Old Vestibule door

[Arthur 51]

Hi all. After removing the old vestibule door and sidelights etc from my old terraced house. I'm wondering if it could be restored and remodelled for 'promotion' as a new front door. Its a pretty heavy old thing with the top half having a the usual glazed framing pattern eg

+---+-----------------------------------+---+ | | | | +---+-----------------------------------+---+ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | +---+-----------------------------------+---+ | | | | +---+-----------------------------------+---+

The bottom half is very solid.

Does anyone know of the timber for these old doors is of a type good enough to become a front door that would withstand everything the elements could throw at it?

Thanks.

Arthur

[Andy Dingley]

Probably a good quality pitch pine.

It would need to be painted, but yes it would work. It's better than many doors you'll get these days.

[Arthur 51]

Also, 1 or 2 of the other houses on the street still have the original ancient doors and have the same design. And as its going to be painted I want to alter the framing layout to something like

+---------------+-----------------+---------------+ | | | | | | glazed | | | | | | | glazed +-----------------+ glazed | | | | | | | | | | | | | +---------------+ solid | +---------------+ | | panel | | | | | | | | | | | solid | | solid | | panel | | panel | | | | | | | | | /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

I would do it by building the above framing complete with outsides. Then size the depth to stand proud of the existing door surfrace. Sorry...am I going on here?

Arthur

[Dave Plowman (News)]

I *added* a vestibule door here. With sidelights etc in thick glass. Cuts the noise down appreciably. As well as draughts. That part of a hallway is rarely much used for anything - so why did you remove it?

[Arthur 51]

I prefer the space that its absence makes. It also provides an opportunity to replace the meter cupboard into something that more closely resembles a piece of furniture rather than as a 'pregnant' lump. I am also in the process of building my own front door frame with double glazed sidelights, and toplight that will include a pivot or dormer window.

Arthur

[Arthur 51]

Sh^t! Just measured and its tall enough but just 31 amd 5/8ths wide. I've built my frame to take a 33" x 78" door. Is glueing and nailing a pice on 1 or both sides out of the question?

Arthur