Old Vestibule door

Jun 18, 2009 5 Replies

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


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.

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

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?

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

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

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