always painted them, but there's no reason your choice of finish wouldn't work.

[joe milana]

Joe I can get it at Liberty Hardwood north KC or Paxtons

Get what? VGF? I'll give 'em a call. Thanks

[John A langley]

No Spanish cedar

[Peter Quinn]

At work I've made or seen them made from Khaya (African Mahogany), SA Mahogany, cherry, walnut, pine, and QSWO. I'm sure yellow cedar, spanish cedar, cypress, VGF and a few others would also be fine choices. You have a lot of options on a covered porch that won't see full weather exposure. I've seen a few storms and doors made from western red cedar, and frankly they don't tend to be particularly durable. The wood stands against the weather just fine, and its truly beautiful IMO, but its very soft, doesn't hold screws particularly well, dents easily. I suppose I'd consider the the realistic use intended. If its a decorative door for a less used entry, red cedar might work fine. For a primary entrance with kids and dogs, bad choice.

I'm with you on the quality of the box store storms and screen doors. I liked them so much I put a steel Simpson on my primary entrance. I have plans for pretty wooden storm on the front door (covered porch, lightly used). For the main entrance (back door, young kids, dog that charges the door like a small buffalo) I found an insulated steel storm with built in screen made more sense.

They are fun to make. Enjoy it!

[Carroll Courtney]

I took a tour of a mill shop couple yrs ago where he made windows,doors,trim,etc for old homes.He had just made some victorian screen doors out of cypress,he said that they would last forever.I'm sure that what ever they are made out of,they will look great.Post pics---Carroll

[Lee Schierer]

I made one about 12 years ago from clear pine. I put it together with pocket hole screws, cut the screen spline grooves on my TS and it worked for 10 years before we changed the weather door and no longer wanted the screen. It still has the original fiberglass screen in it. I finished it with clear polyurethane.

[Phil Thien]

If you could find 5.5" wide Douglas fir tongue and groove flooring, you can rip the tongue, and the grove, off and use that. But I wonder whether it would be thick enough.

I've thought of doing it myself. My lumber yard guys let me pick through the flooring stock, and I've found some very nice pieces in there.

[joe milana]

At work I've made or seen them made from Khaya (African Mahogany), SA Mahogany, cherry, walnut, pine, and QSWO. I'm sure yellow cedar, spanish cedar, cypress, VGF and a few others would also be fine choices. You have a lot of options on a covered porch that won't see full weather exposure. I've seen a few storms and doors made from western red cedar, and frankly they don't tend to be particularly durable. The wood stands against the weather just fine, and its truly beautiful IMO, but its very soft, doesn't hold screws particularly well, dents easily. I suppose I'd consider the the realistic use intended. If its a decorative door for a less used entry, red cedar might work fine. For a primary entrance with kids and dogs, bad choice.

I'm with you on the quality of the box store storms and screen doors. I liked them so much I put a steel Simpson on my primary entrance. I have plans for pretty wooden storm on the front door (covered porch, lightly used). For the main entrance (back door, young kids, dog that charges the door like a small buffalo) I found an insulated steel storm with built in screen made more sense.

They are fun to make. Enjoy it!

My thoughts exactly on the WR cedar. I wonder how it compares to spanish cedar. I'm leanin' towards QS white oak, since I have some.

[Bruce Wrenn]

Here, both borgs carry 5/4 SYP in various widths. That what was used here for a hundred years before fir became available from the west coast right after WWII.

[ken gibbs]

I just finished making an outside entrance screen door out of left over 4/4 treated pine. The factory doors have dowel joints that tend to weaken and rot after several years. I used through tendons and super glue to set the joints and a good round over bit ti set the edges.