Wood for a wooden screen door

[joe milana]

Joe I can get it at Liberty Hardwood north KC or Paxtons

Get what? VGF? I'll give 'em a call. Thanks

[John A langley]

No Spanish cedar

[Peter Quinn]

At work I've made or seen them made from Khaya (African Mahogany), SA Mahogany, cherry, walnut, pine, and QSWO. I'm sure yellow cedar, spanish cedar, cypress, VGF and a few others would also be fine choices. You have a lot of options on a covered porch that won't see full weather exposure. I've seen a few storms and doors made from western red cedar, and frankly they don't tend to be particularly durable. The wood stands against the weather just fine, and its truly beautiful IMO, but its very soft, doesn't hold screws particularly well, dents easily. I suppose I'd consider the the realistic use intended. If its a decorative door for a less used entry, red cedar might work fine. For a primary entrance with kids and dogs, bad choice.

I'm with you on the quality of the box store storms and screen doors. I liked them so much I put a steel Simpson on my primary entrance. I have plans for pretty wooden storm on the front door (covered porch, lightly used). For the main entrance (back door, young kids, dog that charges the door like a small buffalo) I found an insulated steel storm with built in screen made more sense.

They are fun to make. Enjoy it!

[Carroll Courtney]

I took a tour of a mill shop couple yrs ago where he made windows,doors,trim,etc for old homes.He had just made some victorian screen doors out of cypress,he said that they would last forever.I'm sure that what ever they are made out of,they will look great.Post pics---Carroll

[Lee Schierer]

I made one about 12 years ago from clear pine. I put it together with pocket hole screws, cut the screen spline grooves on my TS and it worked for 10 years before we changed the weather door and no longer wanted the screen. It still has the original fiberglass screen in it. I finished it with clear polyurethane.

[Phil Thien]

If you could find 5.5" wide Douglas fir tongue and groove flooring, you can rip the tongue, and the grove, off and use that. But I wonder whether it would be thick enough.

I've thought of doing it myself. My lumber yard guys let me pick through the flooring stock, and I've found some very nice pieces in there.

[joe milana]

At work I've made or seen them made from Khaya (African Mahogany), SA Mahogany, cherry, walnut, pine, and QSWO. I'm sure yellow cedar, spanish cedar, cypress, VGF and a few others would also be fine choices. You have a lot of options on a covered porch that won't see full weather exposure. I've seen a few storms and doors made from western red cedar, and frankly they don't tend to be particularly durable. The wood stands against the weather just fine, and its truly beautiful IMO, but its very soft, doesn't hold screws particularly well, dents easily. I suppose I'd consider the the realistic use intended. If its a decorative door for a less used entry, red cedar might work fine. For a primary entrance with kids and dogs, bad choice.

I'm with you on the quality of the box store storms and screen doors. I liked them so much I put a steel Simpson on my primary entrance. I have plans for pretty wooden storm on the front door (covered porch, lightly used). For the main entrance (back door, young kids, dog that charges the door like a small buffalo) I found an insulated steel storm with built in screen made more sense.

They are fun to make. Enjoy it!

My thoughts exactly on the WR cedar. I wonder how it compares to spanish cedar. I'm leanin' towards QS white oak, since I have some.

[Bruce Wrenn]

Here, both borgs carry 5/4 SYP in various widths. That what was used here for a hundred years before fir became available from the west coast right after WWII.

[ken gibbs]

I just finished making an outside entrance screen door out of left over 4/4 treated pine. The factory doors have dowel joints that tend to weaken and rot after several years. I used through tendons and super glue to set the joints and a good round over bit ti set the edges.