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Thread: exotic wood for an exterior door?

  1. #1
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    exotic wood for an exterior door?

    any suggestions for exotic woods that would be suitable for a front door that would be subjected to the usual front door abuse?

  2. #2
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    Mahogany is a time-honored favorite for this purpose. While it's not extraordinarily "exotic", you can really get some very nice figured mahogany that will be interesting. To keep the cost down, you could laminate 1/4" "veneer" of the figured material to plain mahogany where the faces show.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  3. #3
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    Sky is the limit on this one, Mark, I think. Jim mentioned the traditional/classical wood to use but typically, you want a very stable wood or one that is properly dried and stress-free so it doesn't move much on you. Properly finished and cared for over the years, it ought to serve you well.

    Personally, I'd love to see a mesquite door!

    I believe my own front door is made from vertical grain fir but after 15 years, the finish is coming off the bottom of it (not sure what finish it has) but overall, it still looks good.
    Wood: a fickle medium....

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  4. #4
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    Chris mentioned a mesquite door. A friend in a neighboring town who primarily did mesquite flooring did a number of things (furniture, counter tops, etc) using mesquite and other native woods A pretty elaborate mesquite entry - door, transome, sidelights - could fetch five figures. What makes mesquite a good wood for a project like this is its stability and lack of seasonal movement. Plus the grain and aging gracefully.

    Exotic to me doesn't mean it has to be imported from half the globe away. An exotic can be a domestic that is appropriate for the job that's not normally seen or used a lot.

    Why don't you make it out of live oak? That way it could withstand siege cannon.
    Last edited by Richard M. Wolfe; 05-23-2008 at 5:38 PM.
    And now for something completely different....

  5. #5
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    I'm not familiar with mesquite; availability is an issue to consider with any wood not commonly sold at retail.

    I like Jim's suggestion of mahogany, but only the real stuff, Honduras mahogany. I'm not sure how weather resistant the other "mahoganies" are, but Honduras is one of the most durable woods there is.

    You've got to consider how much weathering your door will get, meaning sun and rain. Any wood can get bleached out by full exposure to the sun, and most finishes that get a lot of direct sunlight, even those with some built-on UV resistance, will degrade over time, which lets in moisture (staining, movement, decay, etc.). So a north facing door that's sheltered from the rain will look better for a much longer time than one that faces south and is right out there in the elements.

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Richard M. Wolfe View Post
    Chris mentioned a mesquite door. A friend in a neighboring town who primarily did mesquite flooring did a number of things (furniture, counter tops, etc) using mesquite and other native woods A pretty elaborate mesquite entry - door, transome, sidelights - could fetch five figures. What makes mesquite a good wood for a project like this is its stability and lack of seasonal movement. Plus the grain and aging gracefully.
    Ooooohhh!!!!! That demands some pics, Richard!! Well, if you get the chance, that would be very nice to see!
    Wood: a fickle medium....

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  7. #7
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    A few things about entry doors as I understand them:

    1) No exterior wood door is maintenance free. Maintenance is part of the equation when considering a wood door. Accept it or accept a man made alternative. Some finishes last longer than others, and good old paint seems to be the most durable protection exposed wood can get, but I'd guess you don't want to bury 'exotic wood' behind paint?

    2) Protected doors last longer than exposed doors. If you don't have protection in the form of a soffit, porch or portico it may be worth expanding the scope of your efforts to build one of these features into your design. It will go a long way towards extending the life of your new door. How long would you last exposed to the elements naked?

    3) Doors are not that hard to build. Plenty of beautiful doors can be rendered with out expensive shaper cutters or other special equipment. You can do it, the creek can help! (The borg on the other hand will be of little value to you in this endeavor!)

    As far as species, I agree with Richard completely on this one. I'd define exotic as anything not common place, and that leaves plenty of beautiful domestic species as well as those from foreign lands (like Florida in my case!)

    Here's an incomplete short list of species I'd consider. Perhaps others can add to this for you:

    Black Walnut, Quarter Sawn or Rift sawn White Oak, Live Oak, Cypress, Pecky Cypress, Doug Fir (reclaimed old growth), Jarrah, Jatoba, Honduran Mahogany, Peruvian Walnut, Teak $$$, Morado $$$, Black Locust, Koa, Pernambuco $$$, Sapele, Eucalyptus, Spanish Cedar, Redwood, Reclaimed Chestnut $$$, Pecan, Bocote, Iroko, etc.

    Any of those suit you?

    Next question, Construction Method. Solid wood? Stave Core? Solid Lamination? Timber strand Core? Raised Panel? Flat Panel? Bolection Molding?

