The problem with many UK doors is that the trees are felled in the morning, sawn into planks by lunchtime, then made into doors before teatime.
The still-dripping-wet wood itself is probably some cheap knotty Pine, and the actual door-making process industrialised and shoddy.
Almost everyone I know who still has old fashioned wooden doors, has problems with them. With the UK's dampish climate they shrink or swell, and split or stick (depending on the season). They can be a right pain in the neck. We have already had to have a carpenter to see to two of our outside doors this winter.
So, up the road, my son Kimbo has decided to do something about the problem, and has installed a new 'state of the art' non-wood door. This isn't the standard composite door, but a new very solid 21st C version.
He has now also installed the black and gold house number on the borrowed-light above, and it looks very 'chic'.
I went by yesterday morning to inspect the work, and it looks superb. The door doesn't look that different to the last one, but it's really solid, and will remain un-swelled for decades to come; if not centuries. Well done Kimbo!
p.s. Looking at the photo, I'm wondering if those wires up the wall are actually doing anything. They look to me like the old GPO wiring, where they took whatever was the most direct route, regardless of aesthetics. Horrible; I shall make enquiries.
20 comments:
Is that a Boot Scraper to the right of the photo?
Yes, a reminder of the state of the roads in Victorian times!
I have a similar door on my house. The number looks great by the way! I've not had a wooden door for at least 30 years and remember changing the one in my last house precisely because of the problems you mentioned. I live in the U.K. also and the damp and temperature variations meant we seemed to have endless troubles with shrinking and swelling (not what is needed when you are rushing off to work in the morning). In this house though I do have the original wood internal porch door with its original glass which with a bit of maintenance from time to time is happily surviving.
A very smart front door.
We still have the original Victorian church front door on our house. Looks beautiful but I have had to make a big, heavy duty draught excluder for the entrance hall.
It is a very nice looking door.
In France we now have large Aluminium glass doors, which are wonderful, but our front door here needs changing. We'll probably do it next year. I'm fed-up with sticking doors.
I expect your door was very well made from good quality wood. Ordinary domestic front doors are a very different matter.
The photo doesn't do it justice.
Even when wood is properly seasoned there are usually changes between summer and autumn. My son is about to change his composite front door for a top quality wooden one even though I have warned him about the issue. In time we will see.
If your son chooses a good, naturally well dried, hardwood for his door there should be no problem.
The oldest house I have owned, was built in 1982, I have never had a wood outside door. (I working in the home building business for 15 years.)
Our youngest home is the one I'm in now, which was built in the 60's. I much prefer old houses with plenty of character.
Every door on the second floor needs to be taken off the hinges and planed. It's one of those things we've been meaning to do.
Kimbo's new door looks fantastic. Totally chic. Is it fiberglass? I've been told the new fiberglass doors are beautifully made and maintenance free. My exterior doors are mahogany. They require yearly maintenance but continue to look new.
Yes, I like the look of this Cro.
Infuriating, isn't it. It seems to be a part of living in the UK.
I'm not sure but I think it's called Oak Foil. I do know it was v expensive.
He'll never need to worry about it again. A proper job!
Very smart and a nice dark colour .
Yes, a nice job.
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