Particularly if they come pre-glazed, you have to be superman to lift them, and an extra person doesn't help unless you have space either side of the door. I weighed up the chances of doing myself an injury, chickened out, and got a man in. A very strong, square shaped man, and even he puffed a bit. Despite the weight, these doors are about as "hard" as balsa wood, and the veneer breaks out when you plane the edges. My guess is that any sort of weather resistance comes from the finish rather than the material itself. Mine's in a porch, and painted, so I'm fairly confident, but I wouldn't install it in an exposed location. Similar doors I've seen in neighbouring streets appear to bear out my feeling that varnish wouldn't last long. Why didn't I get a solid wood door? Because I think engineered will be more stable. The original Victorian door went banana shaped long before my time and I'm determined to have something that fits the frame this winter
- posted
14 years ago