screendoor material

[Charles Cannon]

My wife retired from her teaching job this year. Now everywhere she looks she sees something for me to fix. The screen door I installed about ten years ago had rotted out and she says we must have a new one. I was on a deal to get some 5/4 cypress to build another one but that fell through. What other common woods (cheap) would be servicable for the job.
Cannon

[Gail O'Rourke]

I have built 2 screen doors - one with Honduras Mahogany - and one with IPE - both have withstood the weather. And, not the cheapest wood - however, you can come over and pick up a bunch of IPE that I have in my basement (check around, anyone that has built a deck with it is sure to have a few pieces left over in the basement - think craigslist).

[Ben Grunow]

Most factory made units are pine or fir. I vote for mahogany or ipe (cant get that cyprus?) as they really get slammed around.

[Tom Veatch]

Most factory made units are pine or fir. I vote for mahogany or ipe (cant get that cyprus?) as they really get slammed around.

I'm going to be building a couple of screen doors in the fairly near future and have several sticks of plain sawn white oak I was planning on using for that. Anybody have any comments, pro or con, on white oak for that application?

[Brian Ross]

White oak should stand up to the enviroment quite well. They also use white oak for roofing shingles. Hemlock would be another consideration. Was in an old time door shop last year and they were repairing the bottom rail of a townhall door. The rail was showing signs of starting to rot. It was built of hemlock and had been installed by the shop owners father in 1947

Brian

[Carl Crout]

I am going to make mine out of 5/4 treated pine (used for decking)

[Gail O'Rourke]

Oak and Pine will also work just fine! Post pics when you are done.
Here is how I secured the screen in mine, a little different, but worked nicely.
http://www.woodworking.org/photo/albums/userpics/13344/screenporchdoorcloseup.jpg
(http://www.woodworking.org/photo/displayimage.php?pos=-8599)

[Lee Schierer]

I made a screen door for the door leading to our deck. I made it out of 3/4" #2 pine and it has been there for about 10 years. It is actually inside the house adn there is a weather proof door on the out side. The screen is attached via spline material in a groove cut on the table saw into the frame pieces. The frame is 2" wide and the jointes are all M&T. The grandkids give it a pretty good work out when they are around. It just has a spring to pull it closed. Cheap but it works.

Lee

[Charles Cannon]

Nice door Gail. Did you use M&T joints? As it happens I saw the trailer for "Woodworking Together" today. I hope my local PBS station carries it. I'am going to use the door I have as a pattern because it had removable screens and they are still good. It was made of pine with Cope and stick joints. The water splashing up off the deck caused the bottom rail to rot out. The material is 1 1/8 so I will have to mill some stock down. I was trying to find 5/4 cypress but am not sure my skils merit $5 a BF lumber.
Cannon

[Gail O'Rourke]

Thanks! I actually bought the Domino to make this door, it worked excellent!

[Bill Neely]

I built a screen door last year from Red Oak. It's a completely protected area so weather isn't a concern but it sure expands and contracts with the seasons. I would recommend White Oak over Red. :)

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b318/plainolebill/FinishedDoor1.jpg