OldTools Archive
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276269 | James DuPrie <jbn.duprie@g...> | 2022‑09‑06 | what wood for a screen door (and other building thoughts)..... |
I've decided that this winter I'll build a screen door for my back door. It opens onto a covered porch, so, other than windblown rain and snow, its pretty sheltered. Never gets direct sun. I'm wondering what wood folks would recommend? The porch is mahogany, so that's a good starting place... I'm planning on fairly traditional constructions - M+T, screens secured in grooves (probably as removable panels for easy maintenance), no storm panels. Haven't decided on if it needs a spring or just a latch....... Any thoughts on things to watch out for, or be concerned about? thanks -James in Maine |
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276270 | Andrew Heybey <ath@h...> | 2022‑09‑06 | Re: what wood for a screen door (and other building thoughts)..... |
On Sep 6, 2022, at 9:57 AM, James DuPrie |
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276271 | Kevin Foley <kevin.foley.135@g...> | 2022‑09‑06 | Re: what wood for a screen door (and other building thoughts)..... |
James, I would consider, in order of descending cost, teak, cypress, then real, dense, heavy, resinous, SYP — not the deck junk. Cheers, Kevin |
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276272 | James DuPrie <jbn.duprie@g...> | 2022‑09‑06 | Re: what wood for a screen door (and other building thoughts)..... |
OK, you've raised something else I've been contemplating: weight..... I don;t recall what the screen doors of my youth were made of (they were always painted anyway), but they weren't heavy. They were typical mass produced screen doors that were found all over the country in houses made (or updated) from the 20s through the early 70s - when aluminum replaced wood. I always assumed they were made of the generic 'white wood' (probably one of the evergreen softwoods) because of the weight and paint.... the reason I'm wondering about weight is that, with a simple spring (either hinge or free hanging), 2 issues come up: The first is simply how much spring is needed to close the door, the second is momentum - what happens when the door smacks into the jamb (especially if something like a finger is on the jamb)... I was planning to avoid the pneumatic door closers that are standard now, so soft close isn't really an option.... these are the hinges I'm thinking of using: https://www.leevalley.com/en-ca/shop/hardware/architectural-hardware/interior- door/hinges/46500-cast-hold-open-hinge?item=01K2980 -James On Tue, Sep 6, 2022 at 10:19 AM Kevin Foley |
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276273 | Richard Wilson <yorkshireman@y...> | 2022‑09‑06 | Re: what wood for a screen door (and other building thoughts)..... |
And fro mover here, I’d add in larch - light, weatherproof, not a bad colour. Maybe a bit soft, so would take some dents if abused. Richard Wilson Yorkshireman Galoot no longer in a drought. > On 6 Sep 2022, at 15:19, Kevin Foley |
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276274 | Brian Welch <brian.w.welch@g...> | 2022‑09‑06 | Re: what wood for a screen door (and other building thoughts)..... |
On Tue, Sep 6, 2022 at 12:14 PM James DuPrie |
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276275 | scottg <scottg@s...> | 2022‑09‑06 | Re: what wood for a screen door (and other building thoughts)..... |
I assume its regional choices of lumber Sugar pine is what I have made many screen doors from here. Light, strong, holds up to weather. People were known to split out shake roofs from sugar pine once, and it lasts for generations. Slightly weird. Ponderosa pine (grows right next to sugar) wouldn't last 2 years. 1 1/8" is standard classy screen door from my shop. Commercial doors were often 7/8 or 1" An old school door spring can be set to about any tension you want. I never needed a door spring that could cut off a finger. yours scott -- ******************************* Scott Grandstaff Box 409 Happy Camp, Ca 96039 scottg@s... http://www.snowcrest.net/kitty/sgrandstaff/ http://www.snowcrest.net/kitty/hpages/index.html |
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276276 | Phil Schempf <philschempf@g...> | 2022‑09‑06 | Re: what wood for a screen door (and other building thoughts)..... |
Choosing quarter sawn wood if you can will save you some trouble down the road. Phil |
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276277 | Chris Wolf <hframe79001@g...> | 2022‑09‑06 | Re: what wood for a screen door (and other building thoughts)..... |
