Back to back entry door panels

[Terry Patrick]

I am making mahogany entry door panels that will be two three quarter inch raised panels back to back in a half inch dado. I know not to glue the panels back to back, so what barrier is used between the panels if any? I have hear of guys using quarter inch foam, but that takes away from my half inch tongue thickness. how about rosin paper? or is anything really needed?

[Mel Fulks]

We made lots of them and never put anything between them. I think the only likely use of "stuffing" would be to make
proper panel fitting easier. You do have to be careful with the fit.

[John TenEyck]

I use aluminum foil as a vapor barrier, spray bonded to the inner panel. No reason you couldn't use closed cell foam if you had room for it.

John

[Bradley Gray]

I've done this with nothing, with flooring underlay foam and with 1/2" rigid foam.

I think rosin paper sounds like a good idea. Tack glue it to one side so it doesn't slip into the groove during glue-up. (Don't ask)

[Richard Coers]

My concern with any raised panel entrance door is water getting between the panel and dado from a driving rain. Even if the wood is water resistant, the water can get behind the finish and cause it to lift. With a double panel, the water will wick up between them. I drill a single 1/8" hole up at an angle to drain that dado. Those are on the doors I've sold. Personally, I have steel doors in my house because I don't like rot and I love magnetic weather stripping.

[Mel Fulks]

Yeah, you don't need to have water . I was taught to take great care with the panel fit. Had to size the raise to where
the door parts covered the panel slope about 1/32". Whenever time allowed I let the parts sit over night since the sticking
will often close up some ,making the dado width a bit more narrow. And most people don't like a flat showing ,it's
a small thing but it gets noticed.

[John TenEyck]

I have the same concerns, so I use bolection moldings to hold the panels in place instead of trapping the panels in a dado. With moldings you can finish everything separately, and completely, before assembly and you can remove the panels for repair/replacement when needed in the future.

John