Exterior Door construction

[Josh vincze]

Can you build an exterior door just by glueing up 1 3/4 t and g sapele or utile? I would like to have the board and batten look (vertical lines) without anything else. How does this design fail? What should I be concerned about?

[Kevin Jenness]

Can you build an exterior door just by glueing up 1 3/4 t and g sapele or utile? I would like to have the board and batten look (vertical lines) without anything else. How does this design fail? What should I be concerned about?

You should be concerned about expansion/contraction and cupping. You can build a stable door with this look by gluing t&g planks to each side of a solidly joined ladder core. The core can be infilled with foamboard for insulation. Glue the center of the planks where they intersect the core and leave some space between them.

[Jim Dwight]

I agree with Kevin's suggestion but would also add that a solid 1 3/4 inch door would be VERY heavy. It would need some really stout hinges and may need an extra thick hinge side jamb. Many doors look solid but are either hollow or are frame and panel with only the rails and stiles 1 3/4 inch thick.

[Kevin Jenness]

I usually build exterior doors 2 1/4" thick. With this construction it allows for three 3/4" layers, 1/4" core tenons and 1/4" thick tongues and grooves, and reasonable insulation. Jambs are typically 1 1/4" or 1 1/2" including stops with 4 1/2" ball bearing hinges. The jambs do need to be well shimmed and secured.

[Tom Bender]

Another concern with exterior doors is the finish. Since you are considering nice wood my guess is that you imagine a beautiful varnished finish. Unfortunately varnish is not durable in daylight and especially in sunlight. It requires refinishing every few years. Paint is much better and much easier to refresh.

[Maurice Mcmurry]

I had the fun and challenging job of making historical reproductions of Mahogany entry doors for a few houses in the South End of Boston in 1985 and 1986. Some were varnished with Spar Urethane, Some were oiled with a concoction of linseed oil, pine tar, gum turpentine, and Japan drier. The oiled doors have held up well. They have been oiled quite a few times over the years and have become very dark.

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[Maurice Mcmurry]

The 38 year old doors have caught up with the 138 year old frames! The vintage and the antique Mahogany are both "in the black"
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[Mel Fulks]

They are nice ! Now, get ready for questions about the “ elevator”.