I built my porch screen door out of red cedar in 2011 and it has worked out great.This replaced a big-box screen door installed in 1993 by the contractor who built the porch. The original was some sort of non-durable wood. https://groups.io/g/oldtools/photo/263870/3482845 The door is very lightweight. The simple design in the lower half was chosen to be decorative, but also to incorporate the diagonals for rigidity against racking. As far as I can tell, the door hasn't sagged even a fraction of an inch in eleven years. It is fully exposed to weather, so it doesn't look as new as the photo any more, but has held up quite well nevertheless. It has removable panels (more like frames actually) top and bottom, each of a different design, but both held in place with a tongue and groove at the bottom and concealed rare earth magnets along their upper frame. The lower panel sandwiches a loose acrylic panel against the door frame, with no option for a screen. The upper panel has a stapled on screen, always in place, plus a slot which allows an acrylic to be slipped in behind the screen for the winter. I installed a pneumatic closer. The handle on the outside is a scrap of mahogany. --Chris Check out H-frame, the site for vintage Black & Decker Workmates <https://h-frame.weebly.com/> |
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276284 | Michael Blair <branson2@s...> | 2022‑09‑07 | Re: what wood for a screen door (and other building thoughts)..... |
I have to agree with Scott: "I assume its regional choices of lumber Sugar pine is what I have made many screen doors from here. Light, strong, holds up to weather. People were known to split out shake roofs from sugar pine once, and it lasts for generations." One house I lived in was built in 1906 or so. The screen door was original to the house. Sugar pine. And that's what I used to build screen doors and window screens for years. No need to get exotic. Mike in Woodland |
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276285 | gary allan may | 2022‑09‑07 | Re: what wood for a screen door (and other building thoughts)..... |
Hi Scott--- I always hated the door trying to close on me as I navigated through---no more! I took the closer off the screen door. Never missed it. I do have the spring-and-chain thing that catches the door if it blows open; that's become important now that the the door is otherwise swinging free. all the best to all galoots everywhere; gam in OlyWA On Tuesday, September 6, 2022 at 10:18:01 AM PDT, scottg |
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276286 | Dave <dwchat@h...> | 2022‑09‑07 | Re: what wood for a screen door (and other building thoughts)..... |
You want a screen door catch, not closer. Its a c shaper metal piece with rubber bumpers to catch the door near closed and gently finish closing it and lightly holding it shut. Thats the way I remember them. -- Dave Chatham CLE/OH |
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276289 | Dave Nighswander <wishingstarfarm663@m...> | 2022‑09‑10 | Re: what wood for a screen door (and other building thoughts)..... |
Redwood was the choice for my old house. I made a screen door for the front porch from a picnic table. That was 20 years ago and last I knew it was still there. In my youth there was a door catch made from a rocker with two rubber wheels that caught the door as it closed and a spring cammed over and latched it shut with out slamming. That way the door spring didn’t slam it shut and you could just push or pull the door open. Sent from Mail<https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=550986> for Windows From: scottg<mailto:scottg@s...> Sent: Tuesday, September 6, 2022 1:18 PM To: oldtools@g...<mailto:oldtools@g...> Subject: Re: [oldtools] what wood for a screen door (and other building thoughts)..... I assume its regional choices of lumber Sugar pine is what I have made many screen doors from here. Light, strong, holds up to weather. People were known to split out shake roofs from sugar pine once, and it lasts for generations. Slightly weird. Ponderosa pine (grows right next to sugar) wouldn't last 2 years. 1 1/8" is standard classy screen door from my shop. Commercial doors were often 7/8 or 1" An old school door spring can be set to about any tension you want. I never needed a door spring that could cut off a finger. yours scott -- ******************************* Scott Grandstaff Box 409 Happy Camp, Ca 96039 scottg@s... https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.snowcre st.net%2Fkitty%2Fsgrandstaff%2F&data=05%7C01%7C%7Ca5caab486f7e442e007008da90 2bc158%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C637980814851803559%7CUnknown %7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3 D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=nGtf36XqS6uGyvnWQ5SymkHoPT%2B428jjR7EAtLgdDrw%3D& ;reserved=0 https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.snowcre st.net%2Fkitty%2Fhpages%2Findex.html&data=05%7C01%7C%7Ca5caab486f7e442e00700 8da902bc158%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C637980814851803559%7CUn known%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6 Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=JbZgb8ZRGvzNE30M3WI6nT1liLeBIWTQW%2F4Xz%2F%2Fmh us%3D&reserved=0 |