  8. #8
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    Sorry, Chris, you'll just have to take my word for it. I saw the door under construction and all I know after that is it got installed somewhere in Dallas.

    Another teaser....which means I can't supply pictures. I talked to a cabinet/finish carpenter in a neighboring town some months back and he said the prettiest door he ever made was from bois d'arc (osage orange). The wood ages from brilliant yellow to brown but he said when the sun hit it it had beautiful golden highlights. I can't imagine what the thing weighed or what it took to install.
    And now for something completely different....

  9. #9
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    Madrone maybe , Hondo Mahog , maybe Khaya ( African Mahogany)

    Here's a few doors done by memebers of the Whidbey Island Wooodworkers Guild.











  10. #10
    You asked for exotic....well, I have seen some in person and it could be expensive to get.......but here here are a couple.
    (Wood harvesting in the Philippines is tightly controlled now due to deforrestation and resultant mud slides.)

    Kamagong is an extremely hard wood found only in the Philippines; it is a wood that some say is nearly indestructible. In ancient times, this wood was used to make weapons such as knives and swords. The scientific name of this tree is Diospyros discolor Willd (Ebenaceae). It has grayish or mottled sapwood and black heartwood with brownish streaks. Kamagong in its pure black form is one of the five most rare woods in the world.
    or
    Narra, the scientific term of which is Pterocarpus indicus, is the hardwood noted for its ability to take a high polish. Narra comes in varying colors: the heartwood varies from pale yellow to deep blood red while the sapwood, which is usually narrow in mature trees, is lighter. Narra is moderately hard and heavy, with a distinct cedary or camphor-like odor. Its popularity, utility, aesthetic value, hardiness, tolerance and history made it the unanimous choice as the Philippines' national tree.

    http://www.kikaysjunk.com/rusticfurn...oodspecies.asp
    There will never be a shortage of folks telling you why you can't or shouldn't do something...even though much has been accomplished that hasn't been done before !

  11. #11
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    I see you are from Memphis, so you may get your share of hurricanes as do I living here on the Gulf of Mexico in Florida. I just had a beautiful front door made from what was called Brazilian Oak, stained with a walnut stain. The door is rated to hurricane standards meeting the Dade County Florida code for hurricane doors. It is four feet wide, 2 1/2 inches thick and mounted on four ball bearing hinges. The outer glass is the hurricane glass while the inner glass is a decorative Frank Lloyd Wright design. It was NOT a job I was willing to tackle due to the hurricane code issues and the weight of the door. The local manufacturer/installer is well respected in these parts. It cost over $5,000, but I am convinced it has added twice that or more to the value of the home. It makes quite a statement.

  12. #12
    Peter read this item and noticed your mention of Eucaliptus as posible choice for doors. I live in a location called Topanga Canyon CA. Between Malibu and the San Fernando valley. I have access to lots of Eucaliptus trees. I didn't know it was a wood workable wood. Are there some species which are and some not? If so where can I find out which are workable, and what its chacteristics are?

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by patrick ramsey View Post
    Peter read this item and noticed your mention of Eucaliptus as posible choice for doors. I live in a location called Topanga Canyon CA. Between Malibu and the San Fernando valley. I have access to lots of Eucaliptus trees. I didn't know it was a wood workable wood. Are there some species which are and some not? If so where can I find out which are workable, and what its chacteristics are?
    I am not an expert on wood in general nor have I actually worked with Eucalyptus other than to assemble an outdoor shower I bought made of some member of the species that has weathered quite nicely. It had that distinctive smell when new and a waxy quality to the boards. I was more offering food for though on the subject. I do work in a millwork shop and do make doors frequently. I understand Jarrah is a type of Eucalyptus commercially available (though admittedly not near me) which is suitable for out door building, and that there are plantation grown versions raised in Brazil called by the trade name 'Lyptus' that may be any of a variety of sub species which are available in the US. All of the exterior doors made by the shop I am at have been either black walnut, SA Mahogany, or QSWO, maybe one made of teak some time ago too. SA Mahogany is the most popular choice by far. Perhaps a check with a local millwork shop or custom saw mill might offer more information about the particular native species in question's workable properties?

  14. #14
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    As far as finishing, what if you could have an auto body shop paint it? That clear coat has to be pretty durable.

  15. #15
    One of the primary considerations for a solid wood door is the exposure of the entryway. Full southern exposure is the worst since the sun will cause problems, or at lest high maintenance, for just about any type of finish. Eastern and western aren't so bad. Full northern exposures tend to be the wettest since they never get full sun, and you have to deal with the moisture.

    With any all wood doors ball-bearing hinges are a must since they'll be pretty heavy.

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