All our doors are manufactured using quarter sawn mahogany (sapelle, to be specific). Quarter sawn lumber is less likely to warp than regular flat sawn lumber. It also moves less seasonally. Mahogany is considered to be very rot resistant.
We can! Please let us know what you are interested in. Keep in mind that we can only cut profile outlines.
Yes! simply email us the panel dimensions and frame color and we will email you an estimate.
As of November 2022, our current lead time is 12-14 weeks.
Please provide us with the opening dimensions for where your door is going to hang (see picture below). If you already have a door and you are replacing it, you can send us the dimensions of that door, but please indicate that you are sending us the “actual door dimensions.”
To ensure proper measurements for installation, follow the picture to determine height and width of your opening.
All sides for door parts are determined when you are standing outside looking in.
A mortise (sounds like mor-tuhs) is a small pocket drilled into the wood. The latch will sit in this pocket, keeping it very secure.
We only need to know if the door swings in, as this will aid in construction. We do not need to know if it is a left-hand or right-hand swing (your installer will need that, but not us).
We use pegged mortise and tenon construction. Mortise and tenon joints are strong and stable and have been used by woodworkers for thousands of years. The pegs are made of birch, and ensure the door does not sag (and provide a nice contrast on bare doors). Every mortise and tenon joint in the door receives two pegs, and are held together with TiteBond wood glue.
The screens and glass sit in a small “rabbet” (a recess cut into the edge of the stile) on the inside of the door. Simple brass clips secure the screen and glass frames. It takes only a minute or two to swap out the glass and screens. The picture below shows the clips with either the white or brown frames.
The full mortise latch sits in a pocket drilled into the stile (see Mortise definition above). The wood of the door itself keeps the latch secure. This style latch is appropriate for regular or heavy-use doors. The rim-mount style latch is secured to the door using four screws and is appropriate for seasonal and light-use doors.
We can! If you are replacing a screen door, however, it is recommended that the hinges be mortised on site to match the old hinge locations.
We recommend any national brand acrylic-latex paint. You will need to reapply a fresh coat of paint every few years.
We recommend Epifanes clear high gloss varnish, available from Jamestown Distributors (or Amazon). Follow the directions on the can for best results. You will need to reapply a fresh coat or two of varnish every few years.
With regular maintenance, the doors should last the life of the house. We hear from people all the time whose doors are over 20 years old and going strong.