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276290 | James DuPrie <jbn.duprie@g...> | 2022‑09‑10 | Re: what wood for a screen door (and other building thoughts)..... |
thanks for all the input... While sugar pine sounds like the right solution, around here the only option is "eastern white pine" Yellow Poplar is available, but (believe it or not) red oak is the same price...... Thoughts on poplar vs oak? thanks On Sat, Sep 10, 2022 at 5:36 AM Dave Nighswander |
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276299 | Don Schwartz <dks@t...> | 2022‑09‑11 | Re: what wood for a screen door (and other building thoughts)..... |
As I understand it, red oak is not durable for exterior usage. FWIW Don On 2022-09-10 3:02 p.m., James DuPrie wrote: > thanks for all the input... > While sugar pine sounds like the right solution, around here the only > option is "eastern white pine" > Yellow Poplar is available, but (believe it or not) red oak is the same > price...... Thoughts on poplar vs oak? > > thanks > > On Sat, Sep 10, 2022 at 5:36 AM Dave Nighswander |
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276303 | Bill Ghio | 2022‑09‑11 | Re: what wood for a screen door (and other building thoughts)..... |
> On Sep 11, 2022, at 2:08 AM, Don Schwartz |
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276304 | Michael Blair <branson2@s...> | 2022‑09‑11 | Re: Old key needed |
The measured drawing should be sufficient for reproducing the key. Hint, make more than one! I used to know a locksmith who would have duplicated it, no problem. I'll check with a local locksmith and see if he can do this, but a machinist could manage, I'm sure. I'll talk to him Monday or Tuesday and let you know. Mike in Woodland |
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276305 | James DuPrie <jbn.duprie@g...> | 2022‑09‑11 | Re: what wood for a screen door (and other building thoughts)..... |
OK, a bit more detail: Door will be finished with varnish (probably spar to deal with temp/humidity changes). other wood options include: alder, ash, basswood, birch (yellow or red), butternut, hickory, mahogany, hard or soft maple, white or red oak, poplar, or eastern white pine. what would you choose, and why. (recap: screen door is in a protected location, so won't get more than occasional wind blown rain or snow, and is not exposed to direct sunlight. Climate is maine - hot and humid in summer, cold and dry in winter). -thanks On Sun, Sep 11, 2022 at 6:49 AM Bill Ghio via groups.io |
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276306 | Chris Wolf <hframe79001@g...> | 2022‑09‑11 | Re: what wood for a screen door (and other building thoughts)..... |
I would say you should choose whichever of those you like the look of, or prefer to work with. If possible dents in the door would bother you, perhaps avoid the softer choices. I wouldn't expect weather resistance to be any issue at all. I built a small, two-person dining table for our screened porch twenty years ago and finished it with Minwax spar varnish. This is in Michigan, so a somewhat similar climate to yours. The table gets a little wind-blown rain, but no direct sun. The finish is holding up great and there's not even any color change to the wood. It happens to be made of redwood reclaimed from another outdoor project, but since the finish is 100% intact I'm sure almost any other wood would have been fine also. --Chris Check out H-frame, the site for vintage Black & Decker Workmates <https://h-frame.weebly.com/> |
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276307 | Bill Ghio | 2022‑09‑11 | Re: what wood for a screen door (and other building thoughts)..... |
I have had bad luck with outdoor use of red oak and poplar. I would be comfortable with white pine, hickory, mahogany, hard maple or white oak. The others I would have to research to know their rot resistance. Protected location suggest anything will do; go by price, workability and appearance. Bill |
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276334 | Joe Sullivan <joe@j...> | 2022‑09‑15 | Re: what wood for a screen door (and other building thoughts)..... |
Snip As I understand it, red oak is not durable for exterior usage. END SNIP Quite correct. Red Oak soaks up water into open pores and rots easily. White Oak on the other hand is very durable, largely because its pores are blocked at frequent intervals, so absorption is limited. Joe |
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276335 | Joe Sullivan <joe@j...> | 2022‑09‑15 | Re: what wood for a screen door (and other building thoughts)..... |
SNIP other wood options include: alder, ash, basswood, birch (yellow or red), butternut, hickory, mahogany, hard or soft maple, white or red oak, poplar, or eastern white pine. what would you choose, and why. END SNIP Basswood is very weak and soft -- would break easily and dents with a tough. Also rots very quickly. J |